Trying to analyze developments in the federal budget in 1996 was particularly confusing to most Americans. This book serves as a guide for understanding the ever-changing, complex federal budget process. Chapter 1 explains in detail key terms and concepts. Chapter 2 provides an overview of the Budget Enforcement Act (BEA) budget process. Under the BEA procedures, reducing the deficit is no longer the major goal; limiting spending and guaranteeing that the baseline level of revenues is collected are now the primary aims. Chapters 3 through 6 describe stages of the BEA timetable, including President Clinton's budget, the Congressional budget resolution and reconciliation, authorizations and appropriations, and sequestration. Types of impoundments and impoundment-control procedures are described in the seventh chapter. Guidelines for reading and using the federal budget are offered in chapter 8. Contains 26 tables and 2 figures. Appendices contain the following: the concurrent resolution on the budget, fiscal year 1996; views and estimates reports of the House Committees on Agriculture and Ways and Means; budget projections and economic assumptions; functional categories of the federal budget; and President Clinton's fiscal 1994 rescission message. (LMI)