Which act prohibits obligating or expending in excess of appropriations?

• A. Budget and Accounting Act
• B. Patriot Act
• C. Anti-Deficiency Act
• D. Federal Acquisition Regulation

Answer: (C)

Obligations and expenditures must stay within what Congress has appropriated. This control is provided by the Anti-Deficiency Act, which makes it illegal to incur obligations or spend government funds in excess of available appropriations, and also bars entering into obligations before funds are available or when there are no funds. In short, it ensures that federal spending cannot exceed the amounts authorized and funded.

The other acts don’t address this specific constraint on spending levels. The Budget and Accounting Act shaped how the budget is formulated and reported, but it doesn’t itself prohibit overspending. The Patriot Act relates to national security and law enforcement, not budgetary limits. The Federal Acquisition Regulation governs procurement processes, not the overarching rule that spending must stay within appropriations.