You will need to know how the bureau's obligations compared with that of the department as a whole over time and whether the bureau s obligations kept track with inflation. Only one student will be allowed to work on each department. You will need to consult volumes for five years, ending with the latest available. You should note that actual expenditures reported will run two years behind the volume number. That is, actual expenditures for FY 93 are in the FY 95 volume, actual expenditures for FY 94 are in the FY 96 volume, etc.
Shares are very important in showing patterns.
You need not try to cover every item listed above, but you must at least track internal and external share allocations and you must show how the department has fared over time relative to inflation. It will be your responsibility to find the budget information. Copies of the budget information used should be turned in with your paper.