Managing within the matrix: Do collaborative intergovernmental relations exist?

The current stale of managing collaboratively in an era of accelerated United States national action is assessed against the earlier approaches identified by Daniel J. Elazar and others during periods of cooperative federalism. The literature on the management of intergovernmental relations within cooperative federalism is examined, as are Elazar's contributions to managing within a noncentralized federal matrix. Three management approaches associated with increased national power and decreased collaborative intergovernmental relations are identified: nation-centered federalism, growing emphasis on nationwide action, and executive leadership. Collaborative management within intergovernmental relations is then reconstructed by looking at the extent of bargaining and adjustment, shifting of program venues to state and local governments, growing intergovernmental managerial sophistication, and limits on federal enforcement ability. More extensive field research needs to be conducted to understand the true extent and depth of collaborative management in the federal system.