Week 2 Assignment Policy Brief

Week 2 Assignment Policy Brief

The public budget evolved over time. The Federal Budget, and how it gets made, is a complex, lengthy process that has important implications for Federal, State, and Local agencies. Obviously, funding for each agency is going to affect that agency’s budget. Likewise, federal funding for social programs, for education, and for other programs, such as disaster relief, affects how state and local agencies fund those programs within their own budgets. Choose one federal agency or department from the A-Z Index of U.S. Government Departments and Agencies. Compare the federal budget with the budget of your selected department and note how they are interconnected. In a 3–4 page paper (not including cover and reference page), address the following:

Public Budget

Prepare a concise history of the public budget. (Note: This section should not include your selected federal agency or department.)

Submission Process

Examine the federal budget submission process.

Mission

Determine if the budget of your selected department or agency supports the mission of the agency or department.

Policy

Determine how the budget has affected a policy of the department or agency.

Budget Changes

Evaluate how the budget of the agency or department has changed over the last five to ten years.

The assignment must include a short introduction with background information about the selected federal agency or department and should utilize the section headers provided. Additionally, the paper should incorporate at least four references, including at least two peer-reviewed sources, excluding the president’s budget and the department’s budget. A cover page with the assignment title, student name, professor’s name, course title, and date is required, and it is not part of the 3–4 page content requirement. The paper must adhere to Strayer Writing Standards.

Paper For Above instruction

Introduction

The federal government’s budget process is a vital function that directs the allocation of financial resources across numerous agencies and departments, shaping national policy and impacting public service delivery. The federal budget, developed annually, reflects priorities established by elected officials and influences how social programs, defense, infrastructure, and other sectors are funded. To understand these dynamics, it is essential to analyze the historical evolution of the public budget, the process of budget submission, the alignment of agency budgets with their missions, and how financial allocations influence policy decisions over time. For this paper, I have chosen the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) — a significant federal agency overseeing health and social services — to examine how its budget interconnects with the federal budget and influences policy and program priorities.

Public Budget

The concept of public budgeting dates back to ancient times, with early forms of resource allocation in city-states like Athens and Rome. Over centuries, the modern public budget evolved through developments in fiscal policy, the establishment of government accounting standards, and the growth of administrative systems to manage public funds. In the United States, the federal budget's origins can be traced to the late 18th century, with the first formal budget process established under President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the 1930s as part of New Deal reforms (Siegfried, 2017). Since then, the federal budget has grown in complexity and scope, reflecting the increasing size of government and expanding responsibilities. The development of budget agencies such as the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has facilitated more structured budget formulation, review, and approval processes. The budget's evolution demonstrates a continuous balancing act between fiscal responsibility and addressing pressing national needs, including health, security, and economic stability.

Submission Process

The federal budget submission process begins with the President's executive branch agencies preparing budget requests based on policy priorities and statutory mandates. These requests are consolidated and reviewed by the OMB, which makes recommendations for adjustments before presenting a proposed budget to Congress typically in February each year. Congress then reviews, modifies, and approves appropriations through a series of hearings, markup sessions, and votes, ultimately passing legislation that authorizes federal spending (U.S. Government Publishing Office, 2020). The process involves multiple stages of review and negotiation, emphasizing transparency and accountability. It is a cyclical process that aligns executive priorities with legislative oversight, ensuring that the federal government’s fiscal policies reflect current national priorities and constraints.

Mission

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) primarily aims to enhance the health, safety, and well-being of Americans. Its budget supports critical programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, public health initiatives, and research activities. Analyzing HHS budget data reveals that the allocations align closely with its overarching mission. For example, in recent fiscal years, the agency's budget has prioritized expanding health coverage, combating public health crises like COVID-19, and advancing biomedical research through agencies like the National Institutes of Health (NIH) (HHS, 2022). The substantial funding allocations underscore the department’s commitment to health equity and disease prevention, demonstrating that the budget effectively supports its mission to improve national health outcomes.

Policy

Budget allocations significantly influence policymaking within HHS. For instance, increased funding for Medicaid expansion and public health programs have facilitated the implementation of major health reforms and responses to crises such as the opioid epidemic and pandemic preparedness. Conversely, budget constraints or reductions have sometimes led to policy shifts, including tightening eligibility for certain programs or scaling back research initiatives. A notable example is the shifting focus on infectious disease control, where budget changes have enabled or limited the scope of intervention strategies. Overall, the budget serves as a policy instrument, driving the department's strategic priorities and impacting the scope and reach of services provided to the American public (Kaiser Family Foundation, 2020).

Budget Changes

Over the past decade, the HHS budget has experienced fluctuations driven by political priorities, economic factors, and emergent health crises. For instance, during the COVID-19 pandemic, HHS received significant supplemental appropriations, greatly increasing its budget to fund testing, vaccination, and support for health care providers. Prior to the pandemic, the budget growth was comparatively steady, reflecting ongoing investments in health research, health insurance programs, and public health infrastructure (Office of Management and Budget, 2021). In recent years, budget proposals have fluctuated with shifts in administration, with some administrations proposing cuts, while others emphasize increased investment in health technology and disparities reduction. These variations underscore how broader political and societal factors influence federal budget allocations and priorities within health and human services.

Conclusion

The evolution of the federal budget, from its nascent stages to the complex framework of today, reveals how financial means are pivotal in shaping policy and operational effectiveness across government agencies. For the Department of Health and Human Services, the budget is directly aligned with its mission to promote the health and well-being of Americans, with variations in funding reflecting changing policy priorities and societal needs. Understanding the interconnectedness between the federal and agency-specific budgets highlights the importance of fiscal oversight and strategic planning in public administration, ensuring resources are allocated efficiently to address the nation’s health priorities.

References

  • Siegfried, J. J. (2017). The Evolution of the Federal Budget Process. Journal of Public Budgeting & Finance, 37(2), 5-27.
  • U.S. Government Publishing Office. (2020). The Budget Process: An Overview. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CDOC-110hdoc61/pdf/CDOC-110hdoc61.pdf
  • U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). (2022). Fiscal Year 2022 Budget in Brief. https://www.hhs.gov/about/budget/fy2022/budget-in-brief/index.html
  • Kaiser Family Foundation. (2020). The Role of Budget and Finance in Shaping Policy. https://www.kff.org/health-reform/issue-brief/the-role-of-budget-and-finance-in-shaping-health-policy/
  • Office of Management and Budget. (2021). Historical Tables: Budget of the U.S. Government. https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/historical-tables/
  • McGill, R. (2019). Public Budgeting and Financial Management. Routledge.
  • Congressional Budget Office. (2021). The Federal Budget Process. https://www.cbo.gov/budget-process
  • Chamberlain, M., & Callahan, L. (2018). Fiscal Policy and Public Budgeting. Sage Publications.
  • Gore, C. (2019). Budgeting in the Public Sector. Routledge.
  • Fisher, R. C. (2020). Public Financial Management (4th ed.). CRC Press.

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