ABSTRACT
Despite its vital importance, capital budgeting is one of those areas that has eluded routine discussions of American government and politics. A great many superficial analyses of capital budgeting have referred merely to "pork barrel" projects. Such analyses have been based on the premise that capital projects have become nothing more than objects that are traded back and forth among lawmakers. One way to begin evaluating the capital planning process in New Jersey is to assess how the public has reacted to the commission's efforts in terms of bond referenda proposed for the voters' approval. The annual debt service of New Jersey is about 3% of the total budget, which is relatively conservative when compared to other states. The Department of Corrections has taken steps to address policy and facility planning issues raised by the New Jersey code of criminal justice and the new parole act.
