The Politics Of Public Spending In Canada

" Public money is perhaps the quintessential currency of influence for politicians and public servants inside government. It shapes how they undertake the nations business and it impacts on the standards of living in the country. The Politics of Public Money examines the extent to which the influence of players in the budgetary process is shifting from a bilateral relationship between departmental spenders and central guardians to a more complex multilateral relationship involving spenders and central guardians, as well as priority setters and financial watchdogs. David Good analyzes this shift of influence in terms of a broader societal change from an old village, conditioned by old norms of behaviour, to a new town that brings with it new ideas about how much public money should be spent, where it should be spent, and how it should be managed. To better understand the changing situation, Good develops a new framework for analyzing the politics and management of public money. This framework is used to explore the interactions among budget players and, perhaps the most central of all, the relationship between Prime Minister and Minister of Finance. As an analysis of the changing budgetary process and an examination of the promises and pitfalls of budgetary reform, The Politics of Public Money sheds new light on the role of insiders in influencing our governments spending. "

Annotation Public money is one of the primary currencies of influence for politicians and public servants. It affects the standards by which they undertake the nation's business and impacts the standard of living of the nation's citizens. David A. Good's The Politics of Public Money examines the extent to which the Canadian federal budgetary process is shifting from one based on a bilateral relationship between departmental spenders and central guardians to one based on a more complex, multilateral relationship involving a variety of players. This new edition offers an up-to-date account of the Canadian system, including the creation of the Parliamentary Budget Officer, the government's response to the global financial crisis, Canada's Economic Action Plan, strategic and operating reviews, the most recent attempts to reform the Estimates, and much more. An insightful and incisive study of the changing budgetary process, The Politics of Public Money examines the promises and pitfalls of budgetary reform and sheds new light on the role insiders play in influencing government spending.

Donald J. Savoie argues that both Canada and the UK now operate under court government rather than cabinet government.

Public money is one of the primary currencies of influence for politicians and public servants. It affects the standards by which they undertake the nation's business and it impacts on the standard of living of the nation's citizens. The Politics of Public Money examines the extent to which the Canadian federal budgetary process is shifting from one based on a bilateral relationship between departmental spenders and central guardians to one based on a more complex, multilateral relationship involving a variety of players. In this innovative study, David A. Good examines this shift in terms of a broader societal change from an 'old village,' conditioned by old norms of behaviour, to a 'new town,' which brings with it new ideas about how public money should be managed and spent. Organized into four parts, the book opens with 'The Changing Politics of Public Money,' which sets out a revised and expanded framework for analysing the politics and management of public money. Part 2, 'The Public Money Players,' looks at the motivations, interdependence, and independence of the four budget players. The third part, 'The Public Money Processes," deals with the central functions of budgeting - determining fiscal aggregates, making budget allocations, and ensuring effective financial management. Finally, 'New Prospects for Public Money,' looks ahead to the future and considers ways to strengthen the interaction among the players, and in so doing, improve the politics and management of public money. An insightful and incisive study of the changing budgetary process, The Politics of Public Money examines the promises and pitfalls of budgetary reform and sheds new light on the role insiders play in influencing government spending.

In the aftermath of the 2008 financial crunch, a pending era of budgetary austerity looms over Canada. Canadian Public Budgeting in the Age of Crises provides a roadmap through the difficult fiscal decisions that have characterized contemporary federal politics across four decades. The authors provide an accessible and comprehensive overview of the constraints that have affected budgetary outcomes in the recent past and that will affect the near future, with analysis spanning micro, macro, social, environmental, and intergenerational domains. They examine the current Harper government's Conservative era, but also look at public budgeting under Chrétien, Mulroney, and Trudeau. Set in the crucial context of macroeconomic policy shifts and in a global comparative context, Canadian Public Budgeting in the Age of Crises broadens and deepens our understanding of government spending, borrowing, and taxing. Budgetary domains - complex realms of fiscal content, choice, and governance - are introduced and balanced against an analysis of these domains with pertinent and up-to-date discussions on institutional influences, dominant actors, and shifting power imbalances.