Issues in Intergovernmental Relations

Описание: Any attempt to forecast even the near future in IGR is a highly speculative venture, but there are already certain indications. One issue that has been addressed by both academics and politicians is the extent to which intergovernmental regulation has become part of IGR.

Intergovernmental regulations, which have become far more numerous since the 1960s, have been enacted as part of national government bureaucracies’ efforts to direct implementation of categorical grant assistance programs. In most instances, the regulations are designed to implement other national government legislation aimed at achieving wide-ranging social and economic objectives. The central challenge for reforming IGR is to reduce the number of unproductive regulations without abolishing those serving important national (and sometimes state) purposes.

Another issue affecting IGR is the phenomenon known as devolution—referring to shifts of governmental authority from the national government to state governments (and possibly from states to localities as well). Devolution is a process of transferring power or functions from a higher to a lower level of government in the U.S. federal system. The devolution that has occurred is often administrative (for example, the federal government’s granting of a waiver to a state implementing a federal statute); meaningful substantive devolution is notably absent.

Regardless of the future of devolution, these and similar issues concerning the nature of federalism will likely continue to be debated. For example, improving the capacity of state and local governments to provide greater homeland security has prompted significant changes in IGR.