Budgeting is probably the single most important function in government, considering the amount of money a government spends each year on various expenditure programs and activities, as well as the time it spends in preparing the budget, appropriating funds for these activities and, finally, executing them. This book integrates the complex theory and practice of public budgeting into a single text. Written in a simple, concise and easy to understand manner, The Fundamentals of Public Budgeting and Finance captures the multidimensional perspective of public budgeting that students, as well as practitioners will find useful.

Presents an in-depth discussion of public budgeting in a structured manner that is simple, concise and easy to understand Provides useful background discussion on elements of public finance, in particular on market system, market failure, public goods, and tax basics Offers an in-depth discussion of both operating and the capital budget Uses a skill-building approach, with an emphasis on methods and tools that students, as well as practitioners will find useful Includes many case study examples as well as review questions and problem solving exercises

Autorentext

Aman Khan is Professor of Political Science and Public Administration at Texas Tech University, USA where he teaches public budgeting, financial management, cost and managerial accounting, and quantitative methods.

Inhalt

1. Introduction: Market System and the Role of Government.- 2. Evaluating a Tax System and Related Measures.- 3. An Overview of Government Expenditures.- 4. An Overview of Government Revenues.- 5. Understanding the Budget Process.- 6. Budget Systems, Underlying Structures and Characteristics.- 7. Elements of Budget Forecasting.- 8. Capital Budgeting and Improvement Process.- 9. Evaluating Capital Projects and Budget Decisions.- 10. Capital Rationing and Budget Allocation.- 11. Concluding Observations: Some Critical Issues.