While Expanded Federal Programs Are Often Popular for Americans, This

While expanded federal programs are often popular for Americans, this much larger bureaucracy suffers during a downturn in economic growth, such as was experienced in the 1970s. Why does an economic downturn create such challenges?

A) There are fewer citizens for the bureaucracy to serve.
B) Economic downturns often create federal budget deficits that make it very difficult to continue supporting a large bureaucracy.
C) State governments begin to take away the federal government's role in providing social benefits.
D) Downturns in the economy always create international tensions that require a stronger military presence, which in turn drains off available resources.
E) As the U.S. Constitution requires a balanced budget, the federal government must eliminate agencies when income decreases.