Controlling Public Expenditure: the Changing Roles of Central Budget Agencies--Better Guardians?(Book Review)

Edited by John Wanna, Lotte Jensen, and Jouke de Vries (Edward Elgar Publishing, September 2003)

One of the most important functions of government is to marshal and deploy resources to achieve desired objectives and outcomes. This task is overseen by central budget agencies (such as ministries of finance and treasuries) that have the responsibility of generating tax revenue, and controlling and allocating public expenditures.

This extensive comparative study investigates the changing nature and role of the central budget agencies (CBAs) in 10 countries, reflecting a spectrum of different institutional and constitutional contexts. Eighteen expert contributors offer detailed accounts of the various trajectories that have occurred within their respective CBAs, set against the changing political environment in which they operate. A recurring theme throughout is an evaluation of the power and agenda-setting roles of CBAs, assessing how their influence has grown or waned over time. An important feature of the book is that each chapter attempts to incorporate external scholarly analyses with internal practitioner views.

Four key areas are examined in each of the CBAs, including:

* the changing roles and responsibilities of CBAs

* the politics of the budget process and the influence of CBAs

* administrative and post-administrative cultures inside government

* future prospects and directions for the CBAs

The original research presented in this book provides a new window into the world of CBAs, adding an important contribution to the scholarly research on public finance and government budgeting. It will also assist many CBAs to reevaluate their roles and contributions to public budgeting and public sector management. This volume is appropriate for anyone wanting to gain greater insight into whether CBAs really are the best guardians of the public purse.

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