U8201 Colloquium on Financial Management in Government
Spring 2002 Syllabus
Professor: Mark C. Gordon
Email: [email protected]
Office Hours: TBA, room TBA • Office: 854-4966 • Home: 865-5992
Teaching Assistant: Hamid Rashid
Email: [email protected]
Office Hours:
Class: Saturday, 9 – 11:00 a.m., room TBA
Lab: Saturday 5:00 – 7:00 pm (every other week)
Introduction
This is a survey course in public financial management, focusing on financial analysis of federal, state and local governments, but inclusive of international examples and nonprofit financial issues. The class covers how the different levels/types of government raise revenue and distribute their resources. The first half of the course will cover the basics of the budget process and taxation. The second half covers issues such as cost benefit analysis, municipal finance and nonprofit financial management.
Course Requirements
1. Tax, budget, investment, and financial analysis exercises in the weekly lab section.
2. Active participation in class discussions, exercises, and lab.
3. Class assignments – financial analysis exercises
4. A comprehensive, take home final exam due one week after the last class.
Readings
1. Mikesell, John L., Fiscal Administration: Analysis and Applications for the Public Sector. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Pub Co., 1994 (5th ed.).
2. Rubin, Irene S., The Politics of Public Budgeting. Chatham, NJ: Chatham House Publishers, Inc., 1997 (3rd ed.).
3. *Reader available on Reserve in Lehman Library.
All books are available at Labyrinth Books, 536 West 112th Street, (865-1588)
Additionally, all readings are available for purchase at Copyquick, located on Amsterdam Avenue between 119th and 120th Streets.
Course Overview -
|
Date |
Week |
Topic |
Assignments |
Readings |
|
1/19 |
1 |
Overview |
Mikesell Introduction *Elizabeth I the Limits of Privatization |
|
|
1/26 |
2 |
Budgeting: The Budget Process |
|
Mikesell Chapter 1, pp. 29-57 Chapter 2, pp.77-116 Rubin Chapter 1 & 5 |
|
2/2 |
3 |
Methods Practices |
Mikesell Chapter 3, pp. 147-154, 159-177 Chapter 4 *Federal, State, Local budgets *Budgeting for Results, 53-57 Rubin Chapter 6, pp. 177-192, 203-220 . |
|
|
2/9 |
4 |
State and Local Budgets: The Denver Budget |
Denver Budget AssignmentCommittee Assignments, Internal Budget Guidelines Memo, Presidential Budget Goals (Fr) |
Mikesell Chapter 3, pp. 116-126 *Denver Budget *Bureaucratic Theory Meets Reality Articles on Arizona budget issues |
|
2/16 |
5 |
Another City Budget (TBA) |
Case Studies |
|
|
2/23 |
6 |
Intergovernmental Revenue |
Problem Set 1 |
Mikesell Chapter 13 *The Federal Budget and the States |
|
3/2 |
7 |
Discussion of Home Heating Exercise |
. |
|
|
3/9 |
8 |
General Revenue Issues |
Cases |
Mikesell Chapter 7 & 8 *Improving Tax Administration in Developing Countries, 66-123 |
|
3/16 |
**Spring Break** |
|||
|
3/23 |
9 |
Alternative Revenue Sources |
Cases |
Mikesell Chapter 9 *Urban Public Finance in Developing Countries, 209-285 *Internet Tax Freedom Act * Awareness and Popularity of Property Tax Relief Program *Metropolitan Taxation in the 21st Century |
|
3/30 |
10 |
Nonprofit Financial Management (Guest Speaker) |
Problem Set 2 |
Handouts in Class |
|
4/6 |
11 |
Capital Budgets/Cost Benefit Analysis |
Mikesell Chapter 5 *Capital Budgeting in the States *Examining Toll Road Feasibility Studies |
|
|
4/13 |
12 |
Municipal Finance |
Cases |
Mikesell Chapter 14 *Accelerated Municipal Bond Market Development in Emerging Economies Handouts in Class |
|
4/20 |
13 |
Budget Masters Final Negotiations |
|
|
|
4/27 |
14 |
Review |
*Miami: Teetering on the Precipice of Disaster |