PUBLIC BUDGETING AND FINANCE

Catalog description

The course will exam the budget and finance at the state and local level of government. Topics include budget structure and process; decision makers within the political and economic environment; debt, capital planning and bond financing; revenue structures supporting expenditures, as well as contemporary issues such as privatization and liability insurance. Tax policy and associated tradeoffs between tax equity and efficiency and spending and program needs are also examined. Two case studies are utilized: one related to state and local tax policy and one related to budgetary decision-making. The course combines readings with the development of a budget for a hypothetical city to demonstrate budget formats, the politics of budgeting, and methods of projecting expenditures and revenues, administration and criteria for selecting taxes. This course will be conducted using different teaching methods including, but not limited to lectures, audiovisual presentation, case studies, Internet assignments, action research, field experiences, and conferences.