DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION - Kean University



KEAN UNIVERSITY - DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

Public Budgeting and Financial Management

Spring 2007

Instructor: Dr. Patricia Moore (pmoore@kean.edu)

Office: Willis Hall, 311

Telephone: 732- 737-4314

Tuesdays and Thursdays 2-4:30pm; Wednesdays 2:00-4:30

INTRODUCTION: Budgeting is fundamental to all-public organizations and activities. Budgets are the focus of significant public debate because budgetary outcomes allocate public resources and distribute burdens.

COURSE OBJECTIVES: The broad objectives of the course are:

To understand the decision-making events which constitute the development and execution of a budget both at federal and state levels of government

To provide hands on experience in the creation and analysis of public budgets

To develop problem solving skills needed to manage finances in public organizations

To understand the interrelationship between politics and budgeting

ASSIGNED TEXTBOOKS: Nice, David. Public Budgeting Wadsworth Publishing Company, 2001

COURSE EVALUATION: Each student is expected to read each chapter prior to the class period each week. Students will be expected to participate in class discussions, and members of the class will be asked to make brief oral presentations based on an assigned case or readings. There will be two (2) exams. Each student will be required to complete a research project. There will also be written homework. I will provide more information on the research project during the third week of class. By the way Plagiarism is unacceptable in any shape or form.

1) Mid-term 20%

2) Research -25%

3) Homework- 15%

5) Final - 20%

6) Participation (class discussions) 10%

1. SCHEDULE: A tentative class schedule is included in the attached syllabus.

January 17 Introduction and Overview of the Course

January 24 What is a budget? What are its functions? What are the types of budgets? What are some approaches to budgeting? How do large organizations cope with complexity of budgeting? Budget Strategies chapter 1

January 31 Government Revenues, Spending and Borrowing

Read Chapter 2

February 7 What are some of the methods used to estimate Personnel and Non-personnel costs on a budget?

Activity: Creating a Budget- Water Department

Research Paper due

February 14 the Budget Cycle, Chapter 3

Activity: Creating a budget Cont.

February 21 Budget preparation, Chapter 4

Written Homework 1 due

February 28 Mid-term

March 7 Techniques of Budgetary Analysis, Chapter 5

March 14 Spring Break

March 21 Budget Adoption Chapter 6

March 28 Budget Execution, Chapter 7

April 4 What are some of the mechanisms used to manage budget during execution

Activity: Creating Budget Status Report

April 11 Financial Management, Chapter 8

Case: Bernard Jump, Jr. "Six Easy Lessons: Learned From Orange County," Municipal Finance Journal (June 1996): 81-94.

Written Homework 2 due

April 18 Financial Management Contd./ Oral Presentation

April 25 Intergovernmental Aspects of Public Budgeting Chapter 10 /oral presentation

May 4 Final Exams

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