Implications of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 for the “Devolution Revolution”
From an economist's perspective, the fiscal and administrative goals of the so-called “devolution revolution” include less federal intergovernmental aid, especially if fiscally equalizing; the substitution of block grants for matching grants; greater administrative flexibility for the states; and fewer underfunded mandates. This article uses these devolulionary yardsticks to analyze the major provisions of the federal Balanced Budget Act of 1997. These provisions fall far short of a “devolution revolution.” The act increases the level of federal assistance, leaves Medicaid as an open-ended entitlement, and preserves a strong role for the federal government in shaping intergovernmental grants. The article discusses the political forces moderating the act's devolutionary impact. Copyright , Oxford University Press.
Authors: | Tannenwald, Robert |
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Published in: |
Publius: The Journal of Federalism. - Oxford University Press, ISSN 0048-5950. - Vol. 28, 1, p. 23-48
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Oxford University Press |
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