Federalism and Intergovernmental Relations
The Weakening of the States
[PDF]The role of the states in American government is weakening, according to this report released at the Institute's first national conference on states' long-term budget gaps. There are three main causes: The Great Recession has strained states' finances, while increasing the need for services. Medicaid continues to put pressure on states' finances. And the information revolution has de-emphasized states by creating the false impression that more domestic government can be micromanaged from Washington.
Richard P. Nathan, November 30, 2009
The Transformation That Fell Short: Bush, Federalism, and Emergency Management
[PDF]Wrapping up a study of the effects of hurricanes Katrina and Rita on America’s governments, this report finds that “traditional federalism” won out over the George W. Bush administration’s attempt to centralize and nationalize emergency management. States and localities continued to be relied on for disaster response, with federal fiscal aid arriving mostly after the fact.
Martha Derthick, August 2009
Book List 2009: The New Deal
[PDF]The current version of this compilation of books, recommended by the Institute's co-director, focuses on the New Deal, whose lessons may be critical in this time of deep economic recession. Richard P. Nathan writes that this survey of books shows the New Deal was "often brilliantly creative institutionally" — something the current administration could learn from.
Richard P. Nathan, 2009
Updating Theories of American Federalism
[PDF]States have played a strong and leading role in responding to domestic needs; they still do; and their role has been crucial for the development of national domestic policies and programs.
Richard P. Nathan, a chapter from Intergovernmental Management for the 21st Century, the Brookings Institution
© 2008.
About This Program Area
Accountability in K-12 Education
[PDF]With the No Child Left Behind Act up for renewal, it’s time for big thinking on intergovernmental collaboration in the ways we measure and report results in our schools.
Allison Armour-Garb, June 2008
Rebuilding the Government Statistics Infrastructure
[PDF]After completing the first-ever external review of the work of the U.S. Census Bureau's Governments Division, the Committee on National Statistics of the National Academies called for a two-track strategic plan. This approach would prioritize the steps that Census Bureau management would take under either of two scenarios: if its resources continued to be constrained, or if it saw opportunities to develop its programs.
Yolanda K. Kodrzycki, Senior Economist and Policy Advisor at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, and Member, National Academies Review Board on Government Statistics, March 2008.
Federalism: Still A Check on Power?
[PDF]Federalism balances the U.S. political system. However, as the years have gone by, it has become less of a checking instrument. The theory of dual federalism — that there is a division of responsibilities between the national government and the states — was strongly manifest in the nineteenth century. But that was then. What about now?
Richard P. Nathan, September 2, 2006.
Federalism and the Executive Branch
[PDF]State and national agendas are converging, and this has made the federal executive branch and its interactions with the states a primary locus for producing major changes in domestic policies.
Thomas Gais, and James W. Fossett, in Joel Aberbach and Mark Peterson (eds), Presidents and Bureaucrats: The Executive Branch and American Democracy (Oxford University Press, 2005).
Federalism Archive
