Rising Above Mere Politics: General Principles for Spending Taxpayers Money

Rising Above Mere Politics: General Principles for Spending Taxpayers’ Money

ALT

This paper argues that state budget writers should ask five basic questions:

• Is a program or agency consistent with the mission of Oklahoma’s state government?
• Are the benefits from a program or agency unambiguous and universal?
• Do the benefits of a program or agency indisputably outweigh the costs?
• Is the program or agency fulfilling a need only government can effectively fill?
• Does the existing program or agency show evidence of past success?

  In addition, they must recognize that pursuing federal funding can often be counterproductive and that, too often, spending reflects the victory of political symbolism over the substance of actual accomplishment.

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Rising Above Mere Politics: General Principles for Spending Taxpayers’ Money
Author:Byron Schlomach
Abstract: An encore reposting of the research from the 1889 Institute.

Source: 1889institute: Rising Above Mere Politics: General Principles for Spending Taxpayers’ Money