PA 581 Case Analysis: State or Local Government Budget
Prepare an analysis of the most recent budget request of the state or local government of your choice, and present a clear and concise conclusion that recaps the highlights of the documents with final remarks.
Use the internet to search on government websites for a state or local government budget.
• Papers must be 5 to 7 pages in length (this would be roughly 1 page per area included in the report), 12 point Times New Roman or Courier New font, double-spaced, include a cover page, introduction, body of the report, summary or conclusion and works cited.
• Appropriate citations are required.
• All DeVry University policies are in effect including the plagiarism policy.
• Papers are due during Week 7of this course.
• Any questions about this paper may be discussed in the weekly Q&A Discussion topic.
• This paper is worth 125 total points and will be graded on quality of analysis, quality of paper information, use of citations, grammar and sentence structure.
• For an example on on how to write a budget request, go to the web site for the GAO: U.S. Government Accountability link foundin Webliography. Type GAO-05-566 in the “Keyword or Report #” search engine. Locate the article “Internal Revenue Service Assessment of the Fiscal Year 2006 Budget Request,” GAO-05-566, April 27, 2005.
|
Category |
Points |
Description |
|
Budget Highlights |
30 |
Read the governor’s/mayor’s/city manager’s/etc. budget message and prepare a summary of his/her major comments and points. • What progress has the governmental unit made during the past year? • What issues is it facing as we look forward? • What is the economic situation? • What major increases in the budget are requested? Why? • What major budget cuts have been implemented over the last two years? |
|
Budget Documents |
25 |
Review pertinent budget documents and select a departmental budget. • What is the name of the department and what type of budget does it use: line-item, program, performance, incremental, zero-based, hybrid? What characteristics of the budget have led you to this conclusion? • Is the budget complete, clear, transparent, well-documented, and reasonable? • What are your recommendations for improving the budget? Why? |
|
Departmental Budget Request |
30 |
Regarding this department,present a summary of the following: • Major funding Items • Mission statement and the key strategic goals • Does the budget document clearly present accomplishments? • Review the department’s budget, including actual total outlays for 2009, and estimates for 2010 and 2011. What is the percentage increase from 2009 to 2010 and 2010 to 2011? • Review budget narratives. Does the department present a strong justification for its budget? Present information to support your answer. |
|
Analysis and Recommendations |
15 |
Perform an analysis of the departmental budget request and present the following: • Areas where funding is questionable and not adequately justified. • Computational errors, if any. • Recommendations for reduced funding and or cuts. |
|
Introduction, Analysis, & Conclusion |
5 |
1) Present a clear, concise introduction that explains the purpose of the paper and the major items it will cover. 2) Present a clear and concise conclusion that recaps the highlights of the documents with final remarks. |
|
Format |
10 |
• Paper is double-spaced and 5-7 pages in length, exclusive of Title Page. • Use Times New Roman 12 or Courier New 12 font. |
|
Grammar/Spelling/APA Compliance |
10 |
• Write like a master’s degree candidate! • Write your answer clearly and succinctly using strong organization and proper grammar. • Avoid typos and spelling errors. • Also, avoid slang, jargon, IM style writing, and curse words. • Use APA citations correctly (for example, source for this topic is “Budget of the United States Government.” |
|
Total |
125 |
A quality paper will meet or exceed all of the above requirements. |
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