The New Federalism Can the States Be Trusted?

by Ferejohn, John; Weingast, Barry R.

• ISBN13: 9780817995126
• ISBN10: 0817995129
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1997-07-01
• Publisher: Hoover Institution Press

Summary

In recent years, the growth of the federal government and its failure to resolve many major problems have ignited a serious new debate. Some scholars and policymakers suggest that reinvigorating American federalism-returing a variety of regulatory and police powers back to the states-may better solve many of these problems. Others claim that it will gut policies or cripple national regulation. This book confronts these issues as it investigates the central question of the new American federalism: Will it yield better government, in doing so it poses the provocative question, Can the states be trusted? Proponents of greater federalism argue that it creates competition and fosters the "laboratory of the states." Opponents claim that decentralizing power to the states will lead to a "race to the bottom." The contributors to the volume examine the current state of knowledge and evidence about both sides of the argument and offer A historical and constitutional perspective that raises important questions for the contemporary debate The main lessons of modern economics applicable to the new federalism Evidence on interstate competition in three important policy domains: welfare, the environment, and corporate law An outline of the relative merits of a statutory versus a constitutional basis for the new federalism The authors of the The New Federalism: Can the State be Trusted?conclude that the answer is a qualified yes. The studies in this volume find little evidence for a race to the bottom in three major policy domains. This book should be an invaluable resource to federal and state policymakers alike.

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION Can the States Be Trusted?	vii
John A. Ferejohn
Barry R. Weingast
PART ONE	3	(62)
CHAPTER ONE Competition in Federal Systems: The Role of Political and Financial Constraints	3	(62)
Ronald McKinnon
Thomas Nechyba
PART TWO	65	(92)
CHAPTER TWO Entrusting the States with Welfare Reform	65	(32)
Craig Volden
CHAPTER THREE Federalism and Environmental Regulation: A Normative Critique	97	(226)
Richard L. Revesz
CHAPTER FOUR State Competition for Corporate Charters	129	(28)
Roberta Romano
PART THREE	157	(8)
CONCLUSION The Politics of the New Federalism	157	(8)
John A. Ferejohn
Barry R. Weingast
CONTRIBUTORS	165	(1)
INDEX	166