Recent Developments in the Theory and Practice of State Budgeting

• Author: Kenneth Bragg
• Date: 01 September 1961
• DOI: 10.1177/106591296101400368
• Published date: 01 September 1961
• Subject Matter: Articles

68

5.

Priorities.

This

merely

means

putting

&dquo;first

things

first.&dquo;

Among

the

few

things

we

select

to

do,

we

must

rate

them

in

their

order

of

command

of

our

time,

effort,

and

resources.

In

doing

this

we

shape

our

character

and

reveal

our

true

purpose.

6.

Optimism.

The

last

in

time

is

the

first

in

importance.

Ours

is

a

dynamic,

growing,

changing,

and

challenging

subject.

Its

faults

are

in

great

measure

the

results

of

these

very

qualities

which

make

for

its

vitality

and

interest.

No

one

need

pity

the

professor

of

political

science

for

the

choice

of

profession

he

has

made.

If

he

feels

sorry

for

himself,

he

should

seek

&dquo;greener&dquo;

fields

as

soon

as

possible.

While

rooted

in

the

past,

politics

is

the

science

of

the

future.

While

our

institutions

are

evolutionary,

they

are

not

bogged

down

in

the

quagmire

of

&dquo;graveyard

government.&dquo;

When

I

was

a

young

student in

California,

a

great

cartoonist

gave

the

over

populated,

suburbanized,

and

overadvertised

region

known

as

Southern

California

its

then

necessary

shot

in

the

arm.

His

cartoon

was

labeled

&dquo;South-

ern

California

Straight

Ahead.&dquo;

In

less

commercial

terms,

with

more

sober

thought,

and

with

longer-range

objectives

in

mind,

I

conclude

by

suggesting:

&dquo;Political

Science

Straight

Ahead.&dquo;

Public

Administration

RECENT

DEVELOPMENTS

IN

THE

THEORY

AND

PRACTICE

OF

STATE

BUDGETING

KENNETH

BRAGG

Legislative

Fiscal

Officer,

State

of

Oregon

The

objectives

of

individual

legislators

are

more

complex

than

simply

the

over-all

purpose

of

authorizing

programs,

appropriating

funds,

and

levying

taxes.

A

legislator

desires

to

represent

a

certain

part

of

the

state.

Some

are

interested

in

developing

a

political

image

suitable

for

obtaining

higher

office.

Many

are

interested

in

altering

the

Governor’s

budget.

They

feel

that there

are

many

alternatives

regarding

the

manner

in

which

public

funds

are

ex-

pended,

and

that

the

legislature

should

participate

in

the

process

of

selection.

In

1959

a

Legislative

Fiscal

Committee

was

established

with

funds

for

a

fiscal

officer

and

staff

responsible

for

making

recommendations

to

the

legisla-

ture

regarding

the

Governor’s

budget,

the

administrative

organization

of

the

state,

and

revenue

estimates.

During

the

1959-61

biennium

the

Committee

made

several

studies,

including

a

space

utilization

study

of

higher

education

and

a

review

of

policies

and

procedures

concerning

electronic

data

processing.

Just

prior

to

the

1961

session,

the

Fiscal

Office

conducted

a

pre-session

budget

orientation

review

for

approximately

one-third

of

the

legislature

and

prepared

a

report

for

each

member

concerning

the

Governor’s

budget.

This

report

ana-