<i>The block grant playbook was run under the first Reagan Administration, in the early 1980s. Block grants replaced what were known as “categorical grants.” The latter had specific, narrow, focused purposes, while block grants merged the smaller categoricals and allowed state governments to use the money under relatively broad requirements. It allowed state-level politicians to take credit for state spending that appeared to be new, or for state tax cuts.</i>
Economist Walter Heller is credited with originating the revenue-sharing program, which U.S. President Richard M. Nixon signed into law in October 1972. During the 14 years of the program’s operation administrative costs were extremely low, and a total of $85 billion reached America’s communities.
You could say revenue sharing was the seed for this, but the 70s under Nixon and Ford saw the greatest explosion of Federal social spending in history, including the spawn of categorical programs, especially related to labor, housing, and urban matters. Those were the target of Reagan's first term. Revenue sharing came in as the Feds were doing everything else at the same time.
Poor people don't vote, and the rural vote is inelastic. Which is why the Republicans won't pay politically for cutting Medicaid.
<i>The block grant playbook was run under the first Reagan Administration, in the early 1980s. Block grants replaced what were known as “categorical grants.” The latter had specific, narrow, focused purposes, while block grants merged the smaller categoricals and allowed state governments to use the money under relatively broad requirements. It allowed state-level politicians to take credit for state spending that appeared to be new, or for state tax cuts.</i>
IIRC, this has been part of the GOP playbook since the Nixon administration. According to <b><a href="https://www.britannica.com/money/revenue-sharing-government ">Brittanica</a> ( https://www.britannica.com/money/revenue-sharing-government ),
Economist Walter Heller is credited with originating the revenue-sharing program, which U.S. President Richard M. Nixon signed into law in October 1972. During the 14 years of the program’s operation administrative costs were extremely low, and a total of $85 billion reached America’s communities.
You could say revenue sharing was the seed for this, but the 70s under Nixon and Ford saw the greatest explosion of Federal social spending in history, including the spawn of categorical programs, especially related to labor, housing, and urban matters. Those were the target of Reagan's first term. Revenue sharing came in as the Feds were doing everything else at the same time.
Our "leaders": criminal grifters on one side and incompetent fools on the other.