Does Congress Actually Have Power of the Purse?

The "power of the purse"—Congress’s constitutional authority to control public spending—is often cited as the ultimate check on executive power. But how effectively does legislative funding actually translate into policy influence in modern Washington?

In this episode, we sit down with UChicago Ph.D. candidate Kevin Angell to dive into his latest paper on legislative spending power and appropriations. Moving beyond political rhetoric, Angell shares rigorous empirical research examining how federal budget allocations shape agency behavior, where Congressional leverage succeeds, and where executive discretion chips away at legislative control.