Revenue Sharing and the Lessons of the New Federalism

The shift from categorical grants to general revenue sharing and block grants as the form of intergovernmental transfer represents an important turning point in the evolution of the American federal system. What factors account for this shift? WNhat forces propel such changes in the balance of power? And how will our intergovernmental system work when and if the New Federalism displaces the federal domestic aid strategy that has evolved over the past forty years?