The impact of performance budgeting on state budget outcomes

Little empirical analysis has occurred of the influence of performance-based budgeting on appropriation decision-making or budget outcomes, and most research has focused on the perceptions of budget officials. This research empirically tests to what extent the implementation of performance-based budgeting has had an impact on the actual allocation of resources in the form of Constant Per Capita Expenditure in the United States. A pooled cross-sectional analysis is used to evaluate the time series encompassing before and after implementation as a means of determining the impact of performance budgeting on state budgeting outcomes as revealed in expenditure patterns of the states. Results indicate that the implementation of performance budgeting has a statistically significant and positive effect on budget outcomes in the states as measured by constant per capita expenditures.