The New Politics of the Budgetary Process (Longman Classics Series)

by Wildavsky, Aaron; Caiden, Naomi

• ISBN13: 9780321159670
• ISBN10: 0321159675
• Edition: 5th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2003-07-18
• Publisher: Pearson

Summary

Among the new class of inductees into the "Longman Classics in Political Science" Series, this Fifth Edition updates and revises Aaron Wildavsky's classic exposition of how federal budget decisions are made and how formal budget institutions and processes are interwoven with political dynamics. This text explains how thefederalbudget process has evolved and analyzes recent developments in key areas: entitlements, defense, deficit/surplus and reforms. Its critical and stimulating approach and clear, readable explanations make it essential reading for students of politics and public administration, as well as anyone trying to understand a decision-making process that affects virtually all Americans.

Author Biography

Aaron Wildavsky: University of California, Berkeley Naomi Caiden: California State University, Los Angeles

Table of Contents

Foreword	xi
Preface to the Fifth Edition	xix
Preface to the First Edition	xxvii
Biographical Note	xxxiii
Budgeting as Conflicting Promises	1	(24)
Budgets Are Conflicting Commitments	7	(4)
Tax Preferences	11	(2)
Appropriations: The Power of Congress and Power Within Congress	13	(3)
The President Is Both Rival and Partner of Congress	16	(3)
Conflicting Promises: The Multiple Meanings of Budgetary Control	19	(6)
Budgets as Struggles for Power: A Historical Perspective	25	(17)
Colonial Origins	26	(4)
Turning Points: Civil War through World War I	30	(3)
The Executive Budget Movement	33	(7)
Dislocation and Continuity: Depression and War	40	(2)
The Dance of the Dollars: Classical Budgeting	42	(26)
Calculations	44	(2)
Complexity	44	(1)
Aids to Calculation	45	(1)
Incremental Budgeting	46	(4)
Roles and Perspectives	50	(7)
The Agency	50	(4)
The Bureau of the Budget	54	(2)
The Appropriations Committees	56	(1)
Strategies	57	(11)
Be a Good Politician	58	(1)
Clientele	58	(2)
Confidence	60	(2)
Congressional Committee Hearings	62	(1)
Strategies Designed to Capitalize on the Fragmentation of Power in National Politics	62	(6)
The Collapse of Consensus	68	(15)
The Growth of Entitlements	69	(1)
Economic Activism	70	(1)
Federal Credit	71	(1)
Priorities	72	(1)
Impoundment	73	(2)
The Budget Act: More Checks, More Balances, but Not More Control	75	(4)
Impoundment Again	75	(1)
Congressional Budget Office	76	(1)
Senate Budget Committee and House Budget Committee	76	(1)
Scheduling	76	(1)
Resolutions	77	(1)
Reconciliation	78	(1)
Complexity	78	(1)
A Congressional Budget, or Merely More Budgeting?	78	(1)
The Budget Process, 1975-1979: Making Totals Stick	79	(2)
Classical Budgeting Withers Without Quite Disappearing	81	(2)
The Politics of Dissensus	83	(20)
Why Budget Decisions Became So Difficult	84	(4)
The Focus on Totals	84	(1)
The End of Economic Management	85	(1)
Dominance of the Deficit	86	(1)
Polarization of the Parties	87	(1)
The Congressional Budget Act in the 1980s	88	(5)
R and R: Resolution and Reconciliation	88	(2)
Deferral and Rescission Redux	90	(1)
The Shifting Budgetary Base	91	(1)
Continuing Omnibus Resolutions	92	(1)
OMB in an Era of Perennial Budgeting	93	(4)
Top-Down Policy Making	94	(1)
Continuous Budgeting	94	(1)
Negotiating with Congress	95	(1)
Implications for OMB	96	(1)
Dissensus in Congress	97	(6)
Role Reversal	97	(1)
Rolled on the Floor	98	(2)
Budgeting Penetrates Congress	100	(1)
Gimmicks	100	(3)
The Politics of Balancing Budgets	103	(20)
Gramm--Rudman--Hollings	105	(1)
The Budget Enforcement Act of 1990	106	(2)
The Clinton Budget of 1993	108	(3)
The Politics of Radical Reversal 1995	111	(9)
Prologue: Constitutional Amendment and Rescission	112	(1)
Budgets and Counterbudgets: The President's Budget and the Congressional Resolution	113	(1)
Incrementalism in Mirror Image: Appropriations	114	(1)
Confrontation: Continuing Resolutions and the Debt Limit	115	(3)
Reconciliation and Intransigence	118	(2)
The Balanced Budget Act of 1997	120	(3)
Entitlements	123	(29)
The ``Ought'' and ``Is'' of Entitlements	124	(5)
Entitlements and Budgeting	129	(3)
How Do Entitlements Start?	132	(3)
Why Do Entitlements Grow?	135	(9)
Maintaining Commitment: Social Security	136	(2)
Escalating Costs: Medicare	138	(2)
Expanding Eligibility: Medicaid	140	(2)
Provider Pressures: End-Stage Renal Disease	142	(2)
How Have Entitlements Been Controlled?	144	(4)
Declining Need: Black Lung Disease	145	(1)
Ending an Entitlement: Welfare	146	(2)
Entitlements and Others	148	(4)
Appropriations: Head Start and WIC	148	(1)
Tax Expenditures: Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)	149	(1)
Formula Grants to States: Adoption Assistance Program, Individuals With Disabilities Education Act, and the Ryan White Care Act	149	(3)
Budgeting for Defense	152	(29)
Dimensions of Defense	153	(2)
Defense Strategy and Funding	155	(6)
The Internal Budget Process	161	(9)
Planning, Programming, Budgeting	161	(4)
Acquisitions	165	(5)
The Congressional Budget Process	170	(11)
Reprogramming	173	(2)
Secrecy	175	(1)
Cuts	176	(3)
Contingencies	179	(2)
Reform	181	(24)
Norms of Budgetary Behavior	181	(3)
Forms of Budgeting	184	(1)
Reform Without Conflict	184	(2)
The Politics in Budget Reform	186	(5)
Unit of Measurement: Cash or Volume	187	(1)
Time Span: Months, One Year, Many Years	188	(1)
Calculation: Incremental or Comprehensive	189	(2)
Management Reforms	191	(6)
Performance and Budgeting	191	(2)
Centralization and Decentralization: The Role of OMB	193	(2)
Credit Reform	195	(1)
Financial Management	196	(1)
Capital Budgeting	197	(1)
Limits	198	(2)
The Line-Item Veto	200	(5)
From Surplus to Deficit	205	(20)
The Disappearing Deficit	205	(3)
The Politics of Budget Surplus	208	(4)
The End of the Surplus	212	(7)
Afterword	219	(1)
Characteristics of the Budget Process	219	(6)
The Budgetary Process Is Powerful Yet Impotent	220	(1)
The Budgetary Process Is Structured Yet Formalistic	220	(1)
The Budgetary Process Is Complex Yet Segmented	221	(2)
Budgetary Politics Are Polarized but Moderated	223	(2)
Glossary	225	(5)
Guide to Acronyms	230	(1)
Select Bibliography	231	(14)
Credits	245	(1)
Index	246