FISCAL POLICY
The Evergreen State College
Graduate Program in Public Administration
Fall, 2000
I. FacultyLarry Geri, Lab I, Room 3002, ext. 6616, e-mail: geril@evergreen.edu. Office hours: by appointment.II. Program DescriptionZahid Shariff, Lab I, Room 3017, ext. 6389, e-mail: shariffz@evergreen.edu. Office hours: Tuesday and Thursday, 5-6 p.m.
Our purpose is to provide grounding in the theory and practice of budgeting and public finance at the federal and state levels. We will also explore the broader issues of gender, race, and class. In view of the recent developments and the approaching elections, we will also give some attention to globalization, corporate welfare, and social security.III. Requirements and AssignmentsAs members of a learning community, we are expected to be engaged in the program activities. Students are required to attend the class and seminar sessions regularly, be fully prepared to discuss the assigned readings, and complete the assignments in a timely manner. If you must miss a class, inform the faculty member in advance. More than one absence, may require additional assignment(s). Written work submitted after it is due will be read only under extraordinary circumstances.IV. Required Readings ListA. Conclusion and Response Papers
An important part of our learning in Fiscal Policy will consist of understanding of, and engagement with, the assigned readings. Writing of the conclusion and response (C&R) papers is expected to facilitate that goal.B. Essay on GlobalizationEach of the five C&R papers, consisting of 3-4 pages, single spaced, is to be evenly divided between (1) summary of the major conclusions, arguments, and strengths of the author/s, and (2) the student's own considered and active response to them - i.e., evaluative statements, connections with other readings, agreements or disagreements with the authors, relevance to personal and/or professional experiences.
The C&R papers are due always on Tuesdays (see below), but they are to cover the materials assigned for the whole week (i.e., readings assigned for Tuesday and Thursday).
Due on Tues., Oct. 31. Globalization is one of the most hotly debated phenomena in the social sciences. Several of the assigned works for the quarter address various facets of it, including its potential impacts on society, sovereignty, and public finance. Write a 7-page, double-spaced essay in which you (1) identify the essence of the views offered by the assigned readings (Bourdieu, The Economist articles, chapter by Destler, and one article by Farazmand and another by Gruenberg), (2) identify what you believe will be its primary effects on public finance in the next 25 years, and (3) discuss the specific elements of the critiques of globalization, and (4) provide your own perspective on these critques.C. Budget Cutting ProjectWorking in teams of two or three, students are expected to prepare a 10-page report, which includes a three-page literature review, on how a budget cut of 10 percent should be absorbed by a political jurisdiction (or non-profit organization). After selecting a state agency, a major division of a large department, or a local government, the team is expected to collect the budget documents and interview the appropriate public officials. The report will provide (1) literature review, (2) relevant background information, including the identification of the agency's mission and goals, (3) past budget priorities, (4) the proposed budget reductions, (5) and their impact on the priorities, goals, as well as race, gender, and class.The written project reports are due on Tuesday, Dec. 5. Arrangements are being made for presentations to be videotaped in our televisions studio on Tuesday, Dec. 5 and Thursday, Dec. 7. When making these presentations, assume that they are being made before a legislative body, a central budget office, or the head of an agency or government.
*Note: In the writing of all of these assignments, the APA style must be followed.
A. BooksV. Evaluation and Credit1. Aaron, H. J. and Reischauer, R.D. (Eds.). (1999). Setting national priorities: The 2000 election and beyond. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution.B. Articles, Chapters, Reports, and Documents
2. Baker, D. and Weisbrot, M. (1999). Social Security: The phony crisis. Chicago: University of Chicago Press
3. Bourdieu, P. (1998). Acts of resistance: Against the tyranny of the market. New York: New Press.
4. Folbre, N. (2000). The invisible heart: Feminist economics and family values. (Draft version. With permission of the author.)
5. Gosling, J.J. (1997). Budgetary politics in American governments. 2nd ed. New York: Garland Publishing
6. Kincheloe, J.L., Steinberg, S.R., Rodriguez, N.M. and Chennault, R.E. (Eds.) (1998). White reign: Deploying whiteness in America. New York: St. Martin's Griffin.
7. United States. Office of Management and the Budget. (2000). A citizen's guide to the United States budget. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office. Available at http://w3.access.gpo.gov/usbudget/fy2001/guidetoc.html1. Aaron, H.J., Gale, W. and Sly, J. (1999). In H.J. Aaron and R.D. Reischauer (Eds.) Setting national priorities: The 2000 election and beyond. (pp. 211-266). Washington, DC: Brookings Institution.
2. **Berman, E. and Wang, X. (2000) "Performance measurement in US counties: Capacity for reform." Public Administration Review, 60 (September/October), 409-420. See handout for locating this article on the web.
3. **Bishop, M. (2000, January 29). "Globalization and tax." The Economist.
4. Bosworth, D. (2000). "The spirit of capitalism, 2000." The Public Interest ,138 (Winter), 3-28. Available at http://www.thepublicinterest.com Click on "archives," and select the Winter 2000 issue. It's the first article. Don't confuse it with the commentaries on this article by James Wilson, Michael Novak, and Alvin Kernan.
5. **Chomsky, N. (1995). "Rollback." Z Magazine, parts I and II. Available at http://zmag.org/Zmag/articles/rollback.html Click on "Zmagazine" button and search for "Chomsky." Read on your monitor, or download the articles.
6. U.S. House.Budget Committee. (1999). "Hearings on corporate welfare/unnecessary business subsidies." Washington, DC: Government Printing Office. Available at http://www.house.gov/budget/hearings/hrglist106-1.htm (Scroll down to 106-5, June 30, 1999.) Read on your monitor or download testimony contained in Panels I through IV and written submissions by T. J. Rogers, Janice Shields, and Peter Sperry and Steven Haskins.
7. Destler, I.M. (1999). Trade policy at crossroads. In H.J. Aaron and R.D. Reischauer (Eds.) "Setting national priorities: The 2000 election and beyond" (pp. 73-96). Washington, DC: Brookings Institution.
8. **Farazmand, A. (1999). " Globalization and public administration". Public Administration Review, 59 (November/December), 509-522. See handout for locating this article on the web.
9. **Gruenberg, I. (1998). " Double jeopardy: Globalization, liberalization and the fiscal squeeze." World Development, 26. 591-605.
10. **Haugen, C. (2000). "The noose tightens: Washington State's looming fiscal crisis." Seattle: Fiscal Policy Center, University of Washington. Available at http://depts.washington.edu/fpcweb/papers/9901budget/
11. Shariff, Z. (1982). "Reflections on taxpayers' revolt." Administration and Society, 14 (November), 299-318.
12. Shariff, Z. (forthcoming). "Revisiting budgetary incrementalism."
13. **Skolow, A.D. (2000). "The changing property tax in the West: State centralization of local finances." Public Budgeting & Finance, 20 (Spring), 85-104. See handout for locating this article on the web.
14. Tedrick, S. (1995, May). "The budget inferno." The New Republic, 17-24. To be handed out in class.
** These articles are available on open and closed reserve in TESC library.
A. CreditVI. Additional CovenantsStudents will receive graduate credit based on satisfactory and on-time completion of all program requirements. Partial credit for the program is not permitted. Credit denial decisions will be made by the faculty team. Plagiarism, failing to complete one or more assignments, completing more than two assignments late (without having made special arrangements before the due date), or more than two unexcused absences may constitute automatic denial of credit for the program. (Carefully note the definition of plagiarism and how to avoid it in a handout.)B. EvaluationsAll students will receive a written evaluation of their performance by one of the members of the faculty team. Student evaluations will be based on class attendance, seminar participation, C&R papers, essay on globalization, and the budget-cutting project (both the written report and oral presentation). Each student is expected to prepare, and bring to the evaluation conference, a written self-evaluation and an evaluation of the faculty member. If a student feels uncomfortable about bringing the faculty evaluation to that conference, s/he may leave it with the program secretary.In furtherance of the objectives of our learning community, we expect students and faculty to (a) act in accordance with the Evergreen Social Contract and the Student Conduct Code; (b) promote a cooperative and supportive atmosphere which gives every one the opportunity for self-reflection and expression; and (c) use high standards in reading the assigned materials, interpreting them, and preparing the written assignments.Faculty agree to (a) provide timely feedback; (b) handle all disputes in a spirit of goodwill; (c) make time available for individual conferences with students; and (d) arrive on time for lectures, seminars, and other program activities.VII. Weekly Schedule*Note: Except when it is clearly specified, there will be a seminar session for each class meeting.
* Introductions, overview, and expectations.
* Writing C&R papers: explanations
* Seminar: agreements about the process
* No readings
* No assignment due
Thursday, Sept. 28: * Sharing information about the applications projects.
* Larry and Zahid: Faculty perspectives on
fiscal policy.* Readings: Bosworth
* Suggested, but not required reading: Reischauer in (Aaron & Reischauer) pp. 1- 16, and responses to Bosworth by James Wilson, Michael Novak, and Alvin Kernan
Second Week: Role of Government
* Larry, Role of government - 1.
* Larry, Workshop on developing teams for the budget project.
* Readings: Gosling, chaps. 1-4 Shariff, "Revisiting budgetary incrementalism."
* Assignment due: 1st C&R paper.
Thursday, Oct. 5: * Zahid, Role of government - 2.
* Readings: Gosling, chaps. 7&8; Shariff, "Reflections on taxpayers' revolt."
* Film in Lecture Hall #1
* Readings: articles by Chomsky;
* Testimony on corporate welfareby Nader, Miller, Royce, and Shaddegg
* Assignment due: 2nd C&R paper
Thursday, Oct. 12: * Zahid,"'Corporate welfare: comparative perspectives."
* Readings: Testimony and written testimony on corporate welfare by Minge, Hoefel, Shamansky, Schatz, Moore, McIntyre, Lancelot, Norquist, Rodgers & Sperry, and Shields
Fourth Week: Washington State Budget
* Guest speaker (TBA): Washington state budget.
* Suggested, but not required readings: Chapters 5&6 in Gosling, Washington State documents, and Berman and Wang
* Assignment due: none.
* No seminar: time for library research on the budget project
Thursday, Oct., 19: * Guest speaker (Chris Haugen), Fsical crisis
* Larry, workshop on setting state budget priorities.
* Readings: Haugen
* No seminar
Fifth Week: Mid-Quarter Feedback
* Potluck
* Larry, Applications projects.
* Library orientation
* No seminar
* Readings: handouts
* Assignment due: none
Thursday, Oct. 26: * Individual conferences
* Class feedback
* No seminar
* Readings: none
* Larry, "Evolution of the U.S. tax policy."
* Readings: Articles by Destler, and Aaron, Gale & Sly (in Aaron & Reischauer); an article by Farazmand, and another by Gruenberg, and Globalization and tax (in The Economist).
*Assignment due: essay on globalization.
Thursday, Nov. 2: *Larry, Trade and globalization. Also a film.
*Readings: Bordieu
* Panel on social security in Lecture Hall #1
* Readings: none
* Assignment due: 3rd C&R paper
Thursday, Nov. 9: * Analysis of election results
* Readings: Citizen's Guide, Baker and Weisbrot, and Tedrik.
* Guest speaker (Sharon Parker)
* Readings: Kincheloe et al. chaps 1 through 9
*Assignment due: 4th C&R paper.
Thursday, Nov. 16 * Film in Lecture Hall #1
* Readings: Kincheloe et al. chaps 10 to end
THANKSGIVING WEEK: NO CLASSES
* Guest speaker (TBA)
* Readings: Folbre, Introduction, and chaps 1 through 4
* Assignment due: 5th C&R paper
Thursday, Nov. 30 * Larry, "Non-profit budgeting and finance issues."
* Readings: Folbre, chaps 5 through 9
Tenth Week: Student Presentations
* Student presentations: budget-cutting project
* No seminar
* No readings
* Assignment due: Budget-cutting project report
Thursday, Dec. 7 * Student presentations: budget-cutting project
* No seminar
* No readings
* Student evaluations
Thursday, Dec. 14 * Student evaluations