|
Showing 1 - 19 of
19 matches in All Departments
This is a timely, important book for fiscal policy-makers and
budget practitioners. It assesses why some advanced democracies
were prepared for the global financial crisis and others were not,
and how some countries responded in ways that exacerbated fiscal
instability. Its dozen country cases offer highly relevant lessons
for mitigating cyclical disturbances that frequently beset national
budgets and for managing public finances during turbulent times.
The key takeaway message is that government capacity and budget
policies matter and should dispel the notion that all countries are
helpless when crisis strikes.' - Allen Schick, University of
Maryland, USThe global financial crisis of 2007-09 constituted the
biggest shock to the economies of the OECD nations since the Second
World War, testing budgetary systems and causing most of their
governments to move into intense crisis mode. Policy responses by
governments and international authorities included massive
interventions to stabilize markets and economies, and significant
adjustments to fiscal policy regimes. How governments reacted to
the crisis, which was manifested differently in each jurisdiction,
had significant political implications for sitting governments and
led to reforms of fiscal policy and budgetary regimes, which have
since continued to wrestle with slow economic growth and strained
public finances. This singular shock provides the editors and
authors of this book with an intriguing opportunity to examine how
different OECD budgetary systems performed. The contributions frame
and assess how governments responded to the challenge and how their
budget systems evolved in the aftermath, with a focus on strategy,
decision-making and balancing competing demands. Chapters cover the
EU, North America and Asia, including comparison between countries
that fared well, those who were moderately affected and those
countries massively affected by the global financial crisis. This
timely book will appeal to students and academics seeking an
international understanding and analysis of the effects and
consequences of the global financial crisis. Contributors: M.G.
Arghyrou, R. Boyle, S. Davidsen, T. Degen, D.M. Fantone, D.A. Good,
M. Horie, L. Jensen, E. A. Lindquist, M. Mulreany, P.T. Pereira,
P.L. Posner, J. de Vries, J. Wanna, L. Wemans, E. Zapico-Goni
How do Australian governments budget? How well do they spend and
manage our money? Governments seem to be locked in a constant
struggle with the problems of budgeting. Cabinet never has enough
resources to go around, and while some agencies 'guard' public
expenditure, others find endless ways to make new claims on
budgets. Managing Public Expenditure in Australia provides the
first systematic analysis of government budgeting and the politics
of the budgetary process. Drawing on extensive original sources,
the authors examine debates and reforms in public finance from
Whitlam and Fraser to Hawke, Keating and Howard, and assess their
impacts on policy development. In tracking the way governments
actually spend money, Managing Public Expenditure in Australia
provides an alternate and complementary political history of
federal government over the past forty years. This book also
includes accessible discussions on topics such as budget theory,
financial management in government, and debt and deficit reduction.
An explanation of new resource management techniques and
initiatives help to illuminate the ongoing changes to budget and
expenditure management practices. This is an essential purchase for
students, teachers and practitioners of public finance, and for
anyone involved in the continuing debate over the nature and role
of the public sector.
One of the most important functions of modern government is to
marshal and deploy resources to achieve desired objectives and
outcomes. This task is overseen by the Central Budget Agencies
(such as Ministries of Finance and Treasuries) who have the
responsibility of generating tax revenue, and controlling and
allocating public expenditure. This extensive comparative study
investigates the changing nature and role of Central Budget
Agencies (CBAs) in ten countries reflecting a spectrum of different
institutional and constitutional contexts. Eighteen expert
contributors offer detailed accounts of the various trajectories
that have occurred within their respective CBAs, set against the
changing political environment in which they operate. A recurring
theme throughout is an evaluation of the power and agenda-setting
roles of CBAs, assessing how their influence has grown or waned
over time. An important feature of the book is that each chapter
attempts to incorporate external scholarly analyses with internal
practitioner views. Four key areas are examined in each of the
CBAs, including: * the changing roles and responsibilities of CBAs
* the politics of the budget process and the influence of CBAs *
administrative and post-administrative cultures inside government *
future prospects and directions for the CBAs. The original research
presented in this book provides a new window into the world of
CBAs, adding an important contribution to the scholarly research on
public finance and government budgeting. It will also assist many
CBAs to re-evaluate their roles and contributions to public
budgeting and public sector management. This volume is required
reading for anyone wanting to gain greater insight into whether
CBAs really are the best guardians of the public purse.
How do Australian governments budget? How well do they spend and
manage our money? Governments seem to be locked in a constant
struggle with the problems of budgeting. Cabinet never has enough
resources to go around, and while some agencies 'guard' public
expenditure, others find endless ways to make new claims on
budgets.Managing Public Expenditure in Australia provides the first
systematic analysis of government budgeting and the politics of the
budgetary process. Drawing on extensive original sources, the
authors examine debates and reforms in public finance from Whitlam
and Fraser to Hawke, Keating and Howard, and assess their impacts
on policy development. In tracking the way governments actually
spend money, Managing Public Expenditure in Australia provides an
alternate and complementary political history of federal government
over the past forty years.This book also includes accessible
discussions on topics such as budget theory, financial management
in government, and debt and deficit reduction. An explanation of
new resource management techniques and initiatives help to
illuminate the ongoing changes to budget and expenditure management
practices. This is an essential purchase for students, teachers and
practitioners of public finance, and for anyone involved in the
continuing debate over the nature and role of the public sector.
The Reality of Budgetary Reform in OECD Nations investigates the
impacts and consequences of budgetary reform through a comparative
assessment of advanced Organisation for Economic Co-operation and
Development (OECD) democracies that have undertaken budget reforms
over the past two to three decades. This unique book traces the
?story of reform? in the respective countries. The expert authors
explore the journey each country took, what the objectives were,
the approach taken, the main events and key dates, what was
implemented and what was discarded or replaced. They capture both
the essence of each nation?s approach, as well as discuss the
similarities and trends. The study investigates how the various
roles of the central budget agencies have changed with respect to
public expenditure, how budget processes have developed and the
impact on the relations between key actors. It also analyses the
internal cultures of central budget agencies and how they evaluate
events, problems and their roles in controlling the fiscal policy
of government.With its comparative focus, this timely book is
essential reading for the OECD and World Bank affiliates. Likewise,
scholars and researchers of public finance, international and
comparative government, and development and public sector
management should not be without this important resource.
Comparing Westminster explores how the governmental elites in
Australia, Britain, Canada, New Zealand, and South Africa
understand their Westminster system. It examines in detail four
interrelated features of Westminster systems. Firstly, the
increasing centralization in collective, responsible cabinet
government. Second, the constitutional convention of ministerial
and collective responsibility. Third, the role of a professional,
non-partisan public service. And finally, parliament's relationship
to the executive. The authors explain the changes that have occured
in the Westminster model by analyzing four traditions: royal
prerogative, responsible government, constitutional bureaucracy,
and representative government. They suggest that each tradition has
a recurring dilemma, between centralization and decentralization,
party government and ministerial responsibility,
professionalization and politicization, and finally elitism and
participation. They gone on to argue that these dilemmas recur in
four present-day debates: the growth of prime ministerial power,
the decline in individual and collective ministerial
accountability, politicisation of the public service, and executive
dominance of the legislature.
Comparing Westminster concludes by identifying five meanings of--or
narratives about--Westminster. Firstly, 'Westminster as
heritage'--elite actors' shared governmental narrative understood
as both precedents and nostalgia. Second, 'Westminster as political
tool'--the expedient cloak worn by governments and politicians to
defend themselves and criticize opponents. Third, 'Westminster as
legitimising tradition'--providing legitimacy and a context for
elite actions, serving as a point of reference to navigate this
uncertain world. Fourth, 'Westminster as institutional
category'--it remains a useful descriptor of a loose family of
governments with shared origins and characteristics. Finally,
'Westminster as an effective political system'--it is a more
effective and efficient political system than consensual
parliamentary governments. Westminster is a flexible family of
ideas that is useful for many purposes and survives, even thrives,
because of its meaning in use to elite actors."
Comparing Westminster explores how the governmental elites in
Australia, Britain, Canada, New Zealand, and South Africa
understand their Westminster system. It examines in detail four
interrelated features of Westminster systems. Firstly, the
increasing centralization in collective, responsible cabinet
government. Second, the constitutional convention of ministerial
and collective responsibility. Third, the role of a professional,
non-partisan public service. And finally, parliament's relationship
to the executive. The authors explain the changes that have occured
in the Westminster model by analyzing four traditions: royal
prerogative, responsible government, constitutional bureaucracy,
and representative government. They suggest that each tradition has
a recurring dilemma, between centralization and decentralization,
party government and ministerial responsibility,
professionalization and politicization, and finally elitism and
participation. They gone on to argue that these dilemmas recur in
four present-day debates: the growth of prime ministerial power,
the decline in individual and collective ministerial
accountability, politicisation of the public service, and executive
dominance of the legislature.
Comparing Westminster concludes by identifying five meanings of--or
narratives about--Westminster. Firstly, 'Westminster as
heritage'--elite actors' shared governmental narrative understood
as both precedents and nostalgia. Second, 'Westminster as political
tool'--the expedient cloak worn by governments and politicians to
defend themselves and criticize opponents. Third, 'Westminster as
legitimising tradition'--providing legitimacy and a context for
elite actions, serving as a point of reference to navigate this
uncertain world. Fourth, 'Westminster as institutional
category'--it remains a useful descriptor of a loose family of
governments with shared origins and characteristics. Finally,
'Westminster as an effective political system'--it is a more
effective and efficient political system than consensual
parliamentary governments. Westminster is a flexible family of
ideas that is useful for many purposes and survives, even thrives,
because of its meaning in use to elite actors."
|
|