BudCast™ |
What the BudCast™ is all about. |
| What the colors mean. | |
| What the score means. | |
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The BudCast in not available at this time. |
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The Analyst's Forecast
- The Analyst's Forecast is summarized by the picture and the color. The score is for appropriations.
What is this all about?
- The
BudCast™ (budget forecast) is a summary
judgment of agency prospects in the
appropriations process for the upcoming fiscal
year. It is analogous to a weather
forecast. The BudCast™ is not based
on as much science as weather forecasts.
The specific measures used to reach the judgment
are under constant development.
- At this time, the BudCast™ is being applied to a composite of the whole Federal establishment. It will be expanded to specific agencies in the future.
- Agencies which already have their appropriations acts would have a sunnier forecast than those that do not.
Colors
| Symbol | Color | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
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Red |
Danger. Problems coming up. Major cuts from request by at least one committee. Shutdown possible in the near future. |
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Purple |
No imminent danger, but things may turn towards the red BudCast™ in the near future. Congress expresses doubts about agency's request or performance. |
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Blue |
Things seem to be normal. Parts of request on way to being approved by Congress. No imminent danger. |
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Light blue |
No imminent danger. Clearing strongly/clouds moving in. Things are looking up/down. Funding for major initiatives approved. |
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Yellow |
Sunshine and good feelings. Request granted in its major aspects. No dangers ahead. |
Score
| The score is developed as follows: | |
| Enactment of each appropriation is worth 1/13th, or 7.69 points. (There are 13 appropriations, and each is weighed equally.) | |
| A vetoed bill is a negative equivalent of an appropriation, or -7.69 points. | |
| A continuing resolution is worth half an appropriation, or 3.85 points. | |
| A lapse in appropriations is a negative 8 points for each lapsed appropriation. (In this case, there is no appropriation at all, including a CR, for the agencies covered by the specific appropriation. For a complete shutdown of the government, this would yield a negative score.) | |
| The points are added for the score, which is rounded. | |