Faculty Member Carl Stenberg Advises Federal Task Force on Intergovernmental Relations

Faculty member Carl Stenberg testified before a congressional task force on intergovernmental relations on May 17, 2018. The Speaker’s Task Force on Intergovernmental Affairs was created in May 2017 by House Speaker Paul Ryan and Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi to examine ways to restore the balance of power between the federal government and states, tribes, and local governments.

Stenberg is an expert on intergovernmental affairs, among other areas of public administration, and served as a staff member on the U.S. Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations (ACIR) for 16 years.

Stenberg is advising the Task Force on whether or not to reinstate U.S. ACIR and offered his "pracademic" opinion, including concerns around the absence of such institutions. He explores these themes in his new book, Intergovernmental Relations in Transition: Reflections and Directions. Laid out as a series of essays by scholars, thought leaders, and practitioners, this book assesses how a myriad of issues—ranging from health care to climate change to food safety—have markedly altered intergovernmental relations. In addition, contributors explore how these issues will shape the direction of the field moving forward.

This book is useful for students of intergovernmental relations as well as government officials involved in forming public policy. Stenberg edited the book alongside David K. Hamilton, retired professor at Texas Tech University.

Intergovernmental Relations in Transition: Reflections and Directions is available for purchase through Routledge Publishing.

Stenberg joined the School of Government in 2003. He served as director of the MPA program at the School of Government from 2006 to 2011, and is a James E. Holshouser Jr. Distinguished Professor of Public Administration and Government. He teaches local government courses to public officials and Master of Public Administration students. Stenberg holds a BA from Allegheny College and an MPA and a PhD from the State University of New York at Albany.