Targeting Federal Assistance to Local Governments in Rural and Low-Income Areas, 1972-1983

Two questions have predominated policy discussions about theallocation of federal aid to rural local governments duringthe last two decades: whether rural areas were getting their"fair share" and whether the aid was appropriately targetedto deserving communities. An analysis of data for 1972–1983shows that although the position of rural governments apparentlyimproved during the 1970s, the gains were principally due tosharply increased loans to rural areas, while urban areas benefitedfrom increases in grants-in-aid. Conversely, the aid reductionsof the early 1980s, by cutting into loans, which are less valuablethan grants, appear to have hurt rural areas less than urbanareas. A modest amount of income-targeting in federal developmentfunds was evident in the early 1970s, but it deteriorated duringthe following decade. By 1983 counties with higher incomes andmore satisfactory levels of public services received higherlevels of aid than places that might have been considered moreneedy. While the reasons for the generally diminished targetingare not clear, several possibilities, including the increasingimportance of loans as a federal aid mechanism, are considered.     

《美国的刑事司法：理论与实践》

人们对于在美国诉讼频繁的现象已经见怪不怪了。全美有近一百万名律师，仅是服务于加州四千四百万人口的律师人数已超过为十三亿的中国人口服务的律师人数了（加州有159，600名律师，而中国约有120，000名律师）。但同时，进入美国刑事司法体系的人数较之其他国家也相当庞大。美国的监禁人数在全球数一数二（每十万人中就有738人服监禁刑，