The report of the President's Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans expresses concern that with federal block grants to states and fewer federal mandates, emphasis on Latino educational issues and enforcement of related federal laws will diminish. Findings show inadequate school funding, treatment of bilingualism as a…

Traces the historical development of the conflict between state sovereignty and the role of the federal government. State sovereignty, supposedly guaranteed by the 10th Amendment, has been seriously eroded by the federal government's extension of the commerce clause. Briefly discusses seminal cases in this development. (MJP)

Maintains that intergovernmental relations are dynamic because local, state, and federal governments constantly respond to changing expectations. This interdependent relationship requires the various governments to modify their pursuit of special interests through daily bargaining. This process affects every aspect of government. (MJP)

Encapsulates several brief articles providing perspectives from the states, the 104th Congress, the Supreme Court, and the White House. Issues covered include the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and the White House attempts to reduce the federal workforce. Authors include Hank Brown, Rita G. Koman, James L. Martin, and Joseph R. Marbach. (MJP)

The 1981 enactment of the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act Chapter 2 (ECIA-Chapter 2), which consolidated 28 separate categorical federal aid programs into a single block grant, has had policy and fiscal impacts in Michigan. Policy debate centers on the inherent tension between equity, particularly equity defined as equal treatment of…

This publication is a compilation of maternal and child health and related laws enacted since 1912. It is designed as a ready reference for understanding Title V state programs and Title V discretionary project grant programs. The Maternal and Child Health (MCH) program has operated as a federal-state partnership for more than 70 years. This…

Although federal involvement in education has been reduced in the 1980's under the Reagan Administration's "New Federalism," it is far from clear that state and local governments are willing and able to adequately compensate for this decreasing involvement to ensure educational equity and quality. In the current debate over federalism,…

This report contains transcripts of testimonies and prepared statements presented at a session of the Subcommittee on Civil and Constitutional Rights. The session was convened to conduct hearings on the civil rights implication of the education block grant program proposed by the Reagan Administration. Statements of the following witnesses are…

This report is based on data collected in a 2-year study of the implementation of Chapter 2 of the Educational Consolidation and Improvement Act of 1981, which combined the funds from 28 federal programs into a single block grant. This study investigated the effects of the act on 12 school districts, in an effort to obtain a better general…

The 1996 welfare reform law--the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act--has contradictory aspects. It gives the states greatly increased fiscal flexibility and at the same time sets extensive and elaborate new behavioral requirements. The dynamics of welfare since the passage of the Social Security Act in 1935 have been…

Two public hearings on the implementation of the federal Child Care and Development Block Grant in California are summarized. Over 200 testimonies were either received by the state's Child Development Programs Advisory Committee or presented during the hearings. In spite of the diverse demographic representation, the variety of viewpoints and…

The effects of Chapter 2 block grants on fund distribution, programs, and school district spending, and the role played in Chapter 2 implementation by parents and citizens were investigated. Interim findings include the following: (1) there has been a massive redistribution of Federal funds away from States serving large numbers of poor nonwhite…

Examines state revenue sources. Discusses the economic, demographic, and political factors affecting state spending over the past two decades. Predicts that the 1990s will be characterized by annual increases in educational spending that are far less than the expected rate of inflation. (FMW)

The 1996 welfare reform legislation replaced the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program with a new Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant. This new program has a fixed funding level that is not altered by inflation or economic cycles or caseload size. Individual states' shares are based on the amount they…

This catalog provides information on innovative financing strategies, primarily state and community strategies, being used to successfully fund child care in the United States. Four chapters of the catalog are devoted to profiles of 78 programs using the following categories of strategies: (1) "Generating Public Revenue for Child Care,"…