Attached.

Public Stewardship in Budgeting - Outline
Thesis: To adequately manage public resources the government should ensure the balancing of
competing demands and consequently establish national policies for proper utilization of public
resources.
The paper analyses public stewardship as follows:
I.
II.

Introduction
Need and Importance of Public Stewardship in Budgeting

III.

Ethical Requirements for Leaders

IV.

Consequences of unethical stewardship

Attached.

Running head: PUBLIC STEWARDSHIP IN BUDGETING

Public Stewardship in Budgeting
Name
Institution

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PUBLIC STEWARDSHIP IN BUDGETING

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Public Stewardship in Budgeting
Introduction
A budget refers to the government's plan to utilize the public resources to meet the needs
of its citizens. Public stewardship, on the other hand, refers to the capability of ordinary citizens
to access information about the allocation and use of public resources. It relates to the full
disclosure of all the relevant financial information in a systematic and timely manner. A state
that seeks to attain stewardship of its resources should try to ensure the safety of its citizens thus
protecting state resources. A government body should provide effective service delivery to its
citizens as well as adequate protection of public funds. To adequately manage public resources
the government should ensure the balancing of competing demands and consequently establish
national policies for proper utilization of public resources.
Need and Importance of Public Stewardship in Budgeting
Government officials have fallen victims to improper utilization of public resources
through misuse of public demands and bribery allegations to deliver their services to the public.
Public stewardship is critical in budgeting and prevention of conflicts that are likely to arise
between the government offices and the citizens. The process would improve the legitimacy
associated with the provision of essential services to the citizens of a country or state.
Effective stewardship is also paramount to the protection of the exchange of goods and
services occurring between countries or states. Government budgets are prepared based on the
money obtained from taxpayers. As such proper and adequate planning should be put in place to
win citizen's trust on the planned utilization of public funds since government spending affects
the lives of citizens whether directly or indirectly (Smith & Lynch, 2004). The government
should establish strategies and initiative to tackle any challenges that may arise in the course of

PUBLIC STEWARDSHIP IN BUDGETING
government expenditure for the provision of public goods. Government officials should embrace
responsible stewardship to prevent the occurrence of any issues that may lead to the fight for the
available resources. It has been reported that Scott Pruitt, the administrator Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) has been involved in a graft case revolving around the misuse of
public resources. The administrator is accused of spending taxpayers’ money on chartered
flights, first class commercial flights and questionable international trips. The need for public
stewardship in such a case would have helped in holding the administrator accountable for the
use of public resources for the good of the taxpayers and not for personal benefits and gains.
Public stewardship is critical to the budgeting process as it helps in the prevention of
scramble for the available public resources (Mikesell, 2014). Additionally, the approach is
essential to the provision of legitimacy necessary for service to all the citizens within a nation.
Encouragement of public servants to embrace public stewardship allows for ease in the
protection of goods and service circulating within and outside the borders of a country.
Stewardship at all government levels allows for the effective management of the current
resources for use by the government as well as the provision of assurance of effective utilization
of resources in the future. Public stewardship focuses on transparency and oversight in budgeting
during the planning and implementation phases of the adopted operational budgets for the
government bodies.
Ethical Requirements for Leaders
Proper stewardship of public resources is critical in maintaining order, and financial
aspects related to government budgeting procedures. The public expects the officials entrusted
with public resources to act in a manner that promotes the interest of the community as well as
transparently and ethically. The public officer should put the interest of the public as their

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PUBLIC STEWARDSHIP IN BUDGETING
priority in the execution of their duties to ensure that the highest standards of public stewardship
are achieved. In the allocation of resource...