In 1981 the Reagan Administration announced a New Federalism to reduce the size and impact of the federal government and return power and control to state and local governments. This Revived Federalism program was partially initiated in the establishment of a state option to administer the Small Cities Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. This study examines the implementation process by which the national and state governments administer the CDBG program to accomplish national goals. A review of the implementation literature suggests a variety of variables which influence the implementation process. A general integrated framework, which incorporates the political, organizational and socio-economic environments, is proposed as a model to structure the investigation of the implementation process. A comparative study is made of the implementation process in five Area Offices of the Department of Housing and Urban Development and in two State programs. Recognizing the dynamic nature of the process, a four year period is covered to examine the process before and after the State option was established. The results of the study indicate that the implementation process is complex and diverse--both under federal and state administration. Similarities are found in the results of the program under both forms of administration. Differences in the results are also traced in both national and state implementation processes. The interaction of different mixtures of factors in the political, organizational and socio-economic environments within different communities contribute to the similarities and differences in outcomes which are observed. The influences of the local and federal or state administrators are reciprocal as actors at each level of administration interpret and adjust to the cycle of federal legislative changes in the program and to the perceived needs of the various communities. Uncertainty as to the intent and permanence of the multi-objective Small Cities CDBG program is mitigated by the reliance upon organizational structure and routine. National objectives are achievable under either national or state implementation processes, but the outcomes in both forms of administration, will be influenced by the perceptions of the administrators at each level of government participation and will reflect the influences of different sets of complex political, organizational and socio-economic factors. The outcomes in specific localities will not be general or uniform with the results in other areas of the United States. / Ph. D.

The focus of the study was to observe changes brought about by the implementation of Chapter 2 of the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act of 1981 in local jurisdictions of government when the disposition of federal funds were under local control. The study investigated the extent to which the six expressed intentions of Chapter 2, ECIA legislation were realized in 154 local education agencies in the state of Mississippi two years after implementation. Specifically, the six legislative concerns were to: * Reduce the amount of paperwork without reducing the quality of programs, * Equalize the distribution of federal funds without reducing the benefits to specific target populations, * Increase local discretion without diminishing prior program commitments to the original national priorities, * Increase the role of private education without raising the constitutional issue, * Reduce reporting and evaluation requirements without a commensurate loss of accountability, and * Reduce the constraints on SEAs in the planning of federally funded projects and programs without a loss of perceived quality in those programs. Data sources collected for analysis included: a mail survey, interviews with state and local school personnel, and supportive documents from both the state education agency and local school districts. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. From the study it was concluded that, while the goals of Chapter 2, ECIA legislation were admirable, they were replete with unintended consequences. Further, while many of the legislative objectives were met at the national level several of the objectives had differing effects in a state like Mississippi which exerted little SEA influence. / Ph. D.