Perspectives on Devolution

Devolution—surely that term will appear frequently in the political histories of America in the mid-1990s. Congress has proposed shifting to the states some of what we have seen for decades as fundamental federal responsibilities. The President's action on welfare was a major step in that direction. And there may be more to come. One of the best known observers of the field, Richard P. Nathan (1996), said recently, “Since the 1994 election, this 'Devolution Revolution' for American federalism has entered an accelerated phase. A new activism of the states is under way. Whatever happens as a result of the headline-level policy disputes, budget bargaining, and the elections of 1996, this is a power shift that is not likely to be reversed soon” (5).