Miller, G. J. (2011). Government budgeting and financial management in practice: Logics to make sense of ambiguity. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.

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1 PUA 5305, Public Finance and Budgeting Course Syllabus Course Description Students will demonstrate both knowledge and comprehension of the foundational theories and methodological tools used in public finance and budgeting. Students will apply their knowledge and comprehension and make use of finance and budgeting methodological tools, such as cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness analysis, in the application of finance and budgetary theory to practice, create, and oversee public sector fiscal processes. Students will evaluate a real budget and identify important budget items that public managers must consider in preparation and presentation of a budget. The usefulness of finance and budgeting theoretical constructs and methodological tools will be applied to solve real world public finance and budgetary case studies. Course Textbook Miller, G. J. (2011). Government budgeting and financial management in practice: Logics to make sense of ambiguity. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press. Course Learning Outcomes Upon completion of this course, students should be able to: 1. Discover how historical and contemporary budgetary and finance theory apply to real-world public administration issues and problems. 2. Discuss the role of key actors in the budget process at the federal, state, and local levels, including their ethical implications. 3. Compare and contrast budgetary and financial management practices at the federal, state, and local levels, including budget strategies such as cost-benefit analysis, which is used by public managers. 4. Evaluate how the political factors that influence and determine budgetary and financial management practice in the public context. 5. Evaluate a budget, paying particular attention to essential and important items in a budget. 6. Elaborate on how citizens can become involved in and influence the budgetary process. 7. Explain how the absences of sound budgetary practice can negatively impact and potentially doom public agencies. Credits Upon completion of this course, the students will earn three (3) hours of college credit. Course Structure 1. Unit Learning Outcomes: Each unit contains Unit Learning Outcomes that specify the measurable skills and knowledge students should gain upon completion of the unit. 2. Unit Lessons: Each unit contains a Unit Lesson, which discusses lesson material. 3. Reading Assignments: Each unit contains Reading Assignments from one or more chapters from the textbook. Supplemental Readings are provided in the unit study guides to aid students in their course of study. 4. Learning Activities (Non-Graded): These non-graded Learning Activities are provided to aid students in their course of study. 5. Key Terms: Key Terms are intended to guide students in their course of study. Students should pay particular attention to Key Terms as they represent important concepts within the unit material and reading. PUA 5305, Public Finance and Budgeting 1

2 6. Discussion Boards: Discussion Boards are a part of all CSU term courses. Information and specifications regarding these assignments are provided in the Academic Policies listed in the Course Menu bar. 7. Unit Assignments: Students are required to submit for grading Unit Assignments in Units I-VII. Specific information and instructions regarding these assignments are provided below. Grading rubrics are included with all Unit Assignments. Specific information about accessing these rubrics is provided below. 8. Final Project: Students are required to submit for grading a Final Project in Unit VIII. Specific information and instructions regarding this assignment are provided below. A grading rubric is included with this assignment. Specific information for accessing this rubric is included below. 9. Ask the Professor: This communication forum provides you with an opportunity to ask your professor general or course content related questions. 10. Student Break Room: This communication forum allows for casual conversation with your classmates. Unit Assignments Unit I Article Critique Your task is to offer a detailed critique of a peer-reviewed article you locate in the CSU Online Library. The article must be related to explaining how political developments and movements have influenced the practice of budgeting and financial management in the public sector. In your critique, address the following questions/points: What are the main points and arguments of the author(s)? What is your opinion of the article? How does the article relate to your experience or current job in the public or nonprofit sector? How can the points and arguments of the author(s) be applied to the public sector in a practical sense? The critique should be roughly 500 words in length (approximately two double-spaced pages). Be sure to cite all borrowed, quoted, and paraphrased material appropriately in APA format. Your professor is most interested in your opinion (the second and third bullet points above). Unit II Essay Compose an essay of no less than 500 words discussing the topics covered in this unit. Your essay should include a description of at least three jobs that budgetary and financial management professionals may perform in the public sector. Discuss how these types of jobs are similar or different than the prevailing theory within the field of budgetary or financial management. Also, discuss how the practice of budgeting and financial management is influenced by external, environmental, economic, and political factors. Finally, explain how technology has influenced the practice of budgeting and financial management. You must use at least one scholarly source in addition to your textbook to complete this assignment. All sources used, including the textbook, must be referenced; paraphrased and quoted material must have accompanying citations. All references and citations used must be in APA style. Unit III PowerPoint Presentation You are a budget and finance professional for a mid-sized county that desperately needs funding for a new county jail, road repair and expansion, and improvements to several schools. Citizens have been resistant to an across-the-board tax increase. As a result, the county commission is considering implementing a Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) or Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST), which would create a special purpose tax only for the aforementioned programs. The county manager has asked you to research the issue and provide a recommendation. Your task is to craft a PowerPoint presentation using no less than six (6) slides (not including the references slide) presenting both the positive and negative arguments to the tax. Then, most importantly, it will contain your recommendation to either adopt the tax or not. Your presentation must be professional and also utilize a minimum of three (3) peer-reviewed sources to substantiate your research and recommendations. These sources must be presented in APA format. PUA 5305, Public Finance and Budgeting 2

3 Unit IV Project Topic The purpose of the assignment is to offer a proposal for your Final Project. Here, offer the following: Identify the agency that you will be addressing for the Final Project. Explain why it intrigues you and warrants examination and assessment. Offer a preliminary list of three (3) peer-reviewed sources you will utilize in your project. Use APA formatting for the references. The proposal should be roughly one (1) to two (2) pages in length (double-spaced). Unit V Mini Project Using your favorite search engine, locate the most recent budget for the state in which you live. After looking over the budget, write an essay consisting of no less than 500 words in which you discuss the following: How do you feel nonconventional expenditures affect finance and budgeting policy in your state? What budgetary tools were used to deal with the nonconventional expenditures? How did the political considerations of the state legislature and governor determine which nonconventional expenditures were funded first? Do you feel that government should be involved more or less in welfare policy? Explain your position. Unit VI PowerPoint Presentation Your task is to craft a detailed, professional PowerPoint presentation creating a plan to involve citizens in the budgeting and financial management processes of a municipality or small county. Be as specific as possible and substantiate your plan with at least three (3) peer-reviewed journal articles. Make sure your references are cited using APA format. The plan should be structured as if it were going to be presented to the city council or county commission. Be sure to include information about the consequences that could result if the citizens are not allowed a voice in financial planning. The presentation should be no less than six (6) slides (not including the references slide). Unit VII Article Critique Your task is to offer a detailed critique of a peer-reviewed article you locate in the CSU Online Library. The article must be related to debt management and the various ways it is handled in the public sector. In your critique, address the following questions/points: What are the main points and arguments of the author(s)? What is your opinion of the article? How does the article relate to your experience or current job in the public or nonprofit sector? How can the points and arguments of the author(s) be applied to the public sector in a practical sense? The critique should be roughly 500 words in length (approximately two double-spaced pages). Be sure to cite all borrowed, quoted, and paraphrased material appropriately in APA format. Your professor is most interested in your opinion (the second and third bullet points above). Final Project The Final Project for this course bridges the gap between theory and practice in public budgeting and financial management by focusing on what professionals and administrators actually do in the field. To this end, your task is to analyze an actual budget, offering insight, analysis, and recommendations about the chosen agency. PUA 5305, Public Finance and Budgeting 3

4 Your first task is to find a public budget to analyze. It is suggested you focus on a city/county department, a small municipality/township, a school district, a special district (such as a forest preserve district, stadium district, or water district), a community college, a small public university, or a single state agency. Be sure not to choose a budget that is too large to analyze in one written exercise. Most budgets are readily available on the institution s website or by contacting the budgeting/finance department. Many local libraries will also have these documents. In your analysis, you should address the following items/questions: Offer a brief overview of your chosen agency. What are its primary functions and roles in the community? This section should be at least one (1) page. Describe the purpose, structure, and functioning of your chosen public organization. Information could include: mission, services, number of employees, brief history, etc. What are the primary expenditures for your chosen agency? This section should be at least two (2) pages. Describe how the agency allocates its resources. What are the primary expenditures? How, specifically, do these expenditures determine public policy priorities and governmental strategies? Has the agency s budget increased or decreased since last year? What does this indicate about the success of the agency and its ability to deliver services? Is the agency allocating resources wisely? What recommendations would you offer, in terms of resource allocation, for the agency in the future? This section should be at least two (2) pages. Is the agency allocating its resources and funds wisely in your opinion? What changes should be made? Should priorities be shifted? If so, how? What recommendations would you offer for the future? The conclusion should be approximately one (1) page. Offer some concluding remarks about the future of the organization based upon your assessment and recommendations. The entire budgetary analysis should be a minimum of six pages in length and should be submitted in Unit VIII. The Final Project must incorporate no fewer than five (5) peer-reviewed journal articles to bolster your analysis of the budget. You should be able to apply the theories learned in class to your case. The project must conform to APA format, and all sources must be properly cited and referenced. Title page, running head, and abstract are not required. The reference page does not count towards the six page minimum. This budget analysis is detailed extensively in Units IV and VIII. PUA 5305, Public Finance and Budgeting 4

5 Section Points Description Does Not Meet Expectations (79 pts. & below) Agency Description and Overview Analysis of Expenditures 10 This section should be approximately two (2) pages. Describe the purpose, structure, and functioning of your chosen public organization. Information could include: mission, services, number of employees, brief history, etc. 30 This section should be approximately four (4) to five (5) pages. Describe how the agency allocates its resources. What are the primary expenditures? How, specifically, do these expenditures determine public policy priorities and governmental strategies? Recommendations 20 This section should be approximately two (2) to three (3) pages. Is the agency allocating its resources and funds wisely in your opinion? What changes should be made? Should priorities be shifted? If so, how? What recommendations would you offer for the future? Conclusion 10 This section should be approximately one (1) page. Offer some concluding remarks about the future of the organization based upon your assessment and recommendations. Overall Paper Structure and Presentation 30 The paper should be eight (8) to ten (10) pages in length. The paper must conform to APA format, including proper citations, references, structure, and style. As such, it must include a Title Page, Abstract, and References page, in addition to the four (4) other required sections. ALL borrowed, cited, and paraphrased material must be properly documented. The paper must also flow well from section to section and possess minimal spelling, syntax, or grammar errors. The paper must utilize a minimum of five (5) peerreviewed, academic journal articles to support your points, arguments, and assertions. Meets Expectations (80 to 89 pts.) Exceeds Expectations (90 to 100 pts.) PUA 5305, Public Finance and Budgeting 5

6 APA Guidelines CSU requires that students use the APA style for papers and projects. Therefore, the APA rules for formatting, quoting, paraphrasing, citing, and listing of sources are to be followed. A document titled Citation Guide is available for you to download from the Citation Resources link found in the Learning Resources area of the mycsu Student Portal. This document includes examples and sample papers and provides information on how to contact the CSU Success Center. Blackboard Grading Rubrics Assignment Rubrics One or more assignments in this course utilizes a Blackboard Grading Rubric. A rubric is a tool that lists evaluation criteria and can help you organize your efforts to meet the requirements of an assignment. Your professor will use the Blackboard Grading Rubric to assign points and provide feedback for the assignment. You are encouraged to view the assignment rubric before submitting your work. This will allow you to review the evaluation criteria as you prepare your assignments. You may access the rubric in My Grades through the Tools button in your course menu. Click the View Rubric link to see the evaluation criteria for the assignment. Upon receiving your assignment grade, you may view your grade breakdown and feedback in the rubric. CSU Grading Rubric for Papers/Projects The course papers will be graded based on the CSU Grading Rubric for all types of papers. In addition, all papers will be submitted for electronic evaluation to rule out plagiarism. Course projects will contain project specific grading criteria defined in the project directions. To view the rubric, click the Academic Policies link on the Course Menu, or by accessing the CSU Grading Rubric link, found in the Learning Resources area of the mycsu Student Portal. Communication Forums These are non-graded discussion forums that allow you to communicate with your professor and other students. Participation in these discussion forums is encouraged, but not required. You can access these forums with the buttons in the Course Menu. Instructions for subscribing/unsubscribing to these forums are provided below. Click here for instructions on how to subscribe/unsubscribe and post to the Communication Forums. Ask the Professor This communication forum provides you with an opportunity to ask your professor general or course content questions. Questions may focus on Blackboard locations of online course components, textbook or course content elaboration, additional guidance on assessment requirements, or general advice from other students. Questions that are specific in nature, such as inquiries regarding assessment/assignment grades or personal accommodation requests, are NOT to be posted on this forum. If you have questions, comments, or concerns of a nonpublic nature, please feel free to your professor. Responses to your post will be addressed or ed by the professor within 48 hours. Before posting, please ensure that you have read all relevant course documentation, including the syllabus, assessment/assignment instructions, faculty feedback, and other important information. Student Break Room This communication forum allows for casual conversation with your classmates. Communication on this forum should always maintain a standard of appropriateness and respect for your fellow classmates. This forum should NOT be used to share assessment answers. PUA 5305, Public Finance and Budgeting 6

7 Grading Discussion Boards 2%) = 16% Unit I Article Critique = 3% Unit II Essay = 8% Unit III PowerPoint Presentation = 3% Unit IV Project Topic = 10% Unit V Mini Project = 6% Unit VI PowerPoint Presentation = 3% Unit VII Article Critique = 3% Final Project = 48% Total = 100% Course Schedule/Checklist (PLEASE PRINT) The following pages contain a printable Course Schedule to assist you through this course. By following this schedule, you will be assured that you will complete the course within the time allotted. PUA 5305, Public Finance and Budgeting 7

8 PUA 5305, Public Finance and Budgeting Course Schedule By following this schedule, you will be assured that you will complete the course within the time allotted. Please keep this schedule for reference as you progress through your course. Unit I A History of Public Budgeting Chapter 1: Socially Constructed Decisions about Public Money Chapter 2: History of Government Budgeting and Finance Reforms Article Critique by Unit II The Work of Budgetary Professionals in the Public Sector Chapter 3:The Practice of Government Budgeting and Finance is Interpretation Essay by Unit III The World of Fiscal Policy Chapter 4:Fiscal Policy Impacts in Public Finance: PowerPoint Presentation by PUA 5305, Public Finance and Budgeting 8

9 PUA 5305, Public Finance and Budgeting Unit IV The Details and Intricacies of Public Budgeting and Finance Course Schedule Chapter 5:Conventional Budgeting with Targets, Incentives, and Performance: Project Topic by Unit V Budgeting for the Unexpected and Irregular Chapter 6:Budgeting for Nonconventional Expenditures: Mini Project by Unit VI The Effect of Citizen Involvement in the Budgeting Process: The Good and the Bad Chapter 7:Budgeting Structures and Citizen Participation Chapter 8:Revenue Regime Change and Tax Revolts: PowerPoint Presentation by PUA 5305, Public Finance and Budgeting 9

10 PUA 5305, Public Finance and Budgeting Unit VII Debt Management Course Schedule Chapter 9:Debt Management Networks: Article Critique by Unit VIII Tax Incentive Strategies Chapter 10:Auctioning Off the Farm with Tax Incentives for Economic Development: Final Project by PUA 5305, Public Finance and Budgeting 10