The uncertainty of intergovernmental grants-in-aid in the 1980s has made municipal professionalism an issue that deserves increasing attention. Defining professionalism in terms of classical political and structural reform as well as administrative reform, this analysis finds that politically reformed cities are not necessarily administratively reformed. A subsequent analysis explores the reasons professionalism influences municipal dependence on grants-in-aid. In short, we find that professional governments depend little on state aid, which we do not find to be true regarding their dependence on federal aid. These results even hold when controlling for the effects of urban need, municipal fiscal policies, and grant allocations. The findings suggest that municipalities may be in a position to manage their dependence on state aid, but their dependence on federal aid is more a function of federal aid objectives and allocation policy.
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