ABSTRACT
The mayor of Williamsport, Pennsylvania, once identified the major problems facing city governments as “money, finances, and revenue.” 1 Historically, the heaviest demands on the budgets of many state and local governments have been in the areas of education and welfare. Each of these policy areas, moreover, has been characterized by racial tensions, generational differences, and by severe conflicts over the proper role of government. This chapter examines the functions and governance of public education, school integration and finance, the nature of poverty, and the welfare system.
