When Congress and the president cannot use their discretion to change the spending rates it is called

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Mandatory spending refers to government spending that is required by law and cannot be changed through the discretion of Congress or the president. This includes programs like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. Automatic spending, on the other hand, refers to spending that is triggered by specific events, such as a natural disaster or an economic downturn. While some mandatory spending may also be automatic, it is not the defining characteristic of these programs. Irrational spending and required spending are not commonly used terms in discussions of government spending, and defense spending is just one category of discretionary spending that Congress and the president are able to change.

When Congress and the President Cannot Use Their Discretion to Change