Syllabus
Introduction
This course provides an introduction to public budgeting and finance and is a core requirement for the Master of Public Administration Program. The budgetary process is, perhaps, the most important and fundamental component of the public policy process and democratic governance. Funding for public programs is inseparable from their operation (and existence). Furthermore, the sources of revenue for public programs can play an important role in the design of government spending. Since the budgetary process is inherently political, we can understand budgets as both political documents and management tools. Simply put, budgets are an expression of societal values. It is necessary, therefore, for public managers to possess the knowledge and skills required to understand the key principles of public budgeting and finance.
Textbook
- Rubin, I. S. (2019). The Politics of Public Budgeting: Getting and Spending, Borrowing and Balancing. CQ Press.
- Menifield, C. E. (2020). The basics of public budgeting and financial management: A handbook for academics and practitioners. 4th edition. Hamilton Books.
- Kioko, S., & Marlowe, J. (2016). Financial strategy for public managers. 4th edition. Rebus Community.
Lectures
- Introduction to budgeting
- Federalism and equity in budgeting
- Budgeting as policy making
- Preparation of the budget
- Revenue
- Cost
- Capital budgeting
- Budgeting techniques and analytical models
- Financial management
- Financial statement analysis