ACIR: A Mixed Review

Abstract

The United States Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations (ACIR) has had a long and productive existence. Created in 1959, the Commission has produced a large number of publications that have contributed greatly to our knowledge of intergovernmental relations. It has also made many recommendations. These have received mixed reactions. At times, the recommendations have been seriously considered by Congress and the executive branch. At other times, the recommendations have been ignored. The ACIR says it is "the first official 'federal' body created since the Constitutional Convention itself. Lacking the action mandate of that great body, the ACIR nevertheless has over the years forged an important agenda as we move into the third century of this vast American experiment." Among its many contributions, the most important may well have been the development of the block grant concept. The Commission also played a major role in the debate on revenue sharing. Moreover, it has provided a valuable service with its continuing surveys of the public's view of the federal system. These surveys sometimes tell us things we do not necessarily want to hear (e.g., that the public favors state sales taxes over state income taxes); nonetheless, the information has been invaluable for state policymakers. The Commission's work as illustrated by its publications can be divided into two categories: economic (fiscal) studies and governmental (structural, state and local, and the like) studies. We would similarly like to separate our comments into these two areas.