Social Choice and Strategic Decisions: Essays in Honor of Jeffrey S. Banks (Studies in Choice and Welfare)

Book Description

Social choices, about expenditures on government programs, or about public policy more broadly, or indeed from any conceivable set of alternatives, are determined by politics. This book is a collection of essays that tie together the fields spanned by Jeffrey S. Banks' research on this subject. It examines the strategic aspects of political decision-making, including the choices of voters in committees, the positioning of candidates in electoral campaigns, and the behavior of parties in legislatures. The chapters of this book contribute to the theory of voting with incomplete information, to the literature on Downsian and probabilistic voting models of elections, to the theory of social choice in distributive environments, and to the theory of optimal dynamic decision-making. The essays employ a spectrum of research methods, from game-theoretic analysis, to empirical investigation, to experimental testing.

Book Description

City, county and school district elected officials annually deal with multi-million, sometime billion dollar budgets. But many have little, if any, knowledge about local government financial matters when first elected. Written in an easy to understand style, this book provides beginning and seasoned elected officials and public administrators with the fiscal awareness to confidently make good budget and financial decisions. Local government is more complex today and there are more opportunities for poor judgement, conflicts of interest, embezzlement and fraud. The best antidote is an informed constituency that insists on good government and accountability. Community members, homeowners groups, business people, unions, service organizations, public watchdogs and newspaper reporters who want to assess their local elected officials' performance will find this book invaluable. Each chapter begins with a real life story such as the city manager who used the city's credit card to go on an lavish shopping spree, the city that used debt to mask it's huge deficit or the school superintendent who sacrificed the district's solvency to create an award winning curriculum. Vignettes from over 77 different local governments across the country are used to buttress the suggested tips and techniques.

Customer Reviews:

An excellent budget, financial and treasury primer........1999-03-18

As an elected Treasurer and local government finance director for the past several years, I found this book to be an excellent primer for all elected and appointed officials. The practical advice offered by Mr. Wood is based on his experience and input from his peers and is extremely valuable. The book is written in a very informal and concise way and should be required reading for all elected officials. In fact, I gave this book to each City Council member and they have all indicated that this book provided excellent financial advice.

Excellent reading for the Government Watchdog.......1998-09-30

Len Wood presents Dollars and Sense in a practical manner enabling readers to absorb its content. A must read book for those that "watch" their local governments, school districts and elected officials. Written for fast reading,yet covers the subject matter extensively. If you want to be certain your local government is working at its fullest potential, Dollars & Sense can be a great help to you.

Great book for people interested in local government........1998-06-14

What a delightful book. The author has presented his subject in an understandable and capitivating manner. He does this by using lots of real life vignettes to make his points. People who want to know what their local officials should and should not be doing will want to read this book.

A Guide for Achieving Job Longevity in the Public Sector.......1998-05-06

Here is a "no holds barred" approach to describing "real life" shortcomings in handling public finances, and then providing tips to local government policy makers and managers on how to avoid a similiar circumstance.

Len Wood writes from first hand knowledge and experience. He describes the situation; outlines the facts; details the results; and provides the reader with suggestions to lessen financial risk and/or failure in the expenditure of public funds.

Book Description

In this comprehensive reference, Roy T. Meyers provides an invaluable tool for anyone who wants to learn how the government budgeting process works, where it doesn't work, and how it can be improved. Filled with insights and wisdom from thirty-six contributors, this book presents an encyclopedic account of budgeting innovations today. Seven sections and twenty-nine chapters cover everything from current basic processes to the uncertain future of budgeting. Handbook of Government Budgeting is the definitive resource for anyone interested in the ways governments acquire and spAnd money.

Nationally and internationally respected experts such as Bob Bland, Naomi Caiden, James Chan, Philip Cooper, Larry Jones, A. Premchand, Irene Rubin, and Barry White offer the reader a full spectrum of information and ideas gleaned from a broad base of practice and research. The contributors are authorities in the fields of political science, economics, accounting, and management. They include executives, managers, analysts, consultants, and academics who have studied or worked with governments. The combined wisdom of these experts ensures the most concise, complete, and thought-provoking compilation concerning government budgeting today.

Each section of the Handbook of Government Budgeting presents multiple chapters offering different perspectives on budgetary subjects. Topics include: an overview of government budgeting; credit markets, the economy, and budget balancing; taxation in budgeting; the informational foundations of budgeting; budgeting by institutions; politics, management, and analysis in budgeting; and budgeting over time for large amounts. This comprehensive volume will prove a priceless tool to government professionals as well as professors of budgeting courses. Budgeting students and practitioners will find up-to-date information on the latest budget issues and politics in governments across federal, state, and local levels.

The teaching supplement is available directly from the author.

Download Description

"Fiscal sustainability analysis is the use of a simple set of tools to analyze a government's budget and its debt position, and leads to conclusions - given the government's debt level - about the appropriateness of fiscal policy. Many economists are familiar with fiscal sustainability analysis, but there is no single reference work that explains it. Fiscal Sustainability in Theory and Practice fills this gap. The handbook is organized around three themes: (i) basic theory and tools for everyday use, (ii) the effects of business cycles on public finance and the role of fiscal rules, and (iii) crises and their impact on fiscal sustainability. The first theme is central to the book's purpose of bringing the basic theoretical literature together, along with a set of examples used to illustrate particular methods of analysis. The second and third themes develop the topic of fiscal sustainability further, by extending it to topics at the forefront of policy debates in the recent past. Aimed at economists previously unfamiliar with fiscal sustainability analysis, this book will also serve as a useful reference work for all economists with either an advanced undergraduate or basic graduate level of training."

Handbook of Fiscal Policy (Public Administration and Public Policy)

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Handbook of Fiscal Policy (Public Administration and Public Policy)

Manufacturer: CRC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Economic Policy & Development | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Money & Monetary Policy | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Public Affairs & Administration | Government | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
ASIN: 0824707737

Book Description

Providing forty articles written by experts, this book explores the development of government spending and revenue policymaking, the legacy of John Maynard Keynes, taxes and tax policies, government budgeting and accounting, and government debt management. Topics include the implications of the federal balanced budget amendment, factors that affect implementation of fiscal policies, the relationship between tax assessment and economic prosperity, and debt management strategies by government institutions. It covers the role of government in formulating economic policies for growth and full employment and reviews issues associated with the implementation of fiscal policies.

Handbook of Monetary and Fiscal Policy (Full Set) (Public Administration and Public Policy)

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Handbook of Monetary and Fiscal Policy (Full Set) (Public Administration and Public Policy)
Rabin
Manufacturer: CRC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Money & Monetary Policy | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Public Affairs & Administration | Government | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Taxation | Law | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0824707818

Handbook of Monetary Policy (Public Administration and Public Policy)

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Handbook of Monetary Policy (Public Administration and Public Policy)

Manufacturer: CRC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Money & Monetary Policy | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Public Affairs & Administration | Government | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Medicine | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
ASIN: 0824705785

Book Description

"Examines the politcs of economic policy, focusing on forecasting, inflation, interest rates, market expectations, financial crises, disruptions in global markets, and tax policy, as well as state and local government budgeting, financial management, and policy initiatives for development and growth."

Handbook on Taxation (Public Administration and Public Policy, 72)

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Handbook on Taxation (Public Administration and Public Policy, 72)

Manufacturer: CRC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Public Finance | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Public Affairs & Administration | Government | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Public Policy | Government | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Taxation | Law | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
ASIN: 0824701976

Book Description

A groundbreaking reference, this book provides a comprehensive review of tax policy from political, legal, constitutional, administrative, and economic perspectives. A collection of writings from over 45 prominent tax experts, it charts the influence of taxation on economic activity and economic behavior. Featuring over 2400 references, tables, equations, and drawings, the book describes how taxes affect individual and business behavior, shows how taxes operate as work and investment incentives, explains how tax structures impact different income groups, weighs the balanced use of sales, property, and personal income taxes, traces the influence of recent tax changes, and more.

Intergovernmental Fiscal Relations in Central and Eastern Europe: A Source Book and Reference Guide for Trainers and Practitioners (WBI Learning Resources Series) (Wbi Learning Resources Series)

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Intergovernmental Fiscal Relations in Central and Eastern Europe: A Source Book and Reference Guide for Trainers and Practitioners (WBI Learning Resources Series) (Wbi Learning Resources Series)
Brien Desilets , Peter Epstein , and Juliana H. Pigey
Manufacturer: World Bank Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Economic Policy & Development | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

International | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Money & Monetary Policy | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Public Finance | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Debt & Deficits | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Foreign Exchange | Finance | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Public Affairs & Administration | Government | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0821357050

Product Description

Produced by the Urban Institute for the United States Agency for International Development and the World Bank Institute, the sourcebook gives access to a wealth of knowledge and information on intergovernmental finance issues in Central and Eastern Europe by providing electronic links to a large number of documents included on a CD-ROM. The documents discuss the basic concepts and principles, and describe the evolution of intergovernmental finance in the countries of the region. The printed sourcebook, which is also on the CD-ROM, serves as a roadmap to help the reader explore the documents and locate relevant materials. Intergovernmental Fiscal Relations in Central and Eastern Europe is especially useful for policy analysts and trainers interested in promoting an understanding of those issues in their countries. The sourcebook also provides direct electronic links to relevant training and educational materials, also included on the CD-ROM. Countries covered: Albania, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, Macedonia, Poland, and Romania

Monetary Theory and Fiscal Policy (Economic Handbook Series)

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Monetary Theory and Fiscal Policy (Economic Handbook Series)
Alvin H. Hansen
Manufacturer: Greenwood Press Reprint
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Money & Monetary Policy | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Public Finance | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0313237360

Book Description

Businesses have come to realize that information resources and technologies are key corporate assets and decisions on these matters need to be made at the highest level in an enterprise (including public sector and not-for-profit organizations). As a result, when new standards come along with the potential for expanding collaborative e-business relationships that open new opportunities, improve cash flow, and reduce costs, business people need to know about them. That is the purpose of the new book, ebXML: the New Global Standard for doing Business On the Internet. The book describes this new set of specifications not only in terms of the technology, but also in terms of their impact on the way business really work.

Most of the larger enterprises in the world have done e-business for as long as 20 years, using a technology called electronic data interchange or EDI. While these larger companies have benefited from EDI, smaller companies rarely can afford the software or the internal management EDI requires. EbXML however, takes advantage of advances in Internet technologies and the large installed base of Internet-connected systems, to encourage the development of low-priced, plug-and-play solutions that many smaller companies can afford.

The book outlines the demanding and changing business conditions that make collaborative e-business imperative for growing numbers of companies, and show how ebXML is designed to meet these conditions. It offers an executive-level overview giving the ebXML specifications in a nutshell and scenarios of how ebXML can work in practice. The book then provides fuller descriptions of ebXMLs business requirements, XML, earlier work involving XML for business data exchange, related web services specifications, and more details of the ebXML technical architecture.

ebXML: the New Global Standard for doing Business On the Internet is the first book on ebXML, and the only extended work so far, either print or electronic, written for business managers. The technical documentation provides specific guidance for systems developers, but it is the business people who make the fundamental business decisions on using technology strategically, and this book addresses those concerns.

Customer Reviews:

poor focus, poor structure.......2004-03-29

The main problem with the book is it's lack of focus. It's neither a book for business people trying to value ebXML, it's neither a book for technical people trying to get more detail about ebXML.
The business intro is poor. It's a collection of trends without much structure or insights.
The technical part is mainly an intro.
I was disappointed. Is mainly my problem, but I would advise future buyers to look for more focused books.

Clear and in-depth description of ebXLM (and XML).......2002-07-06

This book doesn't purport to cover programming. Instead it is a comprehensive guide that describes ebXML from business and technical perspectives, and does so is such a clear, well written manner that it deserves 5 stars. If you're more interested in writing ebXML applications you may want "ebXML Simplified" by Eric Chiu (ISBN 0471204757), which shows how and provides sample code.

What I most like about this book is the way the authors manage to integrate the technical details with the business value of ebXML without going over the heads of business users or talking down to IT professionals. I also like the fact that the book is kept up to date on the companion web site, and the additional information that is provided there to supplement what is covered in the book.

The highlights, in my opinion, are:

Chapter 2, ebXML in a nutshell. This chapter uses clear prose and illustrations to portray ebXML, how it fits into an enterprise solution, and all of the underpinnings. If you only read these 30 pages you'll come away with a solid understanding of what it is and how it works. The next chapter, ebXML at Work, takes this material a step further with case studies that are realistic.

All of Part II, which shows how ebXML fits into the much larger XML picture (including an interesting history of XML and how it evolved from SGML). History aside, this section ties together a number of related technologies, such as Java, XML, HTML and platforms. In fact, the four legs of a table metaphor that the authors use is one of the most elegant depictions of the interrelationships I've seen. They don't stay at high level, however. The book drills down into DTDs, and also does an excellent job of describing the business processes and technical architecture in terms that anyone can grasp. I especially liked the way UML and use cases were introduced.

If you want a book that describes ebXML (and in a larger sense, XML) from business and technical perspectives this is the one to read.

very much an introduction.......2002-05-30

I found this book nice to read but pretty poor in terms of practical information. If you're looking for material to waffle at a VC it's all here but don't expect to sit down and start writing applications after reading it...

Excellent synthesis of business and technology issues.......2002-01-18

This book provides a nice combination of the technical underpinnings of ebXML with an explanation of the new business strategies that it makes possible.

Too many managers believe that they can conceive and implement an eBusiness strategy without understanding the underlying technologies. This hubris contributed to the recent rash of web business failures. The Kotok and Webber book does an admirable job in explaining the technical to the business mind and the business to the technical mind. And I believe that even many of the more technically inclined will benefit from the history of how ebXML came about and how it leverages but is fundamentally different from Electronic Data Interchange.

The global focus and variety of examples from both business and not-profit organizations is also a welcome widening of the normal discussion of eBusiness.

I would read this book before many of the supposedly more business savvy tomes on eBusiness.

The first book, therefore a Must-Read.......2001-11-25

Like we know it from Alan and David both are good in describing complicated technical stuff so you can comprehend it. Therefore this book is a good introduction into ebXML's concepts, and even in some eBusiness, EDI and Markup Background.

One will recognize David's previous work on XML/EDI in that book. Very good examples about (mainly) small companies which can benefit from electronical exchange of business information.

This book does not aim to help programmers to implement ebXML, but it does aim to understand management, business analysts, edi experts and programers the requirements of business.

Personally I missed a bit the practical help you could expect from a writer so deep into ebXML and EDI. So the examples of possible gains in business sound a bit constructed, and you always miss kind of proof, that especially ebXML is the tool to make the job done.

If you are a troubled EDI Expert and wonder, how to solve those every day problems you have with "missing informations", "ERP systems which do not have article data", or simple "expensive carriers", you might wonder yourself, where in the ebXML technology is the solution to those little details. There are a lot of good concepts, which eventuelly will help you (if they get explored in great detail).

In the book you will learn a lot about the joy of automatically setting up a ad-hoc busines, you will learn that you never again have trouble receiving foreign char sets and you will learn how detailed industrie organisations can describe common knowledge in UML. How easy business would be if.... But you might actually feel, that there is something missing, which is not described in this book.

So in short, it is a good book to get to know ebXML and therefore it is highly recommended. I especially recommend this book because it is one source to establish knowege inside your company, no matter if it is an programmer, business analyst, sales guy or the manager of information systems or business development.

As a small side note, dont know how you feel about the layout, but I needed to get used to it.

On the other hand this book is a GREAT jump-platform. Each chapter is closed with dozents of links and ressources as footnotes. Dont miss to ander off and actually follow those references.

Book Description

One of the most striking trends in economic development since the 1970s has been the rising importance of the small firm. Focusing on the issues of enterprise development and the regional dimensions of small-firm growth, this book reviews the literature in this area. Moving from an analysis of measures of growth to the effects of both internal and external variables - arguing that the owner-manager has a key role in the growth performance of the firm - the authors explore regional disparities in, and constraints on, growth, and make significant advances in the policy debate on understanding how faster growth can be achieved.

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