From a democratic perspective, in order to carry out consistent budget management, it is critical to ensure that both executive and legislative parties participate in the process. In spite of the widespread assumption that legislative tools complicate budget management, it should be admitted that they provide a vital framework that regulates the budget operations performed by the bodies of executive power.
First and foremost, the deficit on legislative effectiveness results in violating the basic democratic fundament of budget management that resides in authorizing revenues and financial measures that are sound and relevant to the population’s needs. Otherwise stated, the lack of control on the part of legislation might lead to the case when executive bodies impose spending measures that contradict the constitutional realm. Secondly, legislative tools are essential in order to ensure due balance in terms of budget management. Thus, in case the decision-making is performed by executive bodies only, there is a strong possibility of overspending.
From this standpoint, legislative mechanisms impose extra responsibilities on the executive branch obliging the latter to avoid waste and corruption. In addition, the deficit on legislative effectiveness has a negative impact on the transparency of the process of budget management (Rubin, 2008). Hence, for instance, budget drafting by the executive bodies does not imply the opportunity for open discussions and debates. It is only the introduction of the relevant legislative mechanisms that ensures transparency and efficient scrutiny (Legislative principles for development effectiveness, 2011).
Therefore, the lack of consistent legislative regulation is critical for budget management as it implies serious risks of making the process less open or democratically-oriented. The legislative party is essential not for interfering in the budget management but for ensuring the due objective control of the situation.
Reference List
Legislative principles for development effectiveness. (2011). Web.
Rubin, I.S. (2008). Public Budgeting [VitalSource Bookshelf Online]. Web.