Administrative Coordination in Civil Rights Enforcement: A Regional Approach

The failure of traditional coordinative efforts among federal agencies suggests that new and different approaches are imperative. This Article has emphasized a regional approach for solving these problems. Experience has shown that even well-intentioned and capable administrators in Washington cannot alone ensure compliance with the federal civil rights laws. They must have the full support of key regional officials of the federal government, and they must have a certain degree of cooperation from state and local officials.

One means of gaining this support and assistance is through the Councils, which bring together in one forum high-level federal, state, and local policymakers. While the past performance of the FRCs in coordinating civil rights programs has been mediocre in some areas, this record can be improved substantially through forceful presidential leadership and through the regular application by Council member agencies of legal sanctions for noncompliance with the civil rights laws. The two areas suggested in this Article for priority FRC coordination are equal employment opportunity and the federal grant-making process.