power of the purse
4
6.6
- noun
- Literature
:
poder del bolsillo
- Among the reported cases is one that limits the most blunt tool Congress has for affecting foreign policy: the power of the purse.
- use the power of the purse
Trump took away the power of the purse from Congress, and they said you can't do that.
- Trump took away the power of the purse from Congress, and they said you can't do that.
- So again, this gets solved by the power of the purse and demanding that our elected legislators spend less money.
- The Congress right has authority that the president doesn't have, As for example, in budgeting the so-called power of the purse.
Examples
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Trump took away the power of the purse from Congress, and they said you can't do that.
-
The power of the purse went to Congress; diplomacy to the Executive.
Blog text (3) -
The Constitution specifically gives Congress the power of the purse and the ability to spend money in the best interests of the people.
Blog text (8) -
Congress used its power of the purse to limit President Nixon.
Academic text (1991) -
On the other hand, Parliament had the power of the purse and soon represented the growing commercial and industrial middle class.
Academic text (2011) -
Although in that case, Congress was able to use its power of the purse to limit somewhat his intervention.
Academic text (1991) -
The check on these powers is Congress's power of the purse.
Blog text (11) -
If Congress can micromanage the executive through its power of the purse, why not also the courts?
Academic text (1990) -
So to those who ask how Israel can possibly continue to say "no" to the president, the answer is simple: it can because Congress, which holds the power of the purse, says it can.
Academic text (2011) -
The Constitution gives Congress the power of the purse to manage federal spending.
Synonyms
7
5.5
Control of money and the power to decide how to spend it
3
4.6
Control of money in a family or organization
Surface Forms
Morphology
The overall meaning (influence gained by controlling funds) is related to the literal words 'power' and 'purse', so a learner could potentially infer a link, but the phrase relies on a metonymic/metaphorical reading of 'purse' as 'budget or funds' and on political/institutional knowledge. Because that figurative shift is not fully predictable for an average B1 learner who only knows the constituents, the expression is only partially transparent.
Etymology
Power of the purse may come from the simple image of a person holding a small money bag, where whoever holds the purse decides who gets the coins. So, if someone holds the purse they can help or stop plans by giving or holding back money, and that is why the phrase means 'the ability to influence or control decisions by managing funds'.