Hi Nicholas, for your answer, which country are you most interested in?

Regards,

-Steve

Steve: I guess I am interested in any European or perhaps US sectors. The requirement is that they receive (by way of govt. grant or private funding) a multi-million allocation, yet appear to have no obligation to show demonstrable benefit for their spending. However, I am only interested in 'mainstream' sectors, & not those with reasonable cause for non-public disclosure (e.g. military).

Hi Nicholas, thanks for the clarification. I chuckled to myself thinking about the latest revelation of the U.S. government's spending on UFO research (at least we got a good video from it!).

One more: Would you count tax subsidies as a form of expenditure or does it have to be an actual transfer?

Thanks,

-Steve

I am looking at how we finance conferences from educational, research & private funding. HEIs receive their main income from governmental grants. Often, the associations/societies also get tax breaks as non-profit organizations. So often it involves both forms of support (direct & indirect). However, multi-billion sums are involved, yet we have little cost-benefit accountancy that supports or challenges the expenditure. Many service industries have a fairly clear model of ROI, but in this sector it is not so clear.

The defense department does not do that, I do not think. They spend hundreds of billions every year and have little accountability. The prices of contracts are huge so as to reward coprorations thay buy polticians. I am American and I am a veteran . And that is my aanswer. Now and then a politician is caught but there is pathtic little that is done. Eerything is covered up in the name of "national security." The CIA sure does not care about cost-benefit anlysis and ex-CIA agents sometimes will tell the truth on this . WW2 and the Korean war were 2 wars where the USA achieved its goal. (The Koreas have had a cease fire for over 60 years. Eisenhower promised that in the 1952 election and he did it.) Now Vietnam is an ally of the USA and they wanted to be that in 1918 but Woodrwo Wilson did nto even talk to them. Both Eisenhower and Kennedy sent advisors to Vietnam but Kennedy relaized it was not good. LBJ sent in half a million troops. I doubt serously if he did any analysis.

Paul: You're right in that many military/security sections do not publicly account for their spending (it would probably upset people at their breakfast). However, I am thinking more along the mainstream lines of service industries, business etc.

Thanks...I see.

Accountability in public funding defers in most climes. In developing countries there is always a great difference between politics and accountability. Most economic activities and investments are considered more on political and party basics. Economic evaluation is relegated to the background. In multiple ethic countries like like Nigeria the government in power may also tend to balance development across the region in the provision of infrastructure and so less on evaluation and accountability.

Defense is the classic case where billions of dollars are spent without any accountability.

Emmanuel: Defense has previously been put forward, any you're right in that many military/security sections do not publicly account for their spending.

However, I am thinking more along the mainstream lines of service industries, business etc.

Could you imagine for example, billions of e.g. US dollars being taken from the tax revenue of the government, & allocated to e.g. the sports, education, agriculture or transport ministries with an aim to implement government policy, and that ministry giving no accountability for how it has spent the money, or what has been achieved??? I cannot think of a single example where this would be seen as acceptable in any developed and non-corrupt economy.