What term describes the President's refusal to spend money that Congress has appropriated?

• A. Appropriation
• B. Impoundment
• C. Earmarking
• D. Reappropriation

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is the president’s power to withhold or delay spending of funds that Congress has already approved. This action is called impoundment. When Congress allocates money and the president refuses to spend it or defers it, that’s impoundment in practice. It’s a presidential restraint on funding that locks up money Congress intended to use.

To contrast briefly: an appropriation is the act by Congress of providing funds for a program. Earmarking refers to designating money for a specific project within an appropriation. Reappropriation means reallocating funds, often for a new purpose or extending an existing appropriation. The key distinction is that impoundment is about the executive withholding funds that Congress has already set aside, not about the act of allocating funds in the first place.