Every year, Congress is supposed to pass a budget, balancing military spending with domestic needs like infrastructure, Social Security, and education. This book meets objectives in the C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards and describes the steps of the budgeting process in reader-friendly terms. It considers the groups behind passing a budget, including the Office of Management and Budget, the Congressional Budget Office, and the House and Senate Appropriations Committees. The book also explores the reconciliation process, the national debt, and how the different branches of the government intersect while setting economic policy. This volume also considers up-to-date instances of budget items and the consequences of budgets failing to pass, particularly the government shutdowns of 2013 and 2018.