The Concept of Public Health and Its Relationship with Budgeting - Essay Example

Novick, Morrow and Glen in their book, describe the concept of public health and its relationship with budgeting. Public health has diversified its assessment of knowledge by employing sciences and social concepts. Public health and health care services have been analyzed and differentiated in that, public health relates to the organization of community efforts to improve the health of a given population of people (Novick, Morrow & Mays, 2014). This entails the use of revenues generated from the public which involves a process of public administration.

There are two categories of budgetary spending relating to mandatory and discretionary. Mandatory spending is that part of the federal budget which is allocated by law toward the provision of such programs as social security and Medicare. Mandatory expenditures are the payments required by specific laws. Discretionary budgets are renewed annually as part of the budgeting activity (Novick, Morrow & Mays, 2014). This form of spending is negotiated by the President and the Congress every year through annual appropriation bills such as funding for the cabinet department.

An example of a discretionary expenditure would be funding for such activities as housing, educations and space exploration (Pickett & John, 1990). This is so because the weight of the needs of these services is not so mandatory but necessary for state development.