CONGRESSIONAL ALLOCATION OF FEDERAL-FUNDS - THE JOB-TRAINING PARTNERSHIP ACT OF 1982

This paper examines the allocation of federal funds to the fifty state s through the Job Training Partnership Act of 1982. Targeted at the ec onomically disadvantaged, its allocation formula nevertheless places h eavy weights on unemployment measures unrelated to the target group. E vidence is presented that supports the premise that JTPA formula alloc ations across states reflect political influence. This is the first st udy to find evidence of a relationship between state representative le gislative tenure and federal fund allocations. The importance of a sta te's political power in influencing federal fund allocations is also r evealed.