Washington Monument ploy

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The Washington Monument ploy is a term used in United States politics to describe an attempt by the administration to absolve itself of blame for an expected budget deficit.

The idea behind the ploy is for the administration to propose budget cuts which it knows, through common sense, the United States Congress will never pass. The term takes its name from the often-used example of the administration proposing to shut down the Washington Monument.

To avoid the proposed cuts, Congress must inject the required funds into the budget, thus, on a superficial level, absolving the administration of blame for the deficit.