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Policy Topics I: Federal Budget Policy

90-894

Units: 6

Description

The purpose of this course is to provide second year Heinz DC public policy students with a fundamental understanding of how the federal budget process works. How do agencies formulate a budget? How do agencies work to gain support for their budget through OMB and Congress? How do you build a budget for a policy proposal? Understanding how the federal government develops and executes its budget is fascinating, empowering, and simply very important to know in order to realize your potential if you work with federal dollars in any capacity in the public or private sector. Whether you become a budget professional, a program or grant manager or a policy analyst, you will benefit by understanding the budget process, furthermore as you progress in your career you may be responsible for managing budgetary resources, or developing programs that will require funding. Knowing how the federal budget process works will help you better formulate and advocate for resources.

Learning Outcomes

 

 

  • Explain the legal and constitutional basis for the current budget development process.
  • Describe and explain the budget development process from idea to implementation.
  • Explain and demonstrate understanding of an Executive Branch budget
  • Explain and demonstrate understanding of the legislative budget process.
  • Explain and put into context important current national budget issues
  • Explain the concepts and apply the ideas behind GPRA.

 

Prerequisites Description

There are no course prerequisites for this course.

 

Syllabus