Because it is a Federal Documents Depository, the South Carolina State Library has received a four volume set of the Budget of the U.S. Government published by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget. These rather large books contain the Budget Message of the President, information on the President's priorities, budget overviews organized by agency, and summary tables, which compare spending, national wealth and debt over extended time periods.
The Analytical Perspective volume highlights specific subjects and includes economic and accounting analyses, and supplemental material showing the budget by agency and account by function and program. Included is a CD-ROM. These publications are available on the web at the OMB website (http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget) and at FDSys (http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/browse/collectionGPO.action?collectionCode=BUDGET) .
These are not the only resources for learning about government spending. Recently, a class at the State Library examined several agency and legislative bodies that are involved in developing and implementing a budget for the United State government. Some of these bodies are independent and nonpartisan and can offer different conclusions to what the President proposes. For other analyses of the President's Budget and U.S. spending go to the Congressional Budget Office (http://www.cbo.gov), U.S. Treasury (http://www.treasury.gov/), and the U. S. Government Accountability Office (http://www.gao.gov).
The State Library is also beginning to receive the budgets proposed by the governor and legislative bodies. So far we have the Executive Budget of the Governor and the General Appropriations Bill as introduced by the House Ways and Means Committee. These are also available at http://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess119_2011-2012/appropriations2012/gab4813.php.
For more information on South Carolina spending, see the webpage by the Comptroller General on State Transparency at https://ssl.sc.gov/SpendingTransparency/BudgetTransparencyMain.aspx.
The library periodically offers training classes on state government websites. Please check our web site's calendar of events for upcoming sessions. For more information, contact Elaine Sandberg at 803-734-8625 or esandberg@statelibrary.sc.gov.
