This text provides a long-term perspective on intergovernmental grants policies in the US since the 1970s, spanning six presidential administrations and encompassing a diverse set of political and economic conditions. It contributes to critical assessments of intergovernmental grant issues such as: whether state and local government spending responds symmetrically to increases or decreases in federal aid; the effects of converting categorical grants to block grants on programme spending; and the role of public interest versus political factors in determining federal aid distribution. The...