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Block grants and unfunded mandates are two government budgetary practices that can have significant implications for lower levels of government.
Higher levels of government should provide adequate resources when mandating functions to lower levels of government.
Services should be implemented and operated by the level of government that can most appropriately and efficiently deliver them.
Federal and state governments have tried to change budget rules to control government spending. Budget rules have also been used to impose fiscal discipline.
Tax and spending decisions should be the purview of the legislative branch.
A balanced budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution should not be adopted.
Policymakers should enact effective and balanced rules for fiscal discipline.
Legislators should not adopt supermajority voting requirements for budgetary or tax matters.
Governments should not limit their ability to address future economic and political changes and the need for investments.
Efforts to balance the budget or address shortfalls should remain the purview of the legislative branch. They should be fully negotiated by elected officials.