Power of the purse
Encyclopedia : P : PO : POW : Power of the purse
The power of the purse is the ability of a government or other organisation to manipulate the actions of another group by withholding funding. This is often used in the absence of any other real enforcement power, and frequently used as a punishment. The phrase is also used to convey the US Constitutional authority of the Congress as being the sole body with the ability to levy taxes and spend revenues.
Examples
- the administration or student government at a college or university revokes some or all funding for a student newspaper, because the newspaper has printed an article critical of it.
- the head of a legislative committee refuses to give pork barrel funding to a senator or other delegate or representative, because he or she refused to support a bill which the head wanted.
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