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Title: New Federalism: the wave of the future for water resources policy

Thesis/Dissertation ·
OSTI ID:5777018

Water resources policy is a significant public policy arena. There is a long history of concern causing debate among federal, state, and local levels of government on appropriate roles of each. This debate dates as early as the 1934 national conference on water pollution. Since the early 1950s, the policy arena has been replete with the issues of proper delineation of roles, authority, and responsibility. The New Federalism is the Reagan Administration's overarching response to intergovernmental affairs and is considered a major shift in policy. The impact on water policy planning is still not clear. Was acceptance or resistance the prevailing mood in the intergovernmental community. What precipitated or reinforced the reaction. Did basic institutional structure and function impede or facilitate desired shifts. Understanding the impact of the New Federalism will help define the current scenario in water resources policy/planning to set the stage for consideration of needed institutional adjustments to allow policymakers and planners to address critical water resources issues. Water is a definable and limited quantity with competing demands, each significant to the nation's prosperity. The impact of the New Federalism will be strongly influenced by the developing roles, responsibility, and authority at each level of government.

Research Organization:
George Washington Univ., Washington, DC (USA)
OSTI ID:
5777018
Resource Relation:
Other Information: Thesis (Ph. D.)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English