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Appropriation
The process that local, state, or federal governments use to set aside funds for a specific purpose. At the federal level, the power of the government to appropriate funds is delineated in Article 1, Section 9, of the U.S. Constitution, which allows “appropriations made by law.” The House and Senate Appropriations Committees draft legislation to allocate these funds. The legislation is then presented to Congress for its approval each fiscal year. The Committees are also empowered to draft supplemental spending bills, which are designed to address emergency situations that may arise during the fiscal year. The term pork-barrel is used to describe appropriations gained by representatives for their own districts to enhance their popularity among constituents.