To a significant extent, of course, the decline in the deficit and the emergence of surpluses were attributable to circumstances external to the budget process, including the stellar performance of the economy; the increase in equity prices, which raised tax revenues to historic highs; and the end of the Cold War, which allowed for a decrease in defense spending.
But without a broad consensus to reduce the deficit, and without a mechanism to enforce that consensus, the Congress might have responded to these positive developments by increasing spending or cutting taxes. Instead, the federal deficit was allowed to decline. As a result, national saving increased, providing further impetus to economic growth.