RESTRUCTURING FEDERALISM - THE IMPACT OF REAGAN POLICIES ON THE FAMILY-PLANNING PROGRAM

Through fiscal cutbacks and structural changes, Reagan's federalism as saulted the ethos of public health. In assessing the effects of Reagan policies on a basic public health program, family planning services, we find a substantial decrease in spending for this program, a reducti on in the numbers of patients served, and increased variation among th e states in the provision of services to low-income women. These effec ts are comparable with findings from other studies on the impact of Re agan's federalism upon social programs and have manifold implications for public health.