Whether the federal government fulfils its commitments in investment and climate policy is reflected in the concrete structure of the federal budget – especially at a time when, following the constitutional amendment in March 2025, substantial additional debt-financed resources have become available. The project “Monitoring the Federal Budget Using the Future Quota for 2026 – 2028” examines the extent to which the federal budget prioritises future-oriented investments. Although there is broad consensus that spending with long-term benefits should be increased, budgetary policy is often dominated by measures with immediate benefits. The ‘future quota’ developed by ZEW creates transparency here by making the future orientation of the budget systematically measurable. It combines a sound economic and theoretical basis with a clear and concise result figure, showing whether and to what extent long-term objectives are given greater weight in budgetary policy.