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When Federalism Works
154
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1987
Year
Public WelfareFederalism WorksConstitutional LawEducationLawPolicy AnalysisFederal Labor RelationsSocial SciencesPolicy DevelopmentEducation LawGovernmental ProcessSocial Policy ResearchInclusive EducationSchool FundingGovernment PolicyFederal Higher Education PolicyPublic PolicySpecial NeedsGovernment AdministrationUnited States ConstitutionFederal Constitutional LawLiteracy Public PolicyPolicy ReformsPublic EducationRental SubsidiesFederal Income TaxFederal TaxCommunity DevelopmentWelfare PolicyFederal GrantsCooperative FederalismSocial PolicyFederalismEducation PolicyPolitical Science
Cooperative federalism via grant‑in‑aid programs has long been praised for aiding disadvantaged groups, but recent criticism over regulation, bureaucracy, and cost has prompted calls to curtail such spending. The authors investigate why rent‑subsidy programs struggle while special education succeeds, and why compensatory education performs better in Milwaukee than in Baltimore. They conduct documentary research and hundreds of interviews with local, state, and federal administrators and elected officials, examining federal programs for education, health care, and housing in four urban areas to determine which programs work, when, and why. The study finds that program success depends on targeting need, local political and economic conditions, and administrative professionalism, and offers a comprehensive overview of key grant‑in‑aid programs and their future prospects.
Twenty years ago cooperative federalism, in the form of federal grant-in-aid programs administered by state and local governments, was applauded almost without reservation as the best means of helping the handicapped, the educationally disadvantaged, the poor, and other groups with special needs. More recently these same programs have been criticized for excessive regulations and red tape, bureaucratic ineptitude, and high cost. The criticisms have been used to justify efforts to curb federal domestic spending and terminate many grants-in-aid.In When Federalism Works, Paul E. Peterson, Barry G. Rabe, and Kenneth K. Wong examine the new conventional wisdom about federal grants. Through documentary research and hundreds of interviews with local, state, and federal administrators and elected officials, they consider the implementation and operation of federal programs for education, health care, and housing in four urban areas to learn which programs worked, when, and why. Why did rent subsidy programs encounter seemingly endless difficulties, while special education was a notable success? Why did compensatory education fare better in Milwaukee than in Baltimore? Among the factors the authors find significant are the extent to which a program is directed toward groups in need, the political and economic circumstances of the area in which it is implemented, and the degree of professionalism among those who administer it at all levels of government. When Federalism Works provides a solid introduction to the most important grant-in-aid programs of the past twenty years and a thoughtful assessment of where they might be going.