Written by scholars who have been at the forefront of the NPG debate as well as by scholar-practitioners, this book provides lessons learned from experience on how networked, contract-based and partnership-centered approaches to government can be undertaken in ways that preserve the values at the center of the American constitutional and political system.

Written by scholars who have been at the forefront of the NPG debate as well as by scholar-practitioners, this book provides lessons learned from experience on how networked, contract-based and partnership-centered approaches to government can be undertaken in ways that preserve the values at the center of the American constitutional and political system.

Budgeting for Local Governments and Communities is designed as the primary textbook for a quarter or semester-long course in public budgeting and finance in an MPA programme. Many currently available texts for this course suffer from a combination of defects that include a focus on federal and state budgeting, a lack of a theoretical governance framework, an omission of important topics, and typically a lack of exercises and datasets for student use. Budgeting for Local Governments and Communities solves all of these problems. The book is exceptionally comprehensive and well written, and represents the efforts of veteran authors with both teaching and real-world experience. Key Features: Special Focus on Local Government Budgeting: focuses exclusively on budgeting at the local levels of American government, which are responsible for spending 40 percent of the taxes collected from citizens. Integration of Theory and Practice: teaching cases and chapters capture the "lessons learned" by professional practitioners who have extensive experience in making local public budgeting work on the ground.< /li> Polity Approach to Local Budgeting: presents an introduction to local budgeting as the central political activity that integrates the resources of the community into a unified whole. Budgeting is presented as governance work, rather than as a unique set of skills possessed by analysts and financial specialists. Legal, Historical, Economic and Moral Foundations of Local Government Budgeting: provides readers with an understanding of how the structures and processes of local budgeting systems are firmly tethered to the underlying core values, legal principles and historical development of the larger American federal, state and local political systems. Electronic Datasets and Budgeting Exercises: the text includes access to extensive electronic datasets and practice exercises that provide abundant opportunities for students to "learn through doing." Extensive Glossary and Bibliography: covers terms on the history and practice of local public budgeting.

There is nothing like a good sea shanty-or chanty, as it was originally called-to transport one to a different time, place, and mood. After all, few have a more powerful need to relieve boredom, weariness, fear, and loneliness than sailors. And a classic, generations-tested shanty can do just that-with humor, nostalgia, and often lasciviousness all at once. Whether at land or sea, the good fun of shanties is hard to contain. Sing them a few times, and you naturally want to learn more about them. "What Do You Do With A Drunken Sailor?" offers not only the lyrics of traditional shanties but the accompanying lore and history as well.

Sung for as long as sailors have shipped out to sea, shanties are the collective creative work of seamen needing to ease the hardships of long sea voyages. Generations of sailors adapted the songs to their own needs and culture, forming a link from the age of oar and sail to the nuclear-powered navies of today. Compiled, annotated, and researched by accomplished storyteller Douglas Morgan, a longtime naval officer and author of the acclaimed thriller "Tiger Cruise, What Do You Do With A Drunken Sailor?" is a witty, fascinating, and unrestrained collection of more than twenty sea shanties-the perfect book for anyone with a hankering to sing and learn more about classic songs that have soothed generations of struggling souls.

With more than 60 illustrations and explanations of naval terms and customs-including some of the bawdier parts of a sailor's life-"What Do You Do With A Drunken Sailor?" promises insight into military life and literature and, most important, provides hours of good-humored amusement.