Faculty Contact Information:
JED Riggs
PSC 9 Box 3018
APO AE 09123
email: smartguy53@yahoo.com
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Consultation:
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One-Half Hour before class, and by appointment.
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Required Texts and Readings:
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Text used exclusively in this course:
Mikesell, J.L. (2003). Fiscal administration: Analysis and applications for the public sector (6th ed.). Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth.
Text used in multiple courses:
American Psychological Association. (2001). Publication manual of the
American Psychological Association (5th ed.). Washington D.C.: Author.
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Supplementary Readings:
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All graduate students should be prepared to utilize the at UMUC online library at www.ed.umuc.edu/library . The library contains a large number of full text academic journals that are free of charge and immediately available. The library homepage also contains a number of links related to improving students' research and writing skills.
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Recommended Journals:
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A variety of full-text, online, free-of-charge and pay-per-view academic journals are listed on library website. Public Administration Review, the lead journal in the discipline,is especially useful for this course.
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Course Description:
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Prerequisites: Undergraduate economics and American political science or American government, and PUAD 501, or permission of the Program Director. Covers concepts, principles, and practices, and their specific application to the development of resources in support of programs and the allocation of these resources against the demands at national, state, and local levels. The student evaluates performance budgeting, PPBS, and zero-base budgeting.
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Course Goals:
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As a required course in the management track of the M.P.A., the purpose of this course to provide graduate students with an understanding of the nature of public sector budgeting and the role of public finance economics in shaping the economy of the United States or other developed nations.
In this course we will examine:
1. The politics of the budgetary process.
2. The major schools of budgetary theory.
3. Practical methods of revenue anhancement.
4. The creation and maintenance of workable tax roles.
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Course Objectives:
At the conclusion of the course, students should be able to:
- Evaluate the size and growth of government expenditure
- Critique the budget process in the U.S.,
- Apply cost-benefit analysis to determine the relative merits of government capital expenditure projects,
- Assess the economic effects of government revenue options and their structures and administration,
- Develop a better idea of how governments administer their debt, working capital, and pension funds, and
- Utilize concepts of the budgeting process to analyze case studies and current events.
- Create and supervise effective methods for revenue estimation.
- Apply effective budget techniques for varying governmental needs.
- Supervise the creation of effective tax roles.
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Grading Information:
Grades for this course will be assigned as follows:
A 90%
B 80% – 89%
C 70% – 79%
F Below 70%
Please note that Bowie State University does not use "D" for graduate students. The grade F is used to designate academic failure. F(n) is used to designate failure for non-completion. Grades of Incomplete or Withdrawal are governed by UMUC-Europe policies. For further details, please refer to the UMUC-Europe Graduate Catalog, available online or in your local Education Center.
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Course Requirements:
Graduate school at the masters level focuses on helping students obtain the education needed for success as professionals in their chosen fields. Thus, UMUC-Europe Graduate Programs and Bowie State University share the common goals of promoting excellence in academic scholarship through thoughtful inquiry and the skillful application of knowledge and theory for the betterment of society.
In order to maximize your graduate educational experience in general and this course in particular, you are required to complete a:
Midterm Examination: 40%
Final Eamination: 40%
Budgeting Theme Paper: 20%
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Description of Course Requirements:
Successful graduate students in American universities dedicate approximately three hours of preparation/study time for every hour spent in the face-to-face classroom. Thus, the following course requirements were developed on the assumption that students would be prepared to spend approximately 150 hours of their own time working on them. In an 8-week term, that is the equivalent of a half-time job. Most 14-week graduate distance education courses require at least 10 hours per week of dedicated time, plus time spent in the virtual classroom.
Participate in classroom discussions: You are expected to come to class prepared to engage in all discussions in a professional and informed manner.
Write a graduate level paper: You are required to conduct professional-level research, including appropriately citing works of others and avoiding plagiarism. Resubmission of course work from previous classes (whether or not taken at UMUC, UMUC-Europe or BSU), partially or in its entirety, is not acceptable in this course and will result in an automatic failure on the assignment. Moreover, students are encourages to familiarize themselves with current UMUC-Europe/BSU policies on plagiarism, as all class papers are liable to be sent to turnitin.com for authentication.
The paper is due on the day of the final examination. It is to be typed, double-spaced, thoroughly researched, documented and presented in the APA format.
You are to choose a contemporary budget issue and provide analysis. Specifically, you are to explain the background for this policy, and answer both why and how this issue came to prominence. You must identify the main actors in this budget debate (both inside and outside of government), and investigate the budgetary and political ramifications of the policy. This paper is to be no less than 15 pages of text (excluding bibliography and any charts).
The paper is to handed in on the last day of class. Late papers will automatically be docked 20% of the paper's grade. Before working on your paper you must receive the instructor's approval for any topic. This approval is best received by email; but you may also address the issue in person. Please do not wait until the last minute; eight weeks fly by in a heartbeat. All paper topics are due no later than the day of the midterm exam.
Your topic proposal should contain three elements:
1. A Title, (Exactly what budget policy do you intend to study)?
2. An Approach, (Do you intend to employ a case study? A literature review? etc)?
3. A sample bibliography of the literature to be used.
In addition to the budget paper, the remainder of your grade will be determined by your scores on two exams: a midterm and final exam. The midterm will fall on the Sunday afternoon of weekend two, and will consist of all lectures and readings from the start of term through the Saturday of weekend two. The final exam will fall on the Sunday afternoon of weekend four, and will consist of all lectures and readings from Sunday morning, weekend two, through the end of term.
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Course Schedule:
WEEKEND ONE:
Saturday:
1. The Politics of the Budgetary Process.
2. The Logic of the Budget Process.
Sunday:
1. Legislative Budgeting.
2. Executive Budgeting.
WEEKEND READINGS: Chapters 1-3.
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WEEKEND TWO:
Saturday:
1. Capital Budgeting and Alternatives.
2. Budgeting Classifications and Systems.
Sunday:
1. Intergovernmental Budgeting.
2. MIDTERM EXAMINATION.
WEEKEND READINGS: chps; 4, 5 & 13.
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WEEKEND THREE:
Saturday:
1. Taxation Structures.
2. Same Topic, continued.
Sunday:
1. Revenue Sources.
2. Same Topic (Continued).
WEEKEND READINGS: chps; 6, 7, 12.
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WEEKEND FOUR:
Saturday:
1. Judicial Impact on Budgeting.
2. Same Topic (Continued).
Sunday:
1. Conclusion/Review/Class Critiques.
2. FINAL EXAMINATION.
WEEKEND READINGS: NONE.
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Academic Policies:
The University has a license agreement with Turnitin.com, a service that helps prevent plagiarism from internet resources. I may be using this service in this class by either requiring students to submit their papers electronically to Turnitin.com or by submitting questionable text on behalf of a student. If you or I submit part or all of your paper, it will be stored by Turnitin.com in their database throughout the term of the University's contract with Turnitin.com. If you object to this temporary storage of your paper, you must let me know no later than two weeks after the start of this class. Please Note: If you object to the storage of your paper on Turnitin.com, I may utilize other services to check your work for plagiarism.
The official university policy on Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty can be found at http://www.umuc.edu/policy/aa15025.shtml. Section I.C. states: Faculty may determine if the resubmission of course work from previous classes (whether or not taken at UMUC), partially or in its entirety, is acceptable when assigning a grade on that piece of course work. Faculty must provide this information in their written syllabi. If the resubmission of course work is deemed to be unacceptable, a charge may not be brought under this Policy and will be handled as indicated in the written syllabi.
Please refer to Description of Course Requirements for specific information on how resubmissions will be treated in this course and to the UMUC-Europe Graduate Catalog for information on the following:
Academic Integrity
Course Load
Exception to Policy
Grade Appeal Process
Make-up Examinations
Nondiscrimination
Students with Disabilities
Hard copies of the catalog are available at your local Education Center.
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Faculty Bio:
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Dr. JED Riggs is Collegiate Professor of Public Management with UMUC/Europe, and has taught in the MAryland System since 1993.
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