Legislative glossary
Fiscal hawk
Definition
A legislator whose deciding vote almost always turns on cost. They often cross party lines for fiscally conservative provisions like sunsets, spending caps, or revenue offsets.
Why it matters
Fiscal hawks vote the price tag. Party matters less to them than the fiscal note, which makes them unusually persuadable, and unusually principled about it. Offsets, sunsets, caps, and phase-ins are their love language. Every chamber has them, and every smart bill manager counts them before counting anyone else.
In the game
Some of the game's key swing votes are fiscal hawks whose concerns center on cost. They may cross party lines when the numbers work.
Related terms
Comes up alongside