Journal of Social Equity and Public Administration

Equity in Public Budgeting: Lessons for the United States

Marilyn Marks Rubin

Rutgers University

John R. Bartle

University of Nebraska Omaha

DOI: https://doi.org/10.24926/jsepa.v1i2.4995

Keywords: equitable budgets, budget processes, gender-responsive budgeting

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Abstract

There is a growing realization among both academics and practitioners that infusing government budgets with an equity dimension has the potential to provide a pathway to a more equitable society. This potential has already been realized by more than 80 governments worldwide that have been using gender-responsive budgets (GRB) to advance gender equity. GRB represents a specific example of the growing trend in budgeting, which sees government budgets as something more than a neutral process of resource allocation. Rather, budgets are instruments to influence the allocation of resources to advance equity. In this article, we look at how international experiences with GRB can inform recent efforts in the United States by governments at all levels to use their budgets to advance social equity, especially for historically marginalized groups. We identify five factors that have contributed to GRB success and discuss how each of the factors can inform these efforts.

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Author Biographies

Marilyn Marks Rubin , Rutgers University

Marilyn Marks Rubin (Marilyn.rubin@rutgers.edu) is a Distinguished Research Fellow at Rutgers University School of Public Affairs and Administration (SPAA). She has authored several publications on gender responsive budgeting (GRB) and has served as an advisor to the Korean Woman’s Development Institute on GRB. Dr. Rubin is a Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration.

John R. Bartle , University of Nebraska Omaha

John R. Bartle (jbartle@unomaha.edu) is the Dean of the College of Public Affairs and Community Service at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and a Professor of Public Administration. He is a Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration.

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