Thorough answer in APA formatting with lots of citations and detailed info regarding the material and resources provided.

A budget is a plan. It is a policy statement. It is a device for communication. It is an expenditure guidebook. How a government organization spends its money says a great deal about its mission and policy preferences. It explains the resources it will require to provide specific public services and addresses strategic priorities. Developments in budgeting theory, including performance budgeting, program planning budgeting, and zero-based budgeting have had an impact on the evaluation of government budgets. These results-oriented systems have improved the way budgets are developed and presented. Budgets are generally thought of as occurring in a one-year period called the fiscal year. In this context it will be referred to interchangeably as the fiscal year or budgetary year. The budget is the standard for comparing actual spending with planned spending. Public managers at the local and state levels must try to keep their spending within budget during the budgetary period; as a result, they face many challenges in meeting budget goals during economic downturns. The federal government, on the other hand, does not need to balance the budget from year to year, which has led to large federal deficits.

Mikesell, J. L. (2018).
Fiscal administration: Analysis and applications for the public sector (10th ed.). Boston, MA: Wadsworth.

• Chapter 4, “Federal Budget Structures and Institutions” (pp. 154-207)
• Chapter 5, “State and Local Budgets” (pp. 214-251)
• Chapter 3, “Budget Methods and Practices” (pp. 106-142)
• Chapter 6, “Budget System Reforms: Trying to Make Better Choices” (pp. 257-305)

Government Finance Officers Association. (2014). Distinguished Budget Presentation Award Program (Budget Awards Program). Retrieved from
http://www.gfoa.co/sites/default/files/BudgetDetai…

Optional Resources

Mucha, M. J. (2012, Oct). Budgeting for outcomes: Key findings from GFOA Research.
Government Finance Review, 47–49. Retrieved from
http://www.gfoa.org/budgeting-outcomes-key-finding…

This week, you consider the repercussions of a federal deficit and a balanced federal budget. You also evaluate a budget using selected criteria.

Discussion: Balanced Federal Budgets

Economists differ in their ideas about using government spending to stimulate the economy. Some economists follow British political-economist John Maynard Keynes in advocating increased government expenditure to stimulate the economy when it is in recession. In their view, the federal deficit will decline when the economy improves. Others favor allowing market forces to restore equilibrium when the economy is in recession. They believe that the deficit stifles economic growth and prosperity.

You can learn the policy preferences of a city, county, state, other government agency by analyzing its budget. The budget is a plan for allocating the resources required to provide specific services and address strategic priorities.

For this Discussion, review this week’s Learning Resources and focus on the implications of the federal deficit on a public organization. Then, select a position either for or against a balanced federal budget. Consider whether the gap needs to be closed or whether there are legitimate reasons for borrowing.

With these thoughts in mind:

By Day 4

Post a description of your position on a balanced national budget. Justify your position for or against a balanced national budget by explaining the gains and losses associated with your position.

Be sure to support your posting and responses with specific references to the Learning Resources.