The Politics of Unfunded Mandates: Whither Federalism?

Paul L. Posner

Georgetown University Press, Dec 3, 1998 - Political Science - 264 pages

This book is the first comprehensive analysis of the politics behind the use of mandates requiring state and local governments to implement federal policy.

Over the last twenty-five years, during both liberal and conservative eras, federal mandates have emerged as a resilient tool for advancing the interests of both political parties. Revealing the politics that led to the policies, Paul L. Posner explores the origins of these congressional mandates, what interests and needs they satisfy, whether mandate reform initiatives can be expected to alter their use, and their implications for federalism.

This book reveals how mandates have changed the way policy is formed in the United States and the fundamental relationship between the federal government and the state and local governments.

Contents

• Introduction: 1
• THE EVOLUTION OF FEDERAL CONSTRAINTS: 3
• THE MANDATE DIALECTIC: 5
• THE FOCUS OF THE BOOK: 10
• NOTES TO CHAPTER 1: 17
• Evolving Models of the Policymaking Process for Our Federal System: 20
• EMERGENCE OF DYNAMIC MODELS OF NATIONAL POLICYMAKING: 23
• SHIFTING MODELS OF THE FEDERAL SYSTEM: 28
• IMPLICATIONS FOR THE POLITICS OF MANDATES: 30
• NOTES TO CHAPTER 2: 32
• Federal Mandates Congressional Alignments: 36
• 98TH THROUGH 101ST CONGRESSES: 39
• IMPLICATIONS: 54
• The Rush toward Consensus: 57
• SIGNIFICANT MANDATES PASSED WITH BROAD SUPPORT: 58
• MANDATES IN THE 99TH CONGRESS: 60
• IMPETUS FOR THE MANDATES OF THE 99TH CONGRESS: 61
• DISARMING THE CONSTRAINERS: 66
• IMPLICATIONS: 74
• State and Local Government Interest Group Behavior: 78
• STATE AND LOCAL GROUPS MIXED VIEWS ON MANDATES: 81
• SOURCES OF STATE AND LOCAL AMBIVALENCE: 83
• FEATURES OF MANDATES THAT LIMIT STATE AND LOCAL INFLUENCE: 86
• IMPLICATIONS: 89
• NOTES TO CHAPTER 5: 91
• Asbestos and the Politics of Consensus: 94
• THE POLITICAL EXTRAPOLATION OF SCIENCE: 95
• TARGET FOR REGULATORY EXPANSION: 96
• EARLY FEDERAL POLICY ACTION FOLLOWS THE INCREMENTAL MODEL: 97
• REGULATION BEGETS REGULATION: 101
• MANY ROADS LEAD TO WASHINGTON: 102
• A NEW CONGRESSIONAL CHAMPION EMERGES: 105
• THE POLITICS OF UNANIMITY: 107
• THE AMBIVALENT POSITION OF THE SCHOOLS: 111
• A REPUBLICAN SENATE ENACTS A STRONGER BILL: 113
• HOUSESENATE NEGOTIATIONS: 115
• A LEGISLATIVE POSTSCRIPT ON COSTS: 117
• IMPLICATIONS: 118
• NOTES TO CHAPTER 6: 120
• Education for Preschool Handicapped Children: 126
• THE GROWTH OF THE FEDERAL PRESENCE IN SPECIAL EDUCATION: 127
• PASSAGE OF THE 1975 MANDATE: 130
• CONSENSUS DISSOLVES DURING IMPLEMENTATION: 131
• PRESCHOOL HANDICAPPED COVERAGE MAKES THE AGENDA: 133
• THE SENATE PASSES A PRESCHOOL MANDATE: 138
• THE BILL BREAKS THROUGH TO THE HOUSE AGENDA: 144
• THE SCHOOLS AWAKEN TO THE COST IMPACTS OF THE SENATE BILL: 147
• THE POLITICS OF CONSENSUS: 150
• THE POISONED CARROT?: 153
• IMPLICATIONS: 154
• NOTES TO CHAPTER 7: 155
• The Politics of Mandate Reform: 160
• IMPLICATIONS: 175
• NOTES TO CHAPTER 8: 176
• The Impact of Mandate Reform: 180
• OVERVIEW OF MANDATES ENACTED IN 1996: 181
• MANDATE RESTRAINT AND MODIFICATION: 182
• THE MARCH OF MANDATES CONTINUES: 185
• MANDATE ROLLBACKS: 187
• THE POLITICS OF FEDERAL MANDATES REVISITED: 189
• OTHER INSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENTS: 202
• IMPLICATIONS: 206
• NOTES TO CHAPTER 9: 207
• Conclusions: 211
• STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND MANDATES: 215
• WHITHER FEDERALISM?: 222
• NOTES TO CHAPTER 10: 229
• Appendix 1: 233
• Index: 239

About the author

Paul L. Posner is director of Federal Budget Issues at the U.S. General Accounting Office and an adjunct professor in the Graduate Public Policy Program at Georgetown University.

Bibliographic information

• Title: The Politics of Unfunded Mandates: Whither Federalism?; American Governance and Public Policy series
• Author: Paul L. Posner
• Publisher: Georgetown University Press, 1998
• ISBN: 1589018745, 9781589018747
• Length: 264 pages
• Subjects: Political Science / Public Policy / General