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The budget is an expression of political rather than economic priorities. We confirm this proposition for a group of new and potential members of the European Union, finding that politics dominates. The contemporary practice of democracy can increase budget deficits through not only ideological preferences but also more fragmented government coalitions and higher voter participation. Long-term structural forces, triggered by societal divisions and representative electoral rules, have more ambiguous implications but also appear to increase budget pressures, as others have also found. However, our most robust, and hopeful, finding is that budget institutions-mechanisms and rules of the budget process-that create checks and balances have significant value even when the politics is representative but undisciplined, and when long-term structural forces are unfavorable.

Budget -- European Union countries -- Econometric models. --- Elections -- Economic aspects -- European Union countries. --- Electronic books. -- local. --- Fiscal policy -- European Union countries -- Econometric models. --- Political Science --- Law, Politics & Government --- Public Finance --- Budget --- Fiscal policy --- Elections --- Econometric models. --- Economic aspects --- Electoral politics --- Franchise --- Polls --- Tax policy --- Taxation --- Budgeting --- Government policy --- Political science --- Politics, Practical --- Plebiscite --- Political campaigns --- Representative government and representation --- Economic policy --- Finance, Public --- Expenditures, Public --- Forecasting --- Labor --- Macroeconomics --- Analysis of Collective Decision-Making: General --- Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook: General --- National Budget, Deficit, and Debt: General --- National Budget --- Budget Systems --- National Government Expenditures and Related Policies: General --- Fiscal Policy --- Debt --- Debt Management --- Sovereign Debt --- Unemployment: Models, Duration, Incidence, and Job Search --- Budgeting & financial management --- Public finance & taxation --- Labour --- income economics --- Budget planning and preparation --- Expenditure --- Fiscal stance --- Public debt --- Unemployment rate --- Public financial management (PFM) --- Debts, Public --- Unemployment --- Poland, Republic of --- Income economics