Definition
Government spending on programs like Social Security and Medicare, which are authorized by law and happen automatically unless the law changes. It's the budget category nobody can control.
Example Usage
Mandatory spending consumes 60% of the federal budget and is growing faster than tax revenue, creating long-term fiscal problems.
Origin
From 'mandatory' (required by law), distinguishing from discretionary spending that's negotiated annually.
Fun Fact
Mandatory spending was supposed to never exceed discretionary spending, but that happened in the 2000s and the gap keeps widening.
Source: Federal budget process documentation and Congressional Budget Office reports
Related Terms
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