Is the Picket Fence Still Standing? Tracing Administrative Federalism in the States

Matthew J Uttermark

Publius: The Journal of Federalism, 2026, vol. 56, issue 1, 205-225

Abstract: The United States federal bureaucracy faces an increasingly uncertain future. Congressional inaction, partisan gridlock, a conservative judiciary, and the executive’s efforts to hollow out federal agencies portend a renegotiation of tasks to the states. How are state administrators poised to respond to these drastic changes? In this article, I highlight ongoing research trends and production on contemporary administrative federalism to evaluate if the notion of “picket fence” federalism remains relevant in intergovernmental relations and management. Tracing recent evaluations of administrative federalism, I find that the structure and key elements of the picket fence persist. However, its resilience increasingly depends upon the partisan and ideological orientation of state and administrative actors.

Keywords: intergovernmental relations; public administration; public management; state politics/subnational politics (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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