Decentralization vs. Centralization of Federal Agencies

The impact of federal agency reorganizations on the State of Washington and other states in federal region X were analyzed following expressions of concern about the impact of these reorganizations on intergovernmental working relationships, the delivery of program services, and on federal employment levels. In a review of federal agency reorganizations which have taken place since January 1977, no current federal policy or plan was found to favor either centralization or decentralization. The President's Reorganization Project Director confirmed that no such overall policy or plan exists to guide reorganization efforts in either direction. Intergovernmental experts agreed that no clear trend had been established and that reorganizations were being undertaken without apparent insight into how one agency's structural changes affect another agency's program delivery or intergovernmental relations in general. The impact of most of the reorganizations is generally not clear, and state and local officials were frequently unable to suggest what the service delivery impacts might be.