Federal Intergovernmental Grants and the States: Managing Devolution (Studies in Fiscal Federalism and State-Local Finance Series)

This book provides a long-term perspective on policies regarding intergovernmental grants in the US since the 1970s. This period spans six presidential administrations and encompasses a diverse set of political and economic conditions. Containing original research, the book contributes to critical assessments of intergovernmental grant issues such as:

• whether state and local government spending responds symmetrically to increases or decreases in federal aid

• the effects of converting categorical grants to block grants on program spending

• the political economy of federal aid distribution.

The author’s empirical analyses are based on a unique data set of US federal intergovernmental grants and cover a range of programs, including transportation, substance abuse prevention and treatment, and community development and welfare. The book is a rich source of material on intergovernmental grants and fiscal relations for scholars and practitioners in public policy, political science, economics and public finance.