Restructuring federalism: the effects of decentralized federal policy on states' responsiveness to family planning needs.

The Reagan Administration sought to decentralize many federal programs by (1) consolidating categorical grants into black grants; (2) reducing their funding; and (3) relying more upon state fiscal support. This study examines the effects of this decentralist policy upon the federal family planning program. Two periods are analyzed: (1) FY 1976-1981, the period immediately prior to the Reagan Administration and (2) FY 1982-1987, the period during the Reagan Administration. Findings show that a more decentralized program produced less responsiveness to individual state needs for family planning, and that these effects could have been predicted from the previous period.