ABSTRACT
This chapter begins with the key elements that are known to play a role in state budgeting for higher education. The political influences surrounding higher education appropriations come to life primarily during state budgetary debates. The chapter introduces organizational theory as a way to add depth of understanding to the factors. The factors touch on the broad influences affecting state support for all higher education institutions in a particular state. Higher education budgeting can be easily viewed through a political lens, focusing on the relationships between interests, conflict, and power. Higher education governance and authority are important to consider when discussing state support for higher education. In particular, a correlation exists between institutions with successful athletic teams and increases in state support. While the fishbone diagram illustrates the breadth of factors involved in determining state support for colleges and universities, organizational theory is used to add depth of understanding to these factors.
