Most of the literature on public sector budgeting ignores defense budgeting, even though aircraft, ships, tanks, smart weaponry, skilled crews, electronically boosted infantry, and other facets
of national defense represent a large part of the federal government's discretionary spending. The budget process that's been in place at the Pentagon since the 1960s guided the development,
presentation, and execution of defense budgets through most of the Cold War and past it; since 2001, however, it's changed significantly. McCaffery and Jones, of the Naval Postgraduate School,
Monterey, CA, outline the old and new budget process and look at issues like resource management, budgetary politics, acquisition of goods and services, and recent efforts to transform the
Defense Department. Annotation 穢2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
