Public Budgeting at the Intersection of Politics, Policy, Management

Sungho Park joins the John Glenn College of Public Affairs this fall as an associate professor of public budgeting and finance. 

His work examines how governments can effectively allocate and manage financial resources to sustain public goods and services while advancing the public interest.  

“Public budgeting and finance sit at the intersection of politics, policy and management,” Park said, “and this intersection continues to inspire my work as a scholar.” 

Central to his research agenda is understanding government budgetary decisions and their consequences for fiscal conditions and outcomes, with particular emphasis on their measurement, monitoring, evaluation and prediction. He also studies the factors that shape these decisions and outcomes, including fiscal federalism, fiscal rules, budget reforms and mechanisms, financial accounting and reporting, policy design and collaborative governance. 

Beyond academia, he is committed to community engagement, particularly through translating research into actionable knowledge, disseminating information to stakeholders and providing analytical support to inform public decision-making and management practice. 

Prior to joining the Glenn College, Park spent eight years at the University of Alabama, where he served as both an assistant and associate professor. He received his PhD in Public Administration from the University of Nebraska at Omaha and his MPA and bachelor’s degree in Public Administration and Economics from Sungkyunkwan University in South Korea.

What particularly attracted me to public budgeting and finance is its unique combination of managerial rationality and political choice.  

On the one hand, governments consider operational and technical factors when making budgetary decisions and managing public resources. On the other hand, their budgetary decisions and fiscal actions reflect the diverse preferences and values of the communities they serve. Studying public budgeting and finance to contribute to its practice, therefore, provides a powerful lens for understanding how governments function while navigating the complex interplay among competing priorities, including effectiveness, efficiency, accountability and equity. 

My research interests have evolved around several interconnected areas of public budgeting and finance. First, I examine governments’ fiscal outcomes and conditions, with a particular focus on how they can be measured, monitored and evaluated. My core research agenda in this area seeks to understand the fiscal structures that enable governments to maintain financial sustainability while effectively delivering public services.  

Building on this foundation, I further explore various institutional factors that shape governments’ fiscal outcomes and conditions. Fiscal federalism and fiscal rules, in particular, consistently attract my attention, as they define what actions government officials can or cannot pursue to achieve their priorities during the budget process, and, consequently, determine the fiscal consequences of their collective actions.  

My most significant research has focused on understanding the fiscal condition of local governments. This line of work culminated in my recent co-authored book, “Understanding Municipal Fiscal Health: A Model for Local Governments in the USA,” which received the 2025 Best Book Award from the Association for Budgeting and Financial Management. I consider this work particularly important because it addresses a fundamental challenge faced by public officials, researchers and citizens alike: how to assess and understand whether a local government is financially healthy and capable of sustaining public services over time. 

Our book not only provides a framework that can help policymakers and practitioners move from reactive responses toward more proactive fiscal understanding and management but also equips them with a systematic process and practical methods for analyzing fiscal condition. It includes case studies of five municipalities that demonstrate how our framework and practical suggestions can be applied in real-world settings, highlighting the book’s practical relevance.  

Comparative research has shown me that international learning is not about identifying a single best system. Rather, it is about understanding how different environmental and contextual factors create different strengths and challenges. By examining the experiences of countries such as the United States and South Korea, we can identify transferable knowledge and practices while also recognizing the importance of adapting solutions to unique contexts. This comparative perspective will continue to inform my research and my commitment to improving local government budgeting and financial management.

First, I selected the Glenn College because it offers an exceptional environment for advancing the kind of scholarship and public engagement that have become central to my academic career. Throughout my time as a faculty member, I have sought to conduct research that is both academically rigorous and practically relevant. The Glenn College’s strong commitment to bridging research and practice, its emphasis on addressing real-world public challenges, its interdisciplinary culture and the Ohio State University’s land-grant mission closely resonate with my professional values and long-term goals.  

The Glenn College also provides a unique platform for expanding the reach and impact of my research through its extensive research resources and strong connections with state and local governments. The opportunity to engage directly with policymakers and practitioners throughout Ohio and beyond is especially appealing. 

I was drawn to the Glenn College’s commitment to student-centered teaching, mentoring and professional development, particularly its focus on preparing future public leaders by embracing diverse perspectives and challenging students to think analytically. This emphasis closely aligns with my own educational approach.  

I would describe my teaching style as problem-oriented and communication-driven. I strive to create opportunities both inside and outside the classroom for students to examine ideas from multiple perspectives, engage with real-world cases to develop problem-solving skills, learn from one another by drawing on their diverse backgrounds and experiences, and, in doing so, develop a deeper appreciation for the responsibility that comes with managing public resources. 

Regarding what students should learn about public budgeting and finance today, I believe students should understand the changing and uncertain environment in which governments operate today and, consequently, the critical roles that sound budgeting financial management play in effective governance.  

Governments today must not only address traditional challenges, such as economic fluctuations, natural disasters and demographic shifts, but also respond to emerging pressures arising from a rapidly changing intergovernmental landscape, technological transformations and generational changes. Robust, adaptive and forward-looking budgeting and financial management, rather than a narrowly procedural and reactive approach, are needed today more than ever.