Expenditure distribution trends with regard to the availability of funds in the DOA and DOAF budgets.

Abstract

This thesis examines the factors that affected Army and Air Force spending for fiscal years 1955-1984. The four major appropriation categories were analyzed using budget shares, growth rates, and percentages of the respective services' budget totals. The data was then compared to DON and DOD spending trends to determine if consistent budget behavior exists within DOD. The result was that DOA and DOAF budgeting appears to be incremental in nature, with programmatic influences on new and controversial issues. Availability of DOD funds influenced the categorical spending for each of the services but in different ways. While DON followed the DOD pattern closely. DOA and DOAF budget emphasis reflected the nature of the individual service, which explains why Military Personnel received the largest DOA share, while Procurement received the highest percentage of the DOAF budget.