Topics in Policy Analysis (Half-Term): The Federal Budget

This course covers how the Federal budget process is supposed to work and how it actually does work. Topics include: (1) institutions, processes, and definitions; (2) history of budget outcomes; (3) the current state of the Federal budget process; (4) the role of uncertainty in budgeting; (4) the role of politics in budgeting; and (5) the budget's short- and long-term fiscal consequences.