What is the role of legislatures in the budget process? Do powerful assemblies give rise to pro-spending bias? This survey of legislative budgeting tackles these questions using cross-national data and case studies. It highlights the tension between legislative authority and prudent fiscal policy, exploring strategies for reconciliation.

Traditionally, economics training in public finances has focused more on tax than public expenditure issues, and within expenditure, more on policy considerations than the more mundane matters of public expenditure management. For many years, the IMF's Public Expenditure Management Division has answered specific questions raised by fiscal economists on such missions. Based on this experience, these guidelines arose from the need to provide a general overview of the principles and practices observed in three key aspects of public expenditure management: budget preparation, budget execution, and cash planning. For each aspect of public expenditure management, the guidelines identify separately the differing practices in four groups of countries - the francophone systems, the Commonwealth systems, Latin America, and those in the transition economies. Edited by Barry H. Potter and Jack Diamond, this publication is intended for a general fiscal, or a general budget, advisor interested in the macroeconomic dimension of public expenditure management.

A basic reference document for persons interested in the federal budget-making process. Emphasizes budget terms in addition to relevant economic and accounting terms to help the user appreciate the dynamics of the budget process. Also distinguishes between any differences in budgetary and non-budgetary meanings of terms. Over 300 terms defined. Index. Appendices: overview of the federal budget process, budget functional classification, and more.

In this completely revised edition of his classic work, Aaron Wildavsky collects in one place the existing knowledge on budgeting. Realistic budgets are an expression of practical politics. Budgeting is so basic it reveals the norms by which men live in a particular political culture. In dealing directly with the universe of governmental activity, Wildavsky uses reliable accounts of how budgeting is carried on to capture a great deal of national political life. The focus is explicitly comparative. After developing a general theory of budgeting; he analyzes four rich countries - Britain, France, Japan, and the United States, followed by poor countries, American cities, and American states. Wildavsky uses this analysis to develop and apply a cultural theory of budgeting, explaining the degree of balance between revenue and expenditure; why government grows in all industrial democracies, and why there are still different rates of growth in spending. He offers a critical evaluation of the first edition, linking the ability of nations to make history and the various strategies of change they adopt to explain a wider range of budgetary processes.

The observed budgetary abuses including lack of transparency, poor accountability and budget indiscipline have called to question the rationale of budgeting in government and whether there is any significant positive relationship between good governance and public budgeting. The objective of this paper is to attempt to clear this doubt by an exploration of literature in the subject and specifically comparing the nature and features of good budgeting with good governance. From the conceptual and theoretical basis, it is clear that budget management is not just a technocratic phenomenon but also a political process. Thus, the quality of a government can be x-rayed from the quality of its budgetary process. It is therefore recommended that strict adherence to budgetary rules should not be compromised especially as it relates to discipline, transparency and accountability in the budgetary process as this will enhance good governance and deliver value to a large majority of Nigerians. However, this research discovered the crisis of development in Nigeria to be the absence of these socio eco-political virtues. Thus, a recommendation is made for the need to embrace these virtues in order to see our country come out of the doldrums of underdevelopment.

Although citizen engagement is a core public service value, few public administrators receive training on how to share leadership with people outside the government. Participatory Budgeting in the United States serves as a primer for those looking to understand a classic example of participatory governance, engaging local citizens in examining budgetary constraints and priorities before making recommendations to local government. Utilizing case studies and an original set of interviews with community members, elected officials, and city employees, this book provides a rare window onto the participatory budgeting process through the words and experiences of the very individuals involved. The central themes that emerge from these fascinating and detailed cases focus on three core areas: creating the participatory budgeting infrastructure; increasing citizen participation in participatory budgeting; and assessing and increasing the impact of participatory budgeting. This book provides students, local government elected officials, practitioners, and citizens with a comprehensive understanding of participatory budgeting and straightforward guidelines to enhance the process of civic engagement and democratic values in local communities.

Now in its Ninth Edition, Public Budgeting Systems is a complete and balanced reference that 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. The Ninth Edition has been updated to give particular attention to several recent developments in public budgeting and finance including: - Steps that have been taken by governments to battle the effects of the "Great Recession" and to enhance economic recovery. In the US, this includes the actions of the Federal Reserve as well as legislative efforts, such as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. - Significant increase in use of fiscal policy tools to stimulate economic recovery, in contrast to most recent previous 20 year period. - The federal government's direct role in the operations of the private sector will be explored. The government has become a major stockholder and therefore has a financial stake in seeing that corporations succeed. - Unprecedented federal deficits, as well as extreme budgetary challenges at the state and local level, including a discussion of causes and possible solutions. - Other changes during the Obama presidency, including the passage of comprehensive health care reform and changes in the management agenda. - Continued developments in financial and debt management, including additional GASB requirements and the effects of the recent economic contraction on the borrowing prospects for state and local governments. - Additional recognition of the effects of the global economy, resulting in an increase in the pages devoted to discussing international examples.

Foreword p. xi Preface to the Fifth Edition p. xix Preface to the First Edition p. xxvii Biographical Note p. xxxiii Chapter 1 Budgeting as Conflicting Promises p. 1 Budgets Are Conflicting Commitments p. 7 Tax Preferences p. 11 Appropriations: The Power of Congress and Power Within Congress p. 13 The President Is Both Rival and Partner of Congress p. 16 Conflicting Promises: The Multiple Meanings of Budgetary Control p. 19 Chapter 2 Budgets as Struggles for Power: A Historical Perspective p. 25 Colonial Origins p. 26 Turning Points: Civil War through World War I p. 30 The Executive Budget Movement p. 33 Dislocation and Continuity: Depression and War p. 40 Chapter 3 The Dance of the Dollars: Classical Budgeting p. 42 Calculations p. 44 Complexity p. 44 Aids to Calculation p. 45 Incremental Budgeting p. 46 Roles and Perspectives p. 50 The Agency p. 50 The Bureau of the Budget p. 54 The Appropriations Committees p. 56 Strategies p. 57 Be a Good Politician p. 58 Clientele p. 58 Confidence p. 60 Congressional Committee Hearings p. 62 Strategies Designed to Capitalize on the Fragmentation of Power in National Politics p. 62 Chapter 4 The Collapse of Consensus p. 68 The Growth of Entitlements p. 69 Economic Activism p. 70 Federal Credit p. 71 Priorities p. 72 Impoundment p. 73 The Budget Act: More Checks, More Balances, but Not More Control p. 75 Impoundment Again p. 75 Congressional Budget Office p. 76 Senate Budget Committee and House Budget Committee p. 76 Scheduling p. 76 Resolutions p. 77 Reconciliation p. 78 Complexity p. 78 A Congressional Budget, or Merely More Budgeting? p. 78 The Budget Process, 1975--1979: Making Totals Stick p. 79 Classical Budgeting Withers Without Quite Disappearing p. 81 Chapter 5 The Politics of Dissensus p. 83 Why Budget Decisions Became So Difficult p. 84 The Focus on Totals p. 84 The End of Economic Management p. 85 Dominance of the Deficit p. 86 Polarization of the Parties p. 87 The Congressional Budget Act in the 1980s p. 88 R and R: Resolution and Reconciliation p. 88 Deferral and Rescission Redux p. 90 The Shifting Budgetary Base p. 91 Continuing Omnibus Resolutions p. 92 OMB in an Era of Perennial Budgeting p. 93 Top-Down Policy Making p. 94 Continuous Budgeting p. 94 Negotiating with Congress p. 95 Implications for OMB p. 96 Dissensus in Congress p. 97 Role Reversal p. 97 Rolled on the Floor p. 98 Budgeting Penetrates Congress p. 100 Gimmicks p. 100 Chapter 6 The Politics of Balancing Budgets p. 103 Gramm-Rudman-Hollings p. 105 The Budget Enforcement Act of 1990 p. 106 The Clinton Budget of 1993 p. 108 The Politics of Radical Reversal 1995 p. 111 Prologue: Constitutional Amendment and Rescission p. 112 Budgets and Counterbudgets: The President's Budget and the Congressional Resolution p. 113 Incrementalism in Mirror Image: Appropriations p. 114 Confrontation: Continuing Resolutions and the Debt Limit p. 115 Reconciliation and Intransigence p. 118 The Balanced Budget Act of 1997 p. 120 Chapter 7 Entitlements p. 123 The "Ought" and "Is" of Entitlements p. 124 Entitlements and Budgeting p. 129 How Do Entitlements Start? p. 132 Why Do Entitlements Grow? p. 135 Maintaining Commitment: Social Security p. 136 Escalating Costs: Medicare p. 138 Expanding Eligibility: Medicaid p. 140 Provider Pressures: End-Stage Renal Disease p. 142 How Have Entitlements Been Controlled? p. 144 Declining Need: Black Lung Disease p. 145 Ending an Entitlement: Welfare p. 146 Entitlements and Others p. 148 Appropriations: Head Start and WIC p. 148 Tax Expenditures: Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) p. 149 Formula Grants to States: Adoption Assistance Program, Individuals With Disabilities Education Act, and the Ryan White Care Act p. 149 Chapter 8 Budgeting for Defense p. 152 Dimensions of Defense p. 153 Defense Strategy and Funding p. 155 The Internal Budget Process p. 161 Planning, Programming, Budgeting p. 161 Acquisitions p. 165 The Congressional Budget Process p. 170 Reprogramming p. 173 Secrecy p. 175 Cuts p. 176 Contingencies p. 179 Chapter 9 Reform p. 181 Norms of Budgetary Behavior p. 181 Forms of Budgeting p. 184 Reform Without Conflict p. 184 The Politics in Budget Reform p. 186 Unit of Measurement: Cash or Volume p. 187 Time Span: Months, One Year, Many Years p. 188 Calculation: Incremental or Comprehensive p. 189 Management Reforms p. 191 Performance and Budgeting p. 191 Centralization and Decentralization: The Role of OMB p. 193 Credit Reform p. 195 Financial Management p. 196 Capital Budgeting p. 197 Limits p. 198 The Line-Item Veto p. 200 Chapter 10 From Surplus to Deficit p. 205 The Disappearing Deficit p. 205 The Politics of Budget Surplus p. 208 The End of the Surplus p. 212 Afterword p. 219 Characteristics of the Budget Process p. 219 The Budgetary Process Is Powerful Yet Impotent p. 220 The Budgetary Process Is Structured Yet Formalistic p. 220 The Budgetary Process Is Complex Yet Segmented p. 221 Budgetary Politics Are Polarized but Moderated p. 223 Glossary p. 225 Guide to Acronyms p. 230 Select Bibliography p. 231 Credits p. 245 Index.