States and the New Federalism

Abstract

President Reagan's version of the New Federalism in education policy is expressed in the 1981 Education Consolidation and Improvement Act (ECIA). ECIA, the latest chapter in the debate over the form and function of federal education policy, substantially redefines the federal, state, and local roles in federal education programs. This legislation reflects the New Federalist views that have developed since the block grant and revenue-sharing initiatives proposed during the Nixon and Ford administrations (U.S. Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations, 1981). The central tenets of these views are