Another Look at the Mandate Issue: Are Conditions-of-Aid Really so Burdensome?

This article offers a look at conditions-of-aid as a distinct type of mandate in the U.S. Conditions-of-aid mandates may be divided into two categories. The first category includes program specific or crosscutting conditions. Program specific conditions refer to the performance, implementation, and planning of a particular program. Crosscutting conditions are not necessarily related to the objectives of the specific grant-in-aid program; rather, they are imposed across a wide range of programs. Crosscutting conditions usually take the form of statutes, executive orders, or OMB circulars.