Following his signature Race to the Top education reform program, President Barack Obama wants to apply its underlying principal–state competition for federal funding–to a variety of other areas, John Gramlich reports at Stateline.org.
Obama’s proposed budget would have states compete for grants in areas from transportation to juvenile justice, Gramlich says. But his plans face obstacles. For one thing, his $32 billion proposed “Transportation Leadership Awards” program will be a tough sell to budget-cutting Republicans who control the House. Some advocates and state officials also object that requiring states to compete for limited funds for things like juvenile justice would create winners and losers.