The Evolution of the Single Audit: A 20 Year Process.

The article focuses on the evolution of the single audit process in the United States. It is noted that when the "Single Audit Act of 1984" was enacted, the single audit approach for auditing of federal financial assistance to state and local governments reached a new milestone in its almost 20 year evolutionary process. This law is important, since it is designed to make the single audit concept a reality for approximately 19,000 state and local governments. According to the authors, tracing the events and milestones in the evolution of the single audit can shed light on the forces at work and the players involved in shaping the current and future state of state and local governmental accounting and auditing. Although it may appear that only federal agencies were involved in the evolution of the single audit, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), members of the public accounting profession, and state auditors contributed their expertise to the development of the single audit.