What is Public Administration?
What is Public Administration?
Government in Action – what government can do and what government can do efficiently using the least amount of time or money
Public administration is the management of people and materials in the accomplishment of the purposes of the state
The objective of public administration is the most efficient utilization of resources at the disposal of public officials and employees
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(Scarcity ⇒ Competition ⇒ Limited Choice)
= Budgetary Politics
Lewis, Carol W. and W. Bartley Hildreth, 2012. Budgeting: Politics and Power, 2nd ed. New York: Oxford University Press
Lewis, Carol W. and W. Bartley Hildreth, 2012. Budgeting: Politics and Power, 2nd ed. New York: Oxford University Press, figure 1.3.
Accountability
answering to someone
such as legislature, chief executive, taxpayer
for something
such as a decision, a program, or mistake
Democracies hold public officials and employees accountable through elections, public records (such as accounts) and disclosure, and the chain of command in organizations.
Lewis, Carol W. and W. Bartley Hildreth, 2012. Budgeting: Politics and Power, 2nd ed. New York: Oxford University Press
Democracies
hold public officials and employees
accountable through
elections
public records (such as accounts) and disclosure
chain of command in organizations
the courts
Lewis, Carol W. and W. Bartley Hildreth, 2012. Budgeting: Politics and Power, 2nd ed. New York: Oxford University Press
A
B
C
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B
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Transparency
information is readily available and understandable or clear and
decision-making processes are regular, known, open, and participatory
Lewis, Carol W. and W. Bartley Hildreth, 2012. Budgeting: Politics and Power, 2nd ed. New York: Oxford University Press
A budget can include only those things that can be counted and valued in dollars.
“Not everything that can be counted counts,
and not everything that counts can be counted.”
Albert Einstein
Reproduced from the original held by the Department of Special Collections of the Hesburgh Libraries of the University of Notre Dame.
Lewis, Carol W. and W. Bartley Hildreth, 2012. Budgeting: Politics and Power, 2nd ed. New York: Oxford University Press
Overall importance of the budget
Budgets serve as a guide for public administrators
Define gov’ts economic & political role in a community
Serve as plans for the future
Mold the future that is planned
Brings about order and cohesion
Political Importance of Budgeting
Property tax
Public perception of taxes
Public education and budgets
Financing public education
Laboratories of democracy
Citizen participation
Budget Process Logic
Wrangling over public services—budget is a communication device
Overarching functions of the budget process
Decision plan
Allocation vehicle
Fiscal discipline & control
Response to strategic priorities
Efficient implementation
The Context of Local Government Budgeting
The budget document along with its preparation, implementation and adoption express the basic political values of a government.
Budgets reflect the compromises negotiated in the contentious process of budget adoption.
Summary/ The role of budgeting in local government
Allocation of resources between public & private sectors
Invest in infrastructure
Promote economic growth
Give legitimacy to gov’t actions
Help manage a complex bureaucracy
Provide social and political functions
Overall, the budget establishes the level of supply for public goods and services delivered to citizens
