A complete and balanced reference, Public Budgeting Systems, Eighth Edition surveys the current state of budgeting throughout all levels of the United States government. The text emphasizes methods by which financial decisions are reached within a system as well as ways in which different types of information are used in budgetary decision-making. It also stresses the use of program information, since, for decades, budget reforms have sought to introduce greater program considerations into financial decisions. This updated text includes more cases studies and practical information, figures and charts to make the information more accessible, as well as additional student problems. Using this text, students will gain a first-rate understanding of methods by which financial decisions are reached within a system, and how different types of information are used in budgetary decision-making.

The most comprehensive and accurate treatment of the public budgeting process on the market, this book offers a thorough treatment of the entire subject, with an emphasis on state budgets. Public Budgeting in America, 5/E is user-friendly, with a no-nonsense approach that offers readers a solid theoretical treatment of key constructs that underlie public budgeting in America. It includes case scenarios, practical examples, and instructional exhibits of working budget documents and analysis, as well as supporting data to demonstrate key concepts. Topics include: budget formats and preparation; modern budgeting; budget behavior; applied analysis; processing; operating budgets and accounting; capital budgeting and debt administration; revenue systems; and internal service functions. For individuals employed in the fields of public budgeting, financial management, and public finance.

The Basics of Public Budgeting and Financial Management brings budgetary theory and practice together, filling the void between the two that has existed in the field of budgeting and public finance. This book bridges the gap by providing the reader with applications and exercises that reinforce budgetary theory. Students are given the opportunity to learn various concepts and skills necessary to succeed in the field and the exercises provided in each chapter require application of what is learned. Specifically, students will be exposed to basic budget and finance concepts, public revenue, financial management, risk assessment, cost benefit analysis, and so on. This handbook also provides great tools that allow the user to visually display budgets and other analysis. Students will gain the solid foundation needed to begin work in a budget office. Features of this second edition include enhanced data and optional in-class assignments. For ancillary materials, please contact the author at [email protected].

This analysis of budgetary systems and policies across the world examines how politics, culture, and economics influence public finance.

Public budgeting structure, process, legal framework and policy with examples from industrialized and developing countries Public Budgeting in Context examines budgeting at all levels of U.S. government—federal, state, and local—and in a sample of governments around the world. The book assesses the context of public budgeting in these governments, especially the legal foundations for its practice and how the process and final budgets are impacted by governance structures, laws, various budget actors and different branches of government. The author presents focused attention on the influences on government budgets of the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government, the bureaucracy, the public and the media. In light of worldwide fiscal malaise, especially during and since the Great Recession, this book illustrates the heightened complexity of the budgeting environment that pervades all governments today—industrialized or developing, large or small. For those who like to dive into the details, the book presents numerous examples of public budgeting as practiced and points to the wealth of data available for analyses of the budgetary context and process, budget shares and results regarding virtually any government of interest. Chapters cover the constitutional and statutory provisions for budgeting in selected governments. Budget and policy agenda setting and executive leadership, legislative budget powers and the influence of the judiciary on modern government budgets are exposed. Budget execution requirements of the bureaucracy, the input of customers, clients and citizens to government budgets, and media influences on public budgets and agencies are highlighted. Budget mechanics—budget types, formats, timelines and reforms—are introduced and compared. Taxes and intergovernmental revenues are considered, with predominant tax choices at every level of government in the United States and those in a select, developing country represented. The book introduces an emerging method for investigating the outcomes of government spending—human rights budget analysis—and includes as an example the assessment of budget reform and results of public health spending in one selected government. Highlights of Public Budgeting in Context Offers a comprehensive text for understanding public budgeting in governments of a variety of contexts and capacities and across different levels Written by a noted expert in the field of public budgeting and financial management Contains illustrative examples from industrialized and developing countries Guides to innumerable datasets with information about governments and their budgets Includes a companion website filled with templates for budget and fiscal analysis Unravel the complex issues of modern public budgeting using this unique presentation of its practice in a variety of governments in the U.S. and a select sample from around the world.

Budgets in the United States follow rules of presentation and use terms that make sense to few outside the world of government finance. Moreover, practices vary widely among the thousands of governments in the country, between federal, state, and local levels. Understanding Government Budgets offers detailed explanations of each of the different types of information found in budgets, featuring annotated examples from both state and local budgets, as well as the budget of the federal government. It stresses that the choices made about format and organization influence the story a budget tells about government. The goal of the book is to make the format of budgets and the information they contain accessible and understandable, helping users make better sense of government and its performance. Perfect for undergraduate or graduate level courses in budgeting and public administration, Understanding Government Budgets also makes a useful guide to budgets for the average citizen with an interest in how government operates or journalists writing about it.