What is the main function of a line-item veto?

The main function of a line-item veto is to strike individual line items from the budget. This allows an executive, such as a governor or the president, to reject specific provisions or allocations within a larger budget bill while still approving the rest of the legislation. By having the ability to selectively eliminate certain items, the executive can exert greater control over public spending and prioritize funding according to their policies or priorities, effectively tailoring the budget to better suit their objectives.

This mechanism enhances fiscal responsibility and ensures that public funds are utilized more effectively, as it enables the removal of unnecessary or excessive expenditures without having to veto an entire budget. Other options, such as approving an entire budget bill without modifications or creating a new budget proposal from scratch, do not accurately describe the purpose of a line-item veto, as this function is specifically about the selective alteration of existing budgetary provisions. Likewise, overseeing the implementation of budgetary policies pertains to a different aspect of governmental financial management, rather than the action of adjusting a budget directly.