After years of non-stop increases--national k-12 per-pupil spending is up by "one-third" in inflation-adjusted dollars since 1995--schools now face the near-certainty of repeated annual budget cuts for the first time since the Great Depression. In some states and districts, reductions will be dramatic--well into the double digits. And…

Discusses major trends and consequences of the use of policy analysis in state and local government decision-making. (JG)

A study of resource allocation in the Nigerian university system is reported, and results are used to construct a model for budgeting and fund allocation for other African countries. The model is then applied to actual allocations for three universities to determine the extent to which current allocations fit the design of the model. (MSE)

A decisive shift toward alternative social welfare strategies - such as comprehensive national health insurance or universal income maintenance - can be accomplished only through a vast reprogramming of funds from within the social welfare sector of the budget itself. However, the major impediment to such a restructuring lies in the political and…

Delineates components of federal legislation advocacy using the activities of the Children's Defense Fund as examples. Reviews seven aspects of the traditional role of the legislative advocate. Reveals that congressional budget procedures adopted in 1974 complicated this role. Considers several pitfalls of the new budget process. Provides a…

Examines the current and future projections for the federal budget and the two processes affecting fiscal policy: authorization/appropriation measures and budget resolution/reconciliation. Knowledge of the federal budget process shows social-work students how fiscal constraints have been used as weapons against social-welfare programs, and allows…

The University of Texas' political response to a recent state legislative threat to reduce higher education appropriations by 26 percent and the roles of individuals in the effort are chronicled. (MSE)

A conceptual framework is provided for analyzing public policy formation and current federal efforts to change student aid policy by budget manipulation rather than the political process that shapes legislation. The role of the National Commission on Student Financial Assistance in future policy is discussed. (MSE)

Designed to increase public awareness of military spending, this 5-part guide examines the process and problems of preparing the national defense budget. The publication begins with a brief overview of the 1984 defense budget. Major military programs, trends in budgeting, and key concerns in budget formulation are explored. Graphs and charts…

The financial support system for scientific research in the Netherlands and University of Leiden are described. Methods for funding teaching and research separately are examined, and faculty response to these methods are discussed. The funding changes are intended to link funding more directly to institutional and national science policy. (MSE)

The Australian Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) report, which describes a politically preferred version of the higher education system, is put into historical, economic, and political perspective and criticized for its style and content. The workings of the public agencies concerned with higher education are outlined. (MSE)

The effects of budgetary constraints on British higher education are examined, especially as they affect institutional autonomy in resource allocation and staffing. The extent to which other European governments have similar problems and policies is discussed. (Author/MSE)

This publication in English and French versions describes the activities of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC) for 1995; particularly activities in the areas of public policy and advocacy, member services, and contract management. The section on public policy and advocacy describes how deficit reduction and national…

Children comprise the largest group of poor Canadians. While childhood poverty is closely related to a number of factors pertaining to the structure and functioning of families, such as parental marital status and wage-earning patterns, the poverty of children is a consequence of the poverty of families. As such, childhood poverty can be reduced…

The draft Plan of Action for Early Childhood Education and Development (ECED) was prepared for consideration by country delegates and other participants at the 1997 Second Caribbean Conference on Early Childhood Education. The plan provides a framework for consideration of the issues involved in constructing a country policy and program for ECED.…