Which of the following combinations correctly lists the three basic types of government budget?

Introduction / Context:
In public finance and economics, the term budget refers to the plan of expected revenue and expenditure for a given period, usually a financial year. When comparing total government receipts and total government spending, economists classify budgets into three basic types. This question tests understanding of these fundamental categories.

Given Data / Assumptions:
- We are dealing with the overall government budget, not internal company budgets.
- The question asks for the combination that correctly lists the three basic types of government budget.
- Options present different groupings of budget related terms.
- Learners are expected to recall the standard classification based on the relationship between receipts and expenditure.

Concept / Approach:
When governments prepare budgets, three simple situations can occur when total expenditure is compared with total revenue. If expenditure equals revenue, the result is a balanced budget. If expenditure is less than revenue, the government has a surplus budget. If expenditure exceeds revenue, it is a deficit budget. These three cases form the basic classification taught in introductory public finance. Other terms such as revenue budget, capital budget, performance budget or zero based budget describe different dimensions or techniques of budgeting, but they are not the fundamental three types based on the simple surplus and deficit relationship.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that a balanced budget means government expenditure equals government revenue. Step 2: Remember that a surplus budget means government revenue is greater than expenditure. Step 3: Understand that a deficit budget occurs when government expenditure is greater than revenue. Step 4: Look at the options and identify which one lists all three of these basic categories together. Step 5: Observe that only option A combines surplus budget, balanced budget and deficit budget in one group.

Verification / Alternative check:
To verify, consider the meaning of the other options. Revenue budget and capital budget refer to different parts of the government budget based on type of transaction, not the overall result. Cash, sales and production budgets are internal business tools used in companies rather than standard government budget types. Performance and zero based budgeting describe methods of preparing budgets, focusing on outcomes or starting calculations from zero. None of these sets exactly capture the three basic outcomes of budget balance, surplus and deficit.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
- Revenue budget, capital budget and rolling budget: These are important concepts but do not represent the basic three types based solely on revenue and expenditure comparison.
- Cash budget, sales budget and production budget: These terms are mainly used in corporate financial planning and are not the standard categorisation for government budgets.
- Performance budget, zero based budget and outcome budget: These are budgeting techniques or approaches, not the three simple types defined by surplus, balance and deficit.

Common Pitfalls:
Students often confuse classifications by purpose, time or technique with the core classification based on the difference between revenue and expenditure. Exam setters sometimes present impressive sounding combinations to distract candidates who have not clearly understood the underlying concept. Always remember that the basic categorisation of government budget types is built around three possibilities: surplus, balanced and deficit.

Final Answer:
The combination that correctly lists the three basic types of government budget is Surplus budget, balanced budget and deficit budget.