Download presentation
Presentation is loading. Please wait.
Published byCristobal Pardy Modified over 10 years ago
1
Politics & Budgeting “Shaking The Money Tree”
2
2 Public Budgeting Reform origins Process Executive budget Budget cycle Technique (Budget as a set of tools & methods managers use to enhance their agency’s efficiency & effectiveness) Politics
3
3 Politics & Budgeting Totally different from traditional, technique ‑ oriented, approaches to public budgeting Rooted in the “behavioral revolution” which swept post WWII American social science Began with Aaron Wildavsky, THE POLITICS OF THE BUDGETARY PROCESS
4
4 Politics & Budgeting: Two Components Descriptive - how budgeting is “really done” Normative - how budgeting should be done
5
5 Politics & Budgeting: Descriptive Managers do not engage in extensive studies, calculations, etc. when deciding how much to request/approve Managers do use “aids to calculation” when deciding how much to request/approve
6
6 Descriptive, cont. Managers do engage in explicitly political (not necessarily partisan) maneuvering, or strategies, to enhance the likelihood that their agency’s requests are favorably received by decision makers
7
7 Aids To Calculation Experience: get an activity started, then make adjustments Simplify: use simple indicators in lieu of complex notions Satisficing: find a “good enough” solution, then stop worrying Incrementalism: focus on changes to last year’s budget, not on the entire request
8
8 Incrementalism: Two Key Concepts & An Assumption Two Key Concepts Fair Share: an agency can expect to receive (roughly) the same % of the government’s total budgetary outlays from year to year Base: an agency can expect that its programs will be carried on at roughly their current level The Assumption All other things being equal
9
9 Incrementalism: Implications Budgetary fights take place over changes to fair share &/or base, not over total size of request Major transformations may occur, but they take place over a long period of time
10
10 Strategies: Shaking the Money Tree Ubiquitous: found everywhere & at all times Contingent: used to defend &/or expand base, thus are used only under particular circumstances
11
11 Ubiquitous Strategies Clienteles: find, serve, expand, secure feedback from, etc. Develop good political “antennae” Advisory committees Avoid “capture” Be aware of fads, spending &/or cutting moods
12
12 Ubiquitous Strategies, cont. Build & maintain good relationships with legislature Staff Deference Honesty Responsiveness
13
13 Contingent Strategies: Defensive What: Protecting the base budget Examples Cut the popular program “You choose” Alter form Shift blame
14
14 Defensive Strategies, cont. More examples All or nothing Cut less visible programs (legislators like to do this!) And many others
15
15 Contingent Strategies: Offensive What: “Growing” The Base Budget Examples “Old stuff” Rounding “Look ma, no hands” Aim high, take less
16
16 Offensive Strategies, cont. More examples Spend to save Profit Crisis, national defense, etc. Temporary programs The “camel’s nose” (the wedge) And many others
17
17 Politics & Budgeting: Normative Managers should use aids to calculation & political strategies Human beings have only limited rationality Public budgeting takes place in an explicitly democratic political context. Overly focusing on the rational management approach can facilitate the growth of an overly-powerful, unresponsive bureaucracy.
18
18 Politics & Budgeting: Normative But, the critics respond Efficient & effective government is also in the public interest Wildavsky & his followers focus too much on a narrow set of evidence Changing times Better training, techniques Politicization comes & goes
Similar presentations
© 2025 SlidePlayer.com. Inc.
All rights reserved.