Hierarchy and Ecological Control in Federal Budgetary Decision Making

Abstract

A central issue for fiscal sociology is the articulation between state and society. Operationally, what is required is the embedding of bureaucratic decision making in history. This article proposes the concepts of hierarcy and ecological control as one possible bridge between organization theorists and macro sociologists. A stochastic process model of federal budgetary decision making within the executive branch is developed and tested using HUD program allocation data from the Johnson administration. The model emphasizes that budgets emerge from the interaction of three levels of organizational decision making, each of which is embedded in a distinct cultural context. Historical application focuses on the impact of the Vietnam War on domestic antipoverty and housing programs.