Main Content
Syllabus
P ADM 502: Governmental Fiscal Decision-Making (3 credits). Nature, function, and technique of governmental budgeting viewed as mechanism for allocating resources among alternative public uses.
Overview | Organization | Course Objectives | Materials | Library Resources | Technical Specifications | Course Requirements | Grading | Course Schedule | Academic Integrity | University Policies
Course Overview
P ADM 502 serves as an introduction to governmental fiscal decision making at the federal, state, and local levels of government. It is designed to provide students with a general understanding of decision making about the acquisition and use of public resources in government contexts. Despite its emphasis on the public sector, many concepts covered in the course are also applicable to nonprofit organizations.
In this course you will become familiar with the general context that surround fiscal decision making, key elements of the budget process, and major sources of funding used to finance public goods and services. Topics covered include (1) principles of public finance, (2) the budget process, (3) budget methods and practices, (4) budget reforms, (5) sources of public finance, and (6) debt administration. Most examples will draw upon the structure and processes associated with state and local governments in the United States.
There are no prerequisites for this course. However, a familiarity with basic concepts of the social sciences, especially knowledge of American government and economics, is recommended.
Organization
There are 12 lessons in this course. The first six lessons center on the expenditure side of public budgeting and the last six lessons on funding sources for public expenditures. Throughout the lessons you will be required to participate in and complete a range of different activities that are described in detail in the course requirement section of this syllabus. They include the following:
- Assessments of readings: Graded assessments aimed at making sure that you have carefully read and understood key concepts discussed and reviewed in the main textbook.
- Assignments related to course content: Graded assignments aimed at widening your understanding of a particular topic area covered in the lessons.
- Review exercises: Ungraded assignments allowing you to practice particular concepts covered in the lessons.
- Water cooler discussions: Those discussion allowing you to discuss topics relevant to the course material covered in the lessons (contributes toward your class participation grade).
- News article commentaries and responses: Graded assignments requiring you to share and discuss up to date news relevant to performance management.
- Final exam: The final exam will be scheduled within a two-day period toward the end of the semester. You can take the final exam anytime at the scheduled period.
Some of these activities need to be completed on an individual basis and some in groups. In terms of the group activities, you will be working in randomly assigned groups of four or five. These groups are assigned during the second week of classes and you will be working in the same group on all group projects in this course throughout the entire semester.
In addition to the above listed activities, you will be required to complete a final exam towards the end of the semester. This exam will be comprehensive in nature, which means that it may cover any of the materials studied throughout the semester.
Course Objectives
This course is designed to increase your ability to
- describe key principles of public finance,
- define basic budgeting terminology,
- describe the basic steps associated with the budget process,
- prepare a budget request,
- apply basic capital budgeting tools,
- describe and distinguish historical and contemporary budget reform efforts,
- describe basic sources of public finance,
- perform basic revenue prediction tasks,
- analyze the inherent trade-offs of major funding/financing sources, and
- describe basic concepts related to debt administration.
For more details of the course content, go to the course schedule.
Course Materials
Most World Campus courses require that students purchase materials (e.g., textbooks, specific software, etc.). To learn about how to order materials, please see the Course Materials page. You should check LionPATH approximately 3–4 weeks before the course begins for a list of required materials.
Library E-Reserves
This course requires that you access Penn State library materials specifically reserved for this course. You can access these materials by selecting Library Resources in your course navigation, or by accessing the Library E-Reserves Search and search for your instructor's last name.
Library Resources
Many of the University Libraries resources can be utilized from a distance. Through the Libraries website, you can
- access magazine, journal, and newspaper articles online using library databases;
- borrow materials and have them delivered to your doorstep—or even your desktop;
- get research help via email, chat, or phone using the Ask a Librarian service; and
- much more.
You must have an active Penn State Access Account to take full advantage of the Libraries' resources and service. The Off-Campus Users page has additional information about these free services.
Public Administration Research Guide
We have created a Public Administration Research Guide with the help of the Penn State University Libraries. The guide helps you find high-quality information and is created by librarians who are subject specialists in public administration. Specially, it provides you with access to databases for Journal Articles, Policy Papers, U.S. Government Information, Statistics and Polls, Reference Resources, and Current Periodicals.
Technical Specifications
| Operating System | Canvas, Penn State's Learning Management System (LMS), supports most recent versions of Microsoft Windows and Apple Mac operating systems. To determine if your operating system is supported, please review Canvas' computer specifications. |
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| Browser | Canvas supports the last two versions of every major browser release. It is highly recommended that you update to the newest version of whatever browser you are using. Note: Cookies must be enabled, and pop-up blockers should be configured to permit new windows from Penn State websites. |
| Additional Canvas Requirements | For a list of software, hardware, and computer settings specifically required by the Canvas LMS, please review Canvas' computer specifications. |
| Additional Software | All Penn State students have access to Microsoft Office 365, including Microsoft Office applications such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. |
| Hardware | Monitor: Monitor capable of at least 1024 x 768 resolution |
| Mobile Device (optional) | The Canvas mobile app is available for versions of iOS and Android. To determine if your device is capable of using the Canvas Mobile App, please review the Canvas Mobile App Requirements. |
Student Education Experience Questionnaire (SEEQ)
During the semester you will receive information for completing the Student Education Experience Questionnaire (SEEQ). Your participation is an opportunity to provide anonymous feedback on your learning experience. Your feedback is important because it allows us to understand your experience in this course and make changes to improve the learning experiences of future students. Please monitor email and course communications for links and availability dates.
One of the benefits of being a registered Penn State student is that you are eligible to receive educational discounts on many software titles. If you are interested in learning more about purchasing software through our affiliate vendor, please visit the Technology and Software page.
If you need technical assistance at any point during the course, please contact the Service Desk.
For registration, advising, disability services, help with materials, exams, general problem solving, visit World Campus Student Services!
Course Requirements
Performance in the course is evaluated in four ways: (1) understanding tested by a final examination, assignments, and assessments of readings; (2) writing skills through written article review and news article commentaries; and (3) the ability to participate in a group. The latter of these (i.e., ability to participate in a group) is an important aspect of your education since many professional work assignments in public administration are geared towards groups rather than individuals. The group work includes four group lesson assignments (part of Requirement 2 below), and one news article commentaries (Requirement 3 below). As already noted, the groups will be randomly assigned during the second week of classes, and you will be working with the same group throughout the semester.
The requirements for the course include the following:
Requirement 1: Reading Application Submission & Reading Comprehension Quizzes (50%)
Reading Related to Course Content – 30%
As part of the course, you are required to complete 10 application submissions that will be related to the course material introduced in the lessons. These will be aimed at providing you with an opportunity to explore or analyze a particular topic area in more depth or practice major techniques and concepts covered in a particular lesson. Four of these submissions will be completed in groups (these will have to be completed as part of Lessons 3, 4, 5, and 7) and six on an individual basis (Lessons 1, 2, 6, 8, 10, and 11). Please note that all individual activities in this course need to be completed on an individual basis. You are under no circumstances allowed to solicit information from other students. All questions regarding individual activities needs to be addressed to me.
The submission assignments may take a variety of different forms, including but not limited to analysis of a select reading, completion of an exercise that covers a particular technique or concept covered in the session, or reflect on a video segment that expands on a particular topic.
Reading Comprehension Quizzes – 20%
There will be multiple-choice comprehension quizzes of the readings as part of each lesson (starting from Lesson 2) to make sure that you have carefully read and understood key concepts discussed and reviewed in the main textbook. You will be required to complete these quizzes toward the end of each lesson before the given deadline. You will be given two attempts to get an answer correct. You will not be able to complete the assessment after the given deadline.
Requirement 2: News Article Sharing (10%)
In this course you will be required to keep up-to-date on current and relevant news stories that are related to fiscal decision making by reading major newspapers including, but not limited to the New York Times, Washington Post, and the Wall Street Journal. Keeping up-to-date on news stories related to fiscal decision making is important for the purpose of connecting the topics covered in class to what is going on outside the "classroom." It is also important for the purposes of making you aware of the current issues and problems faced in the area of fiscal decision making. Toward this end, you will be required to select one news article and write a commentary on it. This commentary needs to be prepared in groups. You will also be required to post responses to news article commentaries posted by other groups. Please note that the responses should be posted on an individual basis (i.e., it is only the preparation of the commentaries that needs to be prepared in groups). The specific requirements are discussed below.
Commentaries – 5%
As part of this requirement you are expected to use the course wikispace to post the commentary for one relevant news article related to fiscal decision making.
This requirement needs to be completed in groups and the expectation is that your group posts a commentary on an article that you have selected together before a given due date. You will be randomly assigned to a group, and each group will be assigned to post commentaries and responses starting from Lesson 3.
For each article that your group selects, the group's posting needs to include
- the reference of the article (if it can be accessed via the web, please provide the URL);
- summary of the major issue/topic discussed in the article (approximately 150 words in length);
- a discussion of your view/opinion of the issue (approximately 150 words in length); and
- a discussion about how the article relates to fiscal decision making (approximately 100 words in length).
In formulating your summary of the issue, please describe the topic/issue, its current significance, and any suggested solutions for resolving the issue that might be outlined in the article. When preparing your view/opinion of the issue, please provide support for any arguments that you make. Finally, in your discussion about how the article relates to fiscal decision making, please reference one or more of the topic areas that are discussed in class.
Use the style guide for the American Psychological Association (APA) for proper form. Be sure to include citations for all direct quotes and paraphrases.
Responses – 5%
In addition to posting a commentary for one relevant news article, you are also required to post responses to news article commentaries posted by other groups.
In contrast to the commentary postings, which are prepared in groups, the responses that you post are an individual effort. The expectation is that you post, during this semester, thoughtful responses to all four different article commentaries posted by the other groups. Although the system allows you to post your responses after the commentary is open, you are required to post comments within a week once the commentary is open for commenting.
Your responses should shed further light on the articles and commentaries. As such, your responses might
- focus on aspects of the article or commentary that you agree or disagree with or
- seek to add further substance to a particular point made in a commentary.
Please keep your posted responses to approximately 100 words in length. In addition, when preparing your responses, it is important that you keep a professional and constructive tone. This is important for creating a learning community where we can learn from each other.
Your news article commentaries contribute 5 points and responses contribute 5 points towards your final grade.
Requirement 3: Participation (20%)
Peer Evaluation - 10%
Five points will be based on evaluations provided by group members regarding your contributions and vice versa. Peer evaluation is important as it gives the instructor insight into how well group members interact with their peers. In the final week, you will have access to a peer evaluation form to be used for this purpose. The form will be available via the Peer Evaluaiton Form link on the main menu. The instructor will assign a point total that is the mean score of your group members' assessments.
Below are the four major evaluation criteria for peer evaluation:
- Actively participated in the discussion; e.g., frequently posting and commenting ideas, keeping close contact with the group members
- Exhibited a positive attitude through the process; e.g., providing constructive feedback, helping keep the group focused on the task
- Was willing to be a real team player; e.g., willing to take responsibilities, respect the group member's opinions, helping make decisions
- Contributed to writing up the group commentary; e.g., initiating and sharing ideas/resources
Watercooler Discussions - 10%
The success of this course will to a large extent depend upon your and your classmates' active participation in all of the above discussed activities. This includes carefully preparing for class, posting thoughtful comments, engaging productively in all class assignments and interacting with your group members in a professional manner. Another important component in this regard is the various “water-cooler” discussions that are held throughout the course. Participation is strongly encouraged and will determine 10 percent of your overall grade.
The water-cooler discussions will be graded as an overall grade on a scale of 0-100, based on your overall participation in them. In order to provide enough time to create a fluid conversation, please submit your initial posting no later than Thursday, 11:59 p.m. eastern time (ET). Also, comment on at least two other posts by the end of the week.”
Requirement 4: Final Examination (20%)
The final exam will be scheduled within a limited period toward the end of the semester. You can take the final exam anytime at the scheduled period. The exam will be open book. It will consist of
- two essay questions to test your knowledge of major concepts and themes developed in the course, and
- three problems to test your understanding of major techniques/practices covered in the course.
The essay questions (you will be given the option to select one of two questions) will account for 20% of your final exam grade, and the three problems will account for 80% of your final exam grade. The exam will be graded on three equally important criteria: (a) accuracy of information presented, (b) ability to integrate material from various assigned readings, and (c) skill in communicating your ideas in a concise and well-organized manner.
Please refer to the University Grading Policy for Graduate Courses for additional information about University grading policies.
If, for reasons beyond the student's control, a student is prevented from completing a course within the prescribed time, the grade in that course may be deferred with the concurrence of the instructor. The symbol DF appears on the student's transcript until the course has been completed. Non-emergency permission for filing a deferred grade must be requested by the student before the beginning of the final examination period. In an emergency situation, an instructor can approve a deferred grade after the final exam period has started. Under emergency conditions during which the instructor is unavailable, authorization is required from one of the following: the dean of the college in which the candidate is enrolled; the executive director of the Division of Undergraduate Studies if the student is enrolled in that division or is a provisional student; or the campus chancellor of the student's associated Penn State campus.For additional information please refer to the Deferring a Grade page.
Grading Scheme
All facets of student's performance are taken into account for grading purposes. The graded activities and the percentage of your course grade associated with the activities are as follows.
| Graded Activities | Grade Weight | |
|---|---|---|
| Readings: Six Individual Submissions and Four Group Submissions 10@3 | 30 | |
| Readings: Comprehension Quizzes | 20 | |
| New Articles: Commentaries | 5 | |
| New Articles: Responses | 5 | |
| Participation: Peer Evaluation | 10 | |
| Participation: Watercooler Discussions | 10 | |
| Final Exam | 20 | |
| Total | 100 | |
Based on the points earned on each of the graded activities, your course grade will be determined by the scales presented in the table below:
| GRADING SCALE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage | Grade | ||
| 94.00 and Above | A | ||
| 90.00-93.99 | A- | ||
| 87.00-89.99 | B+ | ||
| 83.00-86.99 | B | ||
| 80.00-82.99 | B- | ||
| 77.00-79.99 | C+ | ||
| 70.00-76.99 | C | ||
| 60.00-69.99 | D | ||
| Below 60 | F | ||
Performance is evaluated on the basis of your course work on the assignments listed in the syllabus. Your course grade depends on the points accumulated during the semester. Use the table above to keep a record of your progress.
Note: Your grade on assignments will be reduced by 5% for each day of tardiness in receipt of work by the Instructor. Submit your work on time as scheduled.
Please refer to the University Grading Policy for Graduate Courses for additional information about University grading policies.
Course Schedule
The topics and learning activities scheduled for each of the 12 lessons in the course are listed in the Course Schedule. Each lesson covers one week. As you study each week's lesson, please focus on the specific list of learning activities for that lesson.
The schedule below outlines all activities and topics we will cover in this course, along with the associated time frames and assignments. Note that assignments are due based on the Eastern Time Zone (ET). This ensures that all students have the same deadlines regardless of where they live.
Note: All due dates reflect North American eastern time (ET).
Deadlines will be defined as 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the last day of the lesson timeframe, unless noted differently.
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Formal instruction will end on the last day of class. Provided that you have an active Penn State Access Account user ID and password, you will continue to be able to access the course materials for one year, starting from the end date of the academic semester in which the course was offered (with the exception of library reserves and other external resources that may have a shorter archival period). After one year, you might be able to access the course based on the policies of the program or department offering the course material, up to a maximum of three years from the end date of the academic semester in which the course was offered. For more information, please review the University Course Archival Policy.
Academic Integrity
According to Penn State policy G-9: Academic Integrity , an academic integrity violation is “an intentional, unintentional, or attempted violation of course or assessment policies to gain an academic advantage or to advantage or disadvantage another student academically.” Unless your instructor tells you otherwise, you must complete all course work entirely on your own, using only sources that have been permitted by your instructor, and you may not assist other students with papers, quizzes, exams, or other assessments. If your instructor allows you to use ideas, images, or word phrases created by another person (e.g., from Course Hero or Chegg) or by generative technology, such as ChatGPT, you must identify their source. You may not submit false or fabricated information, use the same academic work for credit in multiple courses, or share instructional content. Students with questions about academic integrity should ask their instructor before submitting work.
Students facing allegations of academic misconduct may not drop/withdraw from the affected course unless they are cleared of wrongdoing (see G-9: Academic Integrity ). Attempted drops will be prevented or reversed, and students will be expected to complete course work and meet course deadlines. Students who are found responsible for academic integrity violations face academic outcomes, which can be severe, and put themselves at jeopardy for other outcomes which may include ineligibility for Dean’s List, pass/fail elections, and grade forgiveness. Students may also face consequences from their home/major program and/or The Schreyer Honors College.
How Academic Integrity Violations Are Handled
World Campus students are expected to act with civility and
personal integrity; respect other students' dignity, rights, and
property; and help create and maintain an environment in which all
can succeed through the fruits of their own efforts. An environment
of academic integrity is requisite to respect for oneself and
others, as well as a civil community.
In cases where academic integrity is questioned, the Policy on Academic Integrity indicates that procedure requires an instructor to inform the student of the allegation. Procedures allow a student to accept or contest a charge. If a student chooses to contest a charge, the case will then be managed by the respective college or campus Academic Integrity Committee. If that committee recommends an administrative sanction (Formal Warning, Conduct Probation, Suspension, Expulsion), the claim will be referred to the Office of Student Accountability and Conflict Response.
All Penn State colleges abide by this Penn State policy, but review procedures may vary by college when academic dishonesty is suspected. Information about Penn State's academic integrity policy and college review procedures is included in the information that students receive upon enrolling in a course. To obtain that information in advance of enrolling in a course, please contact us by going to the Contacts & Help page .
University Policies
- Accommodating Disabilities:
Penn State welcomes students with disabilities into the University's educational programs. Every Penn State campus has resources for students with disabilities. The Student Disability Resources (SDR) website provides contacts for disability services at every Penn State campus. For further information, please visit the SDR website.
In order to apply for reasonable accommodations, you must contact the appropriate disability resources office at the campus where you are officially enrolled, participate in an intake interview, and provide documentation based on the documentation guidelines. If the documentation supports your request for reasonable accommodations, your campus's disability resources office will provide you with an accommodation letter. Please share this letter with your instructors and discuss the accommodations with them as early in your courses as possible. You must follow this process for every semester that you request accommodations.
- Graduation: Note: If you are planning to graduate this semester, please communicate your intent to graduate to your instructor. This will alert your instructor to the need to submit your final grade in time to meet the published graduation deadlines. For more information about graduation policies and deadlines, please go to the Graduation Information on the My Penn State Online Student Portal.
- Late Policy: Assignments are due by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on the due date unless otherwise indicated. Late assignments are not accepted without prior approval from the instructor. Failure to turn in a paper by the required due date may result in a deduction on the final score, up to and including failure of the assignment. Make-up assignments are given at the sole discretion of the instructor on a case-by-case basis.
- Additional Policies:
For information about additional policies regarding Penn State Access Accounts; credit by examination; course tuition, fees, and refund schedules; and drops and withdrawals, please see the World Campus Student Center website.
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If you have a crisis or safety concern, mental health services are available to you as a Penn State student. Crisis and emergency contacts are available, no matter where you are located:
- Anywhere in the United States: Call the Penn State Crisis Line at 1-877-229-6400 or text LIONS to 741741. You can also contact your local crisis services or hospital for emergencies.
- Outside the United States: Please contact emergency services in your current location. You can also use the International Crisis and Emergency Services listings.
- At University Park: Assistance is available at Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS) locations on campus.
- At a Penn State branch campus: You can search for counseling information at your campus.
Veterans and currently serving military personnel and/or dependents with unique circumstances (e.g., upcoming deployments, drill/duty requirements, VA appointments, etc.) are welcome and encouraged to communicate these, in advance if possible, to the instructor in the case that special arrangements need to be made.
- In order to protect your privacy, course access is limited to those individuals who have direct responsibility for the quality of your educational experience. In addition to the instructor, a teaching assistant or college administrator may be provided access in order to ensure optimal faculty availability and access. World Campus technical staff may also be given access in order to resolve technical support issues.
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- Students are responsible for online course content, taking notes, obtaining other materials provided by the instructor, taking tests (if applicable), and completing assignments as scheduled by the instructor. As a general rule, students should plan on logging into the course at least three times per week and spending at least three hours per course credit per week on the course, e.g., if the course is three credits, the student should plan on spending at least 9-12 hours per week on the course, just as they would in a residence course.
- Students are responsible for keeping track of changes in the course syllabus made by the instructor throughout the semester.
- Students are responsible for monitoring their grades.
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Students must contact their instructor (and teammates when working on any collaborative learning assignments) as soon as possible if they anticipate missing long periods of online time due to events such as chronic illnesses, death in the family, business travel, or other appropriate events. The instructor will determine the minimal log on time and participation required in order to meet course responsibilities. In the event of other unforeseen conflicts, the instructor and student will arrive at a solution together.
- Requests for taking exams or submitting assignments after the due dates require documentation of events such as illness, family emergency, or a business-sanctioned activity.
- Conflicts with dates on which examinations or assignments are scheduled must be discussed with the instructor or TA prior to the date of the examination or assignment.
- Students are responsible for following appropriate netiquette (network etiquette) when communicating with their instructor and classmates. For reference, see the Academic Success Kit.
- Behaviors that disrupt other students’ learning are not acceptable and will be addressed by the instructor.
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For severe and chronic problems with student disruptive behavior, the following will be applied for resolution:
- Senate Committee on Student Life policy on managing classroom disruptions: Office of Student Accountability and Conflict Response.
- Penn State Principles
Disclaimer: Please note that the specifics of this Course Syllabus are subject to change, and you will be responsible for abiding by any such changes. Your instructor will notify you of any changes.