12/2024
by Kayla Holley
In the 1980s, James Q. Wilson and George L. Kelling developed a new idea surrounding crime in urban settings. The “broken-window theory,” as they called it, tied disorderliness and incivility to criminal activity. Wilson and Kelling argued that if a building’s window is broken and never repaired, the rest of the windows will follow. The window is left untended because no one cares to fix it. And if no one cares, then what’s the harm in breaking all the windows?
This principle was used to defend the usage of foot patrol officers in a crime-ridden New Jersey. During the mid-1970s, state officials thought it’d be beneficial to have officers walking the streets rather than only patrolling by car. While the initiative received criticism early on, the police presence helped cut down on disorderly behavior. With boots on the ground, they were able to establish informal control and order from within the communities. The New Jersey police aimed to stop crime before it started by nipping malicious and suspicious behavior in the bud with assistance from city locals. They repaired the broken windows before the entire building was demolished.
While broken-window theory worked well for promoting order in urban New Jersey, how does it translate to U.S. government spending? Before we introduce our concept of “broken-window budgeting” as it pertains to Capitol Hill, let’s zero in on a more local government: Oak Brook, IL.
Oak Brook’s annual fiscal year budget is allocated to a variety of departments (i.e. Legal, Risk Management, Human Resources), however, it was Information Technology Services (ITS) that flagged an issue. For this case, let’s examine Oak Brook’s ITS budget from 2020-2024. As detailed in the graphic below, Oak Brook continues to spend more on information technology each year. Except in 2024, which is the first time we see a decrease in the budget. What’s the reason for the sudden spike in savings? Let’s talk about it.
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