Block Grants

One of the most popular types of grants is the block grant. A block grant is usually a large grant disbursed at a fixed amount, which is given to a state or local government by the federal government to fix a particular issue or problem. These grants can be beneficial because they allow local and state governments to experiment with solutions to problems, and the fact that local governments can address the problems means that they are more likely to be solved. However, they can be detrimental because it can result in wasted funds; because the federal government cannot keep track of how the block grant is spent, there is the possibility of it going to things unrelated to the actual grant. Read more at Block Grants