Faculty Contact Information:
Instructor: Gordon Leitch
Mailing Address: UMUC, Unit 29216 APO AE 09102
Email: gleitch@faculty.ed.umuc.edu | |
Consultation:
via email or by appointment.
25/26 October, 8/9 November, 22/23 November, 13/14 December 2003. Mildenhall UK.
Syllabus available from
http://www.ed.umuc.edu/graduate/current_syllabi/index.html | |
Required Texts and Readings:
American Psychological Association. (2001). Publication manual of the
American Psychological Association (5th ed.). Washington D.C.: Author.
Mikesell, J.L. (2003). Fiscal administration: Analysis and applications for the public sector (6th ed.). Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth | |
Supplementary Readings:
As listed in URLs in handouts during the course.
Each instructor has his or her preferences for supplementary reading material that may be added here. In addition, all graduate students should be prepared to utilize the UMUC online library at http://www.umuc.edu/library/. The library contains a large number of full text academic journals that are free of charge and immediately available. The library homepage also contains a number of links related to improving students' research and writing skills. | |
Recommended Journals:
| A variety of full-text, online, free-of-charge and pay-per-view academic journals are listed on the PA Webboard (http://webboard.ed.umuc.edu/~pa). Public Administration Review, the lead journal in the discipline,is especially useful for this course. | |
Course Description:
| Prerequisites: Undergraduate economics and American political science or American government, and PUAD 501, or permission of the Program Director. Covers concepts, principles, and practices, and their specific application to the development of resources in support of programs and the allocation of these resources against the demands at national, state, and local levels. The student evaluates performance budgeting, PPBS, and zero-base budgeting. | |
Course Goals:
| As a required course in the management track of the M.P.A., the purpose of this course is to provide graduate students with an understanding of the nature of public sector budgeting and the role of public finance economics in shaping the economy of the United States or other developed nations. | |
Course Objectives:
At the conclusion of the course, students should be able to:
Evaluate the size and growth of government expenditure
Critique the budget process in the U.S.,
Apply cost-benefit analysis to determine the relative merits of government capital expenditure projects,
Assess the economic effects of government revenue options and their structures and administration,
Develop a better idea of how governments administer their debt, working capital, and pension funds, and
Utilize concepts of the budgeting process to analyze case studies and current events. | |
Grading Information:
Grades for this course will be assigned as follows:
A 92%
B 80% – 91%
C 70% – 79%
F Below 70%
Please note that Bowie State University does not use "D" for graduate students. The grade F(a) is used to designate academic failure. F(n) is used to designate failure for non-completion. Grades of Incomplete or Withdrawal are governed by UMUC-Europe policies. For further details, please refer to the UMUC-Europe Graduate Catalog, available online at http://www.ed.umuc.edu/general_info/publications/catalogs or in your local Education Center. | |
Course Requirements:
Graduate school at the masters level focuses on helping students obtain the education needed for success as professionals in their chosen fields. Thus, UMUC-Europe Graduate Programs and Bowie State University share the common goals of promoting excellence in academic scholarship through thoughtful inquiry and the skillful application of knowledge and theory for the betterment of society.
In order to maximize your graduate educational experience in general and this course in particular, you are required to:
Participation in Class Discussions 7%
Write Graduate Level Term Paper 31%
Midterm Examination 31%
Final Examination 31%
Note that merely cutting & pasting selected quotations and paragraphs is INSUFFICIENT for the term paper. It should include appropriate citations (footnotes or endnotes, and bibliography) and your own commentary and interpretation regarding the topic. | |
Description of Course Requirements:
Participate in classroom discussions: You are expected to come to class prepared to engage in all discussions in a professional and informed manner. Usually this requires two to three hours of additional for every hour of a face-to-face class and approximately ten hours of preparation per week for a DE class.
Write graduate level papers or case studies: You are required to conduct professional-level research, including appropriately citing works of others and avoiding plagiarism. Plan on committing approximately 150 hours over the duration of this course to producing professional level deliverables.
Term Paper Description: This requires a report integrating material from the various chapters, as well as skills & knowledge acquired in other grad classes and through experience. The topic covers two parts: 1. How did many state & local governments get into their current 2003 budgetary problems, despite having the kinds of information & analysis presented in the course textbook? 2. What kind of fiscal choices are they going to have to make to deal with these budgetary shortfalls, and what are the political & economic ramifications of that? You can address these 2 topics for several of the states (and localities) together, or for a specific state or local government (city, county) that you may be more familiar with.
The report should be no more than 10 "typed" double-spaced pages long (of which part 1 should take up no more than 4), plus any graphs & charts, citations and a bibliography (following the APA style manual).
Complete one or more written examination(s): The examination process in this class will assist you in developing the writing and critical thinking skills necessary to successfully passing the comprehensive exam required of all graduate students. The questions used for this course will either be taken directly from past comprehensive exams or written as though to be included on a comprehensive exam. | |
Course Schedule:
Weekend 1 (1st day: modules 1, 2, 3. 2nd day: modules 4, 5 )
Weekend 2 (1st day: modules 6, 7. 2nd day: module 8 )
Weekend 3 (1st day: modules 9, 10. 2nd day: modules 11, 12 )
Weekend 4 (1st day: modules 13, 14. 2nd day: modules 15, 16 )
Module 1 Public Finance Principles, chapter 1
Module 2 Budget Process, chapter 2
Module 3 Budget Structures, chapter 3
Module 4 Budget Methods & Practices, chapter 4
Module 5 Budget Classifications & Reform, chapter 5
Module 6 Capital Budgeting, chapter 6
Module 7 Taxation: Evaluating Revenue Options, chapter 7 and Income Tax, chapter 8
Module 8 Midterm exam.
Module 9 Taxes on Goods & Services, chapter 9
Module 10 Property Taxes, chapter 10
Module 11 User Fees, User Charges, Public Sales, chapter 11
Module 12 Collecting Taxes, chapter 12
Module 13 Revenue Forecasts & Estimates, chapter 13
Module 14 Intergovernmental Relations, chapter 14
Module 15 Debt Administration, chapter 15 Managing Funds chapter 16
Module 16 Final exam. Term papers due. | |
Academic Policies:
Please refer to the UMUC-Europe Graduate Catalog at http://www.ed.umuc.edu/general_info/publications/catalogs/ or from your local Education Center, for information on the following:
Academic Integrity
Course Load
Exception to Policy
Grade Appeal Process
Make-up Examinations
Nondiscrimination
Students with Disabilities | |
Faculty Bio:
| Gordon Leitch. I received my M.A. and Ph.D. in economics from Tulane University. An extract from my dissertation "Profitability and the Evaluation of Economic Forecasts" was published in American Economic Review. Prior to joining the European Division in 1996 I taught at UMUC's program at Far Eastern State University in Vladivostok, Russia. I have also taught economics, finance, management and statistics courses at Tulane University, Southeastern Louisiana University, Loyola University (New Orleans), and the University of Portland. | |