This new course is designed to test the thesis that good budgeting in the public sector incorporates all of the skills developed in public policy programs: policy analysis, analytics (economics, other quantitative evaluation), program design, implementation of policy and programs, decision-making, priority setting, anticipating and reacting to political dynamics, working with the press, writing, working under pressure, and preparing presentations, among others. We will be hands-on, with much of the learning coming from practical, real world exercises that mimic what would be required in a budget office and that by design focus on multiple skills at once. The course will provide an introduction to the major substantive areas of state budgets, including education (higher education and preschool, elementary and secondary education), Medicaid, pensions, human services, and capital budgeting, along with revenue projecting, debt issuance, and budget balancing. We will follow what is happening in current budget processes, with a particular emphasis on the State of Illinois.
