Final answer:
Unfunded mandates are demands by the federal government requiring states to fulfill certain obligations without providing the necessary funding, often leading to disputes between different levels of government.
Step-by-step explanation:
Unfunded mandates are federal laws and regulations that impose obligations on state and local governments without providing the necessary funds to cover the costs associated with these requirements. Despite attempts at transparency and control, like the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995, the use of unfunded mandates has persisted, often resulting in disputes between state and local governments and the federal government. An example of an unfunded mandate is the Clean Air Act, where states are expected to meet air quality standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency without receiving full compensation for the implementation costs.
These mandates reflect what some scholars call coercive federalism, where Washington uses the threat of penalties and withholding of federal grants to ensure compliance with national policies, effectively passing most of the financial burden to the states.