{"id":{"repo_id":"vt","oai_identifier":"oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/34991"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/vt/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/34991","repository":{"repo_id":"vt","name":"Virginia Tech","base_url":"https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"The maximization of discretionary budget: an explanation for the pattern of computer investments in the federal government","abstract":"This study of bureaucratic behavior is from the perspective of a particular federal government operations process - the management and delivery of computing services to the federal agencies. It supports the idea that federal bureaucrats are utility maximizers. The first of the two theories considered in this thesis is based upon William Niskanen's hypothesis that the primary objective of the government bureaucrat is to maximize the bureau's budget through the maximization of output. The second theory is based upon Jean-Luc Migue’s and Gerald Belanger's hypothesis that the objective of bureaucrats is to maximize \"discretionary budget” - the difference between the bureau's total budget and the cost of producing the bureaus authorized output. This thesis contends that the maximization of discretionary budget is the maximand of the federal bureaucrat evaluating the computer investment decision.","abstract_html":"This study of bureaucratic behavior is from the perspective of a particular federal government operations process - the management and delivery of computing services to the federal agencies. It supports the idea that federal bureaucrats are utility maximizers. The first of the two theories considered in this thesis is based upon William Niskanen&#x27;s hypothesis that the primary objective of the government bureaucrat is to maximize the bureau&#x27;s budget through the maximization of output. The second theory is based upon Jean-Luc Migue’s and Gerald Belanger&#x27;s hypothesis that the objective of bureaucrats is to maximize &quot;discretionary budget” - the difference between the bureau&#x27;s total budget and the cost of producing the bureaus authorized output. This thesis contends that the maximization of discretionary budget is the maximand of the federal bureaucrat evaluating the computer investment decision.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Blythe, Earving L."],"institution":"Virginia Tech","degree_name":"Master of Urban Affairs","degree_level":"masters","degree_discipline":"Urban Affairs","degree_department":"Urban Affairs","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":["Yanich, Beverly"],"committee_members":["Gist, John R.","Simon, Richard M."],"year":1983,"date_issued":"1983-03-08","date_published":"1983-03-08","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:19:24Z","subjects":[],"languages":[],"rights":["In Copyright"],"rights_urls":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["etd-09092009-040221"],"render_values":[{"text":"etd-09092009-040221","href":null,"code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/10919/34991","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.committeechair","label":"Committee Chair","values":["Yanich, Beverly"]},{"key":"dc:contributor.committeemember","label":"Committee Member","values":["Gist, John R.","Simon, Richard M."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.department","label":"Department","values":["Urban Affairs"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Blythe, Earving L."]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2014-03-14T20:45:05Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2014-03-14T20:45:05Z","2009-09-09"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["1983-03-08"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Virginia Tech"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"dc:type.dcmitype","label":"Dc Type Dcmitype","values":["Text"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Urban Affairs"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["masters"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Urban Affairs"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["In Copyright"]},{"key":"dc:rights.uri","label":"Rights URI","values":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["etd-09092009-040221"]},{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/10919/34991"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This study of bureaucratic behavior is from the perspective of a particular federal government operations process - the management and delivery of computing services to the federal agencies. It supports the idea that federal bureaucrats are utility maximizers. The first of the two theories considered in this thesis is based upon William Niskanen's hypothesis that the primary objective of the government bureaucrat is to maximize the bureau's budget through the maximization of output. The second theory is based upon Jean-Luc Migue’s and Gerald Belanger's hypothesis that the objective of bureaucrats is to maximize \"discretionary budget” - the difference between the bureau's total budget and the cost of producing the bureaus authorized output. This thesis contends that the maximization of discretionary budget is the maximand of the federal bureaucrat evaluating the computer investment decision."]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["Master of Urban Affairs"]},{"key":"dc:format.medium","label":"Dc Format Medium","values":["BTD"]},{"key":"dc:format.mimetype","label":"Dc Format Mimetype","values":["application/pdf"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["The maximization of discretionary budget: an explanation for the pattern of computer investments in the federal government"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.committeechair":["Yanich, Beverly"],"dc:contributor.committeemember":["Gist, John R.","Simon, Richard M."],"dc:contributor.department":["Urban Affairs"],"dc:creator":["Blythe, Earving L."],"dc:date.accessioned":["2014-03-14T20:45:05Z"],"dc:date.available":["2014-03-14T20:45:05Z","2009-09-09"],"dc:date.issued":["1983-03-08"],"dc:description.abstract":["This study of bureaucratic behavior is from the perspective of a particular federal government operations process - the management and delivery of computing services to the federal agencies. It supports the idea that federal bureaucrats are utility maximizers. The first of the two theories considered in this thesis is based upon William Niskanen's hypothesis that the primary objective of the government bureaucrat is to maximize the bureau's budget through the maximization of output. The second theory is based upon Jean-Luc Migue’s and Gerald Belanger's hypothesis that the objective of bureaucrats is to maximize \"discretionary budget” - the difference between the bureau's total budget and the cost of producing the bureaus authorized output. This thesis contends that the maximization of discretionary budget is the maximand of the federal bureaucrat evaluating the computer investment decision."],"dc:description.degree":["Master of Urban Affairs"],"dc:format.medium":["BTD"],"dc:format.mimetype":["application/pdf"],"dc:identifier.other":["etd-09092009-040221"],"dc:identifier.uri":["http://hdl.handle.net/10919/34991"],"dc:publisher":["Virginia Tech"],"dc:rights":["In Copyright"],"dc:rights.uri":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"dc:title":["The maximization of discretionary budget: an explanation for the pattern of computer investments in the federal government"],"dc:type":["Thesis"],"dc:type.dcmitype":["Text"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Urban Affairs"],"thesis:degree_level":["masters"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Urban Affairs"],"thesis:institution_name":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:19:24Z"}