An Overview of Unobligated Balances in Civil Agencies
PAD-78-48: Published: Apr 1, 1978. Publicly Released: Apr 1, 1978.
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The growth in the past 5 years in unobligated balances of Federal and trust funds and in unliquidated obligations has raised concern about the validity and credibility of funding requests and about the ability of Federal agencies to carry out planned programs in a timely manner.
In fiscal year (FY) 1972, unobligated balances of budget authority in civil agencies totaled $165 billion; by FY 1977, this increased to $235 billion. During that 6-year period, yearly increases in unobligated balances were consistently larger than were projected in the President's budget. An analysis of actual versus estimated unobligated balances in civil agencies showed that between FYs 1972 and 1977, the agencies tended to underestimate unobligated balances. On the average, from FYs 1972 through 1977, first estimates differed from actual balances by 14%. First estimates for five trust funds analyzed tended to be more accurate than were those for Federal fund accounts. The average difference between the first estimates and actual balances was 7%. Department of Defense (DOD) balances accounted for about 12% of total unobligated balances in FY 1976, and were estimated to account for about 9% in FY 1978. DOD unobligated balances are primarily Federal funds for procurement programs, whereas civil unobligated balances are related to purposes ranging from backup authority for guarantee and insurance programs to construction programs. Civil agencies also maintain large balances in trust funds.
Dec 15, 2020
The Nation's Fiscal Health:
Information on the Spending and Revenue Implications of Potential Debt TargetsGAO-21-211: Published: Dec 15, 2020. Publicly Released: Dec 15, 2020.
Oct 7, 2020
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The Nation's Fiscal Health:
A Long-Term Plan Is Needed for Fiscal SustainabilityGAO-21-161T: Published: Oct 7, 2020. Publicly Released: Oct 7, 2020.
Sep 23, 2020
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The Nation's Fiscal Health:
Effective Use of Fiscal Rules and TargetsGAO-20-561: Published: Sep 23, 2020. Publicly Released: Sep 23, 2020.
Jan 23, 2020
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Federal Trust Funds and Other Dedicated Funds:
Fiscal Sustainability Is a Growing Concern for Some Key FundsGAO-20-156: Published: Jan 16, 2020. Publicly Released: Jan 23, 2020.
Dec 19, 2019
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State and Local Governments' Fiscal Outlook:
2019 UpdateGAO-20-269SP: Published: Dec 19, 2019. Publicly Released: Dec 19, 2019.
Nov 14, 2019
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Certificated Expenditures:
Executive Office of the President FY 2018 Certificated Expenditures Were Spent for Authorized PurposesGAO-20-139R: Published: Nov 14, 2019. Publicly Released: Nov 14, 2019.
Oct 16, 2019
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Civilian Personnel:
Additional Guidance and Consistent Data Reporting Could Help Improve the Marine Corps' Budget ManagementGAO-20-148: Published: Oct 16, 2019. Publicly Released: Oct 16, 2019.
Jun 26, 2019
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The Nation's Fiscal Health:
Actions Needed to Achieve Long-Term Fiscal SustainabilityGAO-19-611T: Published: Jun 26, 2019. Publicly Released: Jun 26, 2019.
Apr 10, 2019
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The Nation's Fiscal Health:
Action Is Needed to Address the Federal Government's Fiscal FutureGAO-19-314SP: Published: Apr 10, 2019. Publicly Released: Apr 10, 2019.
Mar 27, 2019
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Fiscal Exposures:
Federal Insurance and Other Activities That Transfer Risk or Losses to the GovernmentGAO-19-353: Published: Mar 27, 2019. Publicly Released: Mar 27, 2019.
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