Select a public program that has recently undergone a significant budgetary change.
As an example, suppose a state cut funding for a domestic violence program. It’s important to investigate the possible changes in public policy and the political process that could have led to this decision. Was it cut because of lack of funding? Or were there other factors? What ramifications will this change have on the community as a whole? Who will be impacted most by this change? How do the resulting outcomes, both short-term and long-term, compare to reasons for cutting funding? What is lost and what is gained? In a different example, suppose federal and state environmentalists have recommended cuts to highway funding to reduce environmental impact. How might this reduction in funding affect the maintenance of state and federal roads, safety, and so on?
Discuss your topic with your instructor prior to beginning the assignment. Be sure to obtain instructor approval for the topic.
Write a 1,400- to 1,750-word paper about how the political process and changing public policy at the federal, state, and city levels influence program budgeting. In your paper, ensure you:
Detail how the change came about and its effect on the resulting program.
Identify political, economic, social, and cultural influences that caused the change in the budget.
Identify the interaction among the federal, state, and city levels with regard to your program.
Specify the limits of the agency budget office and how they may try to compensate for those limits.
Provide strategies agencies and politicians might use to justify increasing or decreasing the budget for the program you selected.
