Budgetary Politics Research Articles

Budget Politics of Aceh Province’s Special Autonomy Fund for Poverty Alleviation

Fifteen years into the implementation of Aceh’s special autonomy, poverty still ranks Aceh the poorest province on the island of Sumatra. The high number and percentage of poverty are due to the budget allocation of the Special Autonomy Fund being allocated to other issues; the allocation of the Poverty Alleviation Special Autonomy Fund over the last five years has not been a priority in the development program in Aceh Province, poverty alleviation being the fourth priority after infrastructure, education and health. This research seeks to discover the factors that become obstacles and ineffectiveness of the Special Autonomy Fund Budget Politics in Poverty Alleviation in Aceh Province. This research uses a qualitative approach with a case study as a research strategy. This research uses three data collection techniques: First, documentation in the form of policy documents, papers, journals, or books from previous research. Second, in-depth interviews. Third, observation. Data analysis techniques used in qualitative research include transcribing interview results, data reduction, data analysis and interpretation. Aceh’s failed poverty alleviation was caused by the government’s failure to address its poverty. Factors contributing to poverty in Aceh’s poverty reduction include lack of poverty-related employment, inadequate government support, insufficient infrastructure and income related to prosperity, low human resource income, insufficient political participation, and corruption.

Epistemic Injustice in Budgetary Politics: A Response to Rachel Reeves's Mais Lecture

Epistemic Injustice in Budgetary Politics: A Response to Rachel Reeves's Mais Lecture

Shades of Resistance: Factors Influencing Populist Mobilization Against the EU Budgetary Conditionality Regime

Although the past decade has shown how populist governments may challenge the EU’s budgetary framework, we still lack an understanding of the circumstances under which populists are more likely to mobilize against EU-level decision-making in this field, and what this mobilization may look like. Combining the literature on populism as an ideology and EU decision-making, the article zooms in on the negotiations regarding the general regime of conditionality in EU budgetary politics and argues that economic and political factors have influenced populist mobilization. A qualitative comparison of the nine cases where populist parties feature in the government highlights that only two countries, Poland and Hungary, have actively opposed the introduction of the so-called rule-of-law conditionality. A closer look indicates that a combination of Euroscepticism, European Parliamentary affiliation, membership in the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, and the political power that populist parties possess at home, along with key macroeconomic indicators, have influenced populists in government to mobilize against the conditionality mechanism. In the second part of the analysis, the article showcases the actions of the Hungarian government, highlighting it as a specific example of populist mobilization. Viktor Orbán’s government has built a populist narrative around the issue, questioned the norm of the decision-making process, exerted a veto to block the agreement temporarily, and later challenged the regulation in court—in short, it engaged in unpolitics.

Words not deeds: the weak culture of evidence in the Canadian policy style

Abstract The Canadian policy style has been described as one of overpromising and underdelivering, where heightened expectations are often met by underwhelming outcomes. Here, we examine the evidentiary style of Canadian policy-making which undergirds and reflects this policy style, particularly the nature of the policy advisory system that contributes to this pattern of policy-making. We do so by assessing how the different components of the advice system, which include academics, consultants, and policy professionals within the public service, are structured and relate to each other within the overall dynamics of information management and policy formulation in the governments of Canada. Using examples from recent efforts to revitalize Canadian government, the paper argues that the federal government in particular shows a pattern of the predominance of non-innovative academic “super-users,” distributed policy shops, and process-oriented analysts and consultants who combine with attributes of federalism and partisan budgetary politics to drive a distinctively fragmented and procedurally-oriented federal policy-making process. In these processes, evidence is often secondary to political posturing and short-term electioneering in program creation and execution, contributing greatly to the national policy style set out above.

Budget politics in Indonesia

Budget politics in Indonesia is a very complex process, ranging from central to local government. The budget planning process involves planning, approving, executing, and evaluating, all of which require close coordination and cooperation between institutions. The main challenges in Indonesia's budget politics are the misallocation of funds, inequality between regions, growing debt, inflation, and unstable prices. The economic implications of inefficient budget politics are far-reaching. Imbalances between revenues and expenditures can increase the debt burden and interest costs, reducing the space for productive public spending. Inequalities in budget allocations can slow economic growth and increase social inequality. In addition, uneven financial decentralization exacerbates inequality between regions. Inflation rates fuelled by increased public spending without an increase in goods and services can reduce people's purchasing power. Budget policy uncertainty also brings uncertainty for investors, which can reduce private investment and hamper economic growth. Overall, reforms in the budget distribution process, improved financial management capacity, and a commitment to inclusive and data-driven policies are urgently needed. These measures are essential to meet the challenges and ensure sustainable and equitable development for all Indonesians.

Budget Politics in the Implementation of Social Assistance Programs (Case Study of Stunting Programs in Depok City)

This study aims to analyze the case study of the Stunting Program. The case study aims to find out how the role of the Depok City Provincial Government in preparing budget allocations in budgeting for social assistance for stunting programs in Depok City and how the implementation of the stunting social assistance program in Depok City itself sees that there are still several problems in the implementation process. By reviewing the case study, it is hoped that later it can provide solutions and improvements in the implementation of social assistance in the stunting program in Depok City. The prevalence of stunting in Depok City fluctuates from year to year. In achieving a reduction in stunting rates in toddlers, especially through regional financial policies and the APBD, the Depok City government must consider the regional financial situation and set development priorities. The research method used in this study is qualitative with a case study strategy that is analyzed descriptively and the number of respondents is 2 informants. The result of this study is that there is still a lack of data optimization in the synchronization of beneficiary data and a lack of public awareness of the importance of stunting reduction programs. Therefore, the recommendation of this study is the need for the role and cooperation of all parties involved, both internal and external, as well as increasing socialization media to provide confirmation about the importance of preventing stunting.

The Influence of the Goods and Services Procurement Process on Budget Performance with Budget Politics as a moderator (study of Regional Government OPD in Aceh)

This research aims to examine the influence of the goods and services procurement process on budget performance with budget politics as a moderator. The population in this study were all government officials in the Regional Government OPD in Aceh. The sampling technique uses probability sampling. The data used is primary data. The data collection technique was carried out by distributing questionnaires to 267 respondents, namely budget users, heads of program and budget sub-divisions and program department staff. The data analysis method used is Simple Linear Regression Analysis and Moderated Regression Analysis (MRA) with the help of the SPSS 25 application. The results of the research show that the process of procurement of goods and services partially influences the Budget Performance of Regional Government OPDs in Aceh. Then budget politics moderate the influence of the goods and services procurement process on Budget Performance in Regional Government OPDs in Aceh.

From NGEU to REPowerEU: policy steering and budgetary innovation in the EU

ABSTRACT European Union (EU) budgetary politics are considered a stable domain of EU policymaking. Yet, the creation of the pandemic recovery plan NextGenerationEU (NGEU) marked an important innovation. Then, in the face of Russia’s war against Ukraine and the EU’s energy crisis, member states adopted REPowerEU to accelerate the Union’s ‘green’ transition. Developing a historical institutionalist framework, we theorize the driving forces behind these new budgetary instruments. We see a double-dynamic at work: on the one hand, sudden events or crises, like a pandemic or war, create momentum for institutional and policy innovation. On the other hand, the new instruments build upon, and further stimulate, established patterns of EU budgetary politics. Empirically, we document that the concepts of ‘layering’ and ‘conversion’ capture best the EU’s financial responses to the pandemic and the energy crisis. Together, the EU’s new tools suggest gradual, though decisive, steps towards supranational policy steering through the budget.

Political policy education budget government of Yogyakarta, Indonesia

This study aims to describe the politics of the education budget in the city of Yogyakarta. This research uses a qualitative approach to phenomenological in the city of Yogyakarta. The subject of the study is chosen purposively from the executive and legislative elements. Excavation of data through in-depth interviews and analysis of documents. The triangulation is used by triangulation of methods and sources, expert discussions, and rival explanations. A qualitatively phenomenological data analysis with data steps managing, reading and memoing, describing, classifying, interpreting, and visualizing. Research findings showed that the 2014 Yogyakarta city education budget was Rp. 432,883,644,325.00. The pattern of distribution and allocation of education budgets is managed based on the coordination and integration of policies between government units. The priorities of the 2014 education budget are determined based on considerations of aspects of urgency and emergency. Priority mainly includes employee salaries,12-year compulsory education programs, and educational development programs.

The Politics of Government Budgeting and Its Implications for Development in Nigeria

The Politics of Government Budgeting and Its Implications for Development in Nigeria

The Impact of Education Budget Politics on Discontinuation of Scholarship: A Case Study of SMAN Bali Mandara

The issue of politicization in the education sector has garnered significant attention in everyday discourse, yet its exploration in academia remains limited. Often, government policies fail to align with public expectations. This study delved into the public debate surrounding the abrupt discontinuation of the scholarship program at SMAN Bali Mandara by the government, seeking to investigate the underlying reasons. The rationale behind the government's decision to discontinue scholarships, while allocating substantial funds to other sectors, remained unclear, as did the subsequent impact of the discontinuation. Consequently, the public and education activists demanded clarification from the government. This study aimed to examine the politicization of the education budget by analyzing the APBD report and public responses. Rather than providing scholarships, the government prioritized the construction of new school infrastructure in various regions. This study employed a qualitative approach with a literature review method. The author collected data from APBD reports, BPS data, online mass media, scientific articles, and other sources to support an in-depth analysis. The study encompassed problem identification, literature review, determination of the study's purpose and objectives, data collection, data analysis, interpretation, and reporting of results. The study revealed that the government abruptly and unilaterally discontinued the scholarships at SMAN Bali Mandara. The government justified this action by claiming it aimed to equalize all schools. Under the pretext that all schools should admit underprivileged students, not just SMAN Bali Mandara, the government concentrated its efforts on constructing 14 new schools. However, based on the analyzed data, this study found that this policy was neither effective nor efficient.

From Bad to Worse: The Continuous Dilemma Facing Parliaments in European Economic and Fiscal Governance

Abstract Analysing how the roles of national parliaments and the European Parliament have changed in European economic governance since the euro crisis, this article argues that their situation has deteriorated in the post-Next Generation EU regime. It identifies structural factors impeding more effective parliamentary engagement, relates these to empirical evidence about the role of domestic legislatures and the European Parliament and mirrors these practices against constitutional interpretations concerning the democratic role of parliaments in budgetary matters. The broader Economic and Monetary Union architecture has grown to encompass a variety of rules and mechanisms, many of which are located outside of the treaties and the budget of the Union. As a result, parliaments lack formal powers that would guarantee them meaningful participation rights in European economic and fiscal governance. The key to more effective parliamentary involvement is ensuring that the parliaments can genuinely shape policies and that a strong link is established between elections and budgetary politics.

Budgetary politics in the National Assembly of South Korea: who gets what from legislative budgets?

ABSTRACT This paper attempts to shed light on budgetary politics in the National Assembly of South Korea by examining what we call a legislative budget. For analytical purposes, a legislative budget is defined as an increased or newly added budget at the comprehensive review stage of the Special Committee on Budget and Accounts. Using budget review reports from FY 2012 to FY 2015, we analyzed who benefits from legislative budgets and what types of policies and budgets are prioritized in legislative budgets. The results show that budgets for public agencies and a variety of institutions in the private sector prevailed over national and local budgets and that budgets for distributive policy accounted for an overwhelmingly larger portion than budgets for regulatory and redistributive policy. The study also finds that the ruling party and its home region secured more legislative budgets than the opposition parties and their regions.

Budget politics and democratization in Tunisia: The loss of consensus and the erosion of trust

ABSTRACT Many have attributed the stalled democratization process in Tunisia to consensus politics that failed to bring about significant reforms capable of improving the socioeconomic situation for the majority of Tunisians. This article takes budget politics as a crucial example of a policy area in which decisions made on an annual basis ended up leading to massive public contention in January 2018 and 2019. Studying budget politics in the context of democratization – as a period with a particularly high need for trust – shows that, beyond their material shortcomings, the institutional-procedural failures of economic policies also damaged positive expectations regarding the new political institutions. The article compares different stages of the budget cycle during two consecutive years that saw massive contention surrounding the respective finance laws. A systematic press and document analysis, including of parliamentary minutes and social media posts, reveals a lack of transparency and participation in the budget process and, more importantly, an absence of political responsiveness and reliability vis-à-vis organized business, labor and social movements. Arguing against the idea that “too much” consensus was the root of problems at the time, this analysis shows that the erosion of trust was instead caused by untransparent, ad-hoc, volatile and arbitrary decision-making.

The Effect of Fiscal Stress on Changes in Social Aid Shopping with Legislature Size as Moderating Empirical Evidence from Regency/City Governments in Sumatra

This study aims to examine the effect of fiscal stress (FS) on changes in social assistance expenditure budget (BBS) with legislature size (LS) as a moderator in local governments on the island of Sumatra. The sample used is 154 districts/cities with purposive sampling technique. Secondary data is taken from local government financial reports which have been audited by the Supreme Audit Agency of the Republic of Indonesia (BPK RI). The analytical method used in this research is Moderated Regression Analysis. The results of this study prove that FS affects changes in BBS and LS has an effect on changes in BBS. However, the LS does not moderate the effect of fiscal stress on changes in BBS.Keywords: surplus/deficit, regional budget politics, stewardship theory, special autonomy, social assistance spending

The power struggles of executives and legislators in a kingship budget setting: The role of informal and formal power

AbstractDrawing on the power struggles of executives and legislators in a kingship budget setting, the study sheds light on the role of informal power in budget decisions and what makes one of the key actors more powerful than the other in the budgeting process. The study employs a qualitative case study collecting data through face‐to‐face interviews, observations, and documentary analysis. The paper advances the research stream of budget politics in public administration literature, highlighting the intense exercise of informal power to drive budget decisions. The paper provides evidence that informal power has heavily influenced the interactions between executives and legislators by the King and his fictive kin, exercised by formal and informal mechanisms (e.g., half‐room meetings). Utilizing Weber's traditionalism, we demonstrate that the role of informal power over formal power is especially critical in a context where democratic institutions have no solid foundation.

DETERMINANTS OF BUDGET PLANNING AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR MANAGERIAL PERFORMANCE

This study aims to examine how the competency of human resources, risk management, and budget politics affect budget planning and its impact on the managerial performance of the Timor-Leste government. Through the influence of human resource competence, risk management, budget politics, budget planning, and managerial performance, this study explores fundamental truths. This investigation was done across all of Timor-40 Leste’s ministries and institutions. The unit of analysis comprised the General Directors, the National Director of Finance, all internal audit personnel, and institutional leaders. The method of analysis used in this study is Structural Equation Model-SEM based on Partial Least Square-PLS. The results indicated that, with a significance level of 5% (percent), the competence of human resources, risk management, and budget politics had a significant effect in a positive direction on budget planning, indicating that budget planning will improve proportionally to the competence of human resources, risk management, and budget politics. Then budget planning and human resource competence have a considerable positive influence on management performance; this indicates that as budget planning and human resource competence improve, so will managerial performance. Additionally, risk management and budget politics have no effect on managerial performance; this demonstrates that enhanced risk management and budget politics have no effect on managerial performance.

The Strategic Policy of Child Marriage Prevention on Gender-Integrated (Strengthening Best Practice Areas Toward Child Marriage-Free Zones)

This paper analyzes strategic policies for preventing child marriage in Rembang Regency. This evaluative research uses interviews, questionnaires and literature studies for data collection. The study results show that the gender-integrated policy of child marriage prevention in the Rembang district can be seen in regulations, budgets, strengthening of child groups, institutions and cooperation. Sufficient budget and human resources, including the openness of information systems, are the strengths of the policy on child marriage prevention in this area. Programs are still partial; weakness in monitoring- evaluation; weakness in gender mainstreaming commitment; gender biased organizational culture; budget politics that often change; and the fewer activity children's forum are weaknesses in this policy. There are national and international policies; orderly population administration; gender and child disaggregated data; Information Technology; collaboration with NGOs and the private sector an opportunity that must be considered for the success of this policy. Another hand, attention must be on policy threats, namely: low education; high poverty; patriarchy; child marriage traditions; ngemblok tradition; information technology; changes in the age limit for marriage; minimal community involvement; gender insight uneven and; understanding of child rights is low. Child marriage prevention policies have an impact on target groups, non-target groups, and direct and indirect costs. Optimization of child marriage prevention policies should be carried out using scheme 1, maximizing strengths to minimize threats; scheme 2, optimizing gender equality in regional apparatus organizations and; scheme 3, monitoring-evaluation is carried out periodically and structured. These schemes must pay attention to the five "appropriate" namely the appropriate choice of policies and programs, implementation, targets, environment and process appropriate.

THE INFLUENCE OF HUMAN RESOURCES COMPETENCY, BUDGETING POLITICS AND PROCUREMENT OF GOODS AND SERVICES ON BUDGET ABSORPTION BY BUDGET IMPLEMENTATION AS A MODERATING VARIABLE IN THE GOVERNMENT OF RIAU ISLANDS

This study aims to analyze the influence of human resource competence, budget politics, procurement of goods and services on budget absorption and to test and analyze budget implementation in moderating the relationship between human resource competence, budget politics, procurement of goods and services on budget absorption. This research uses a quantitative approach. The type of data used in this study is primary data. This research was conducted using a survey method by distributing questionnaires to regional financial managers in the Riau Islands Provincial Government. The population of this study is the financial manager of 43 Regional Apparatus Organizations as many as 115 people. Determination of the sample through saturated samples (census). The data is processed using the SEM-PLS application version 3.0. The results of this study show that budget politics, procurement of goods and services and budget implementation affect budget absorption. But on the contrary, the competence of human resources does not affect the absorption of the budget. The interaction of budget implementation can strengthen the relationship between the competence of Human Resources and the procurement of goods and services for budget absorption but is not significant in moderating the political process of budgeting for budget absorption.

Empowering and Emancipatory Local Budgeting: From Narcissism to Altruism

The purpose of this study is to create a regional budgeting political model based on the public aspiration fund policy. As a populist initiative to collect particular interests among regional budgeting stakeholders, the public aspiration fund is a reality. This research employs the interpretive-critical approach to show the discursive reality that develops from the language of public ambitions. The study's findings indicate that, on the one hand, the public ambition fund is justified as a sort of "response" to community needs and interests, but on the other hand, the public ambition fund is a form of narcissism in regional budget politics. According to the findings of the study, fighting for community goals must be motivated by an altruistic desire to help the community as part of prosocial action that benefits the greater community. Participating in the screening process of community aspirations requires budget participants to have "feeling in" empathy, which is acquired by entering into the emotional state of the community through a heightened understanding of the community's predicament. The hope is that municipal finances will be reoriented in more emancipatory and empowering directions through funding a range of programs with the primary purpose of “people's welfare”.
 
 Received: 7 September 2022 / Accepted: 15 October 2022 / Published: 5 November 2022