October 18 (Monday): Conservatism

• READ: Robertson, Federalism and the Making of America,  Chapter 9
              Working Group on Federalism, "The Status of Federalism in America"
              Time, "The Drive to Kill Revenue Sharing"

Discussion Questions

1. What circumstances undermined liberalism and helped boost conservatives into power after the 1970s? Have those circumstances fundamentally changed today, or are we still in a period of conservative dominance?

2. Do conservatives believe in federalism? Give both sides.

3. Does the experience of the Reagan administration prove that it is impossible to make durable cuts in grant-in-aid programs?