The Promises and Pitfalls of Fiscal Federalism

In this Q&A session, Jeffrey Clemens examines powers distribution across all levels of the US government and their inherent tradeoffs -- between efficient and decentralized local policies and equitable national standards.  Federal-state tension on more local issues like minimum wage laws and Medicaid compared against shifting federal spending trends from defense to healthcare reveal opportunities to improve policies that promote responsiveness, efficiency, and accountability between all levels of government.