When Federalism Works

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 whi