This effort is seen as a step toward a general theory of public sector resource allocation decisionmaking, which must be formulated to provide a viable framework upon which to advance development of computer-based and other techniques. The aspects of decisionmaking under analysis are objectives, operating characteristics, and process environment. Decisionmaking is described in terms of models based on program, bureaucratic, and conditional objectives, which are illustrated with information obtained from surveys of U.S. cities of 100,000 populations or above and from surveys of Virginia communities of more than 5,000 inhabitants. Tabular data, 3 footnotes, and 26 references are given.