Defense Business Operating Fund: Description and Implementation Issues

The Defense Business Operating Fund initiative in the Department of Defense (DoD) consolidates existing industrial and stock funds. This initiative is intended to enhance the departmental management of an estimated $81 billion sale of goods and services in fiscal year 1993. Revolving funds have a long history in the department. This article examines the role of revolving funds and their performance in DoD. The potential benefits of consolidation of funds are discussed. Emphasis is given to budgetary, management, and accounting changes intended to enhance management of the funds. The effect of implementation issues on the realization of potential benefits is also explored.     

Institutional design and legislative conflict: The Russian Supreme Soviet-a well-oiled machine, out of control

This article develops a comparative institutional framework for evaluating the new legislatures of the former Soviet Union, and demonstrates that the conventional wisdom about the Russian Federation Supreme Soviet is wrong. It was not a totalitarian, Soviet institution whose omnipotent and malevolent Chair singlehandedly dominated policy outputs and controlled the membership. Rather, the Supreme Soviet's non-partisan, committee-centered design enabled the committees to dominate the legislative process and to virtually exclude conflict, even on such objectively contentious legislative issues as the annual budget. However, the non-partisan design denied the legislature the mechanisms for controlling the Chair on non-legislative, political issues, particularly in relations with the executive branch. On legislative issues, the Supreme Soviet was a well-oiled machine, but on political issues it was out of control, thus leading to the legislature's demise. This article demonstrates the utility of an institutional framework for comparing post-communist legislatures, and the necessity of disaggregating legislative and political issues when evaluating legislative performance.