The Politics of Public Budgeting: Getting and Spending, Borrowing and Balancing

Public budgeting is inherently political. In The Politics of Public Budgeting, author Irene S. Rubin lays out the actors involved–interest groups, public officials, legislators, and the public–and shines a light on how these groups, who each have their own goals, are able to bargain and barter their way to a resolution. The new Eighth Edition examines the budgeting process over time and sets issues like the federal deficit and health care expenditures in political and comparative context. As in previous editions, the book also draws on examples from all levels of government and emphasizes the relationships among them. By carefully analyzing each strand of the decision-making process, Rubin shows the extraordinary cooperation involved in passing a budget and achieving accountability.