Federal Formula Grants and California

The federal government uses formula grants to distribute more than $400 billion annually to state and local governments to assist in implementing federal policies in such areas as health, transportation, and education. How much each governmental entity receives is determined by often complex mathematical formulas that employ various factors, such as population, poverty, growth, income, etc.  This ongoing series — a joint project of the Public Policy Institute of California and the California Institute for Federal Policy Research — provides information regarding California’s current and historical funding under the major federal grants and on the formula factors used to determine California’s share of funding from various grant programs.

Contents (reports provided in PDF format)

Report 1 — Factors Determining California’s Share of Federal Formula Grants (December 2002, updated February 2004)

Report 2 –California’s Share of Federal Formula Grants: 1991-2001 (December 2002)

Report 3 — TANF and Welfare Program (December 2002)

Report 4 — Federal Highway Programs (February 2003)
           — also see our one-pager:  "Just the Facts: California’s Share of Federal Highway Programs"

Report 5 — Education Programs for Disabled Children (September 2003)
           — or see press release re Education Programs for Disabled Children report

Report 6 — Head Start (October 2003)
           — or see press release re Head Start report

Report 7 — Homeland Security (January 2004)
           — or see press release re Homeland Security report

Report 8 — "Web-Only Update" — Factors Determining California’s Share of Federal Formula Grants, Second Edition (February 2004)

Report 9 — Federal Transit Programs (September 2004)
           — also see our one-pager:  "Just the Facts: California’s Share of Federal Transit Programs"

Report 10 — Federal Child Care Programs (June 2005)
           — also see the press release: Federal Child Care Programs

Report 11 — Student Aid and Higher Education Programs (September 2005)
           — also see the press release: Student Aid and Higher Education Programs
           — also see special data set for the Student Aid and Higher Education Programs report

Or go to the PPIC’s Formula Grants and California Project Home Page

Project Introduction Letter
Press Memo
Special Report
PPIC Publications Page