There are numerous conflicts over which level of government should regulate education and over how much support each level of government should give to education. In education there are continuous pressures for and against an expanded federal role. Though the prospect of additional federal funds is welcomed by most state officials, they disagree widely over the kind and degree of controls that should accompany the aid. Advocates of school finance reform have recognized that interstate disparities can be eliminated only through federal action. Yet in light of the strong support given to the value of local control of education, it is unlikely that support on the scale needed can be enacted. Federal support can be and has been used to assist states in equalizing intrastate disparities. For example, the Education Amendments of 1974 authorized grants to assist states in equalizing their finance systems. The tension between the forces of localism and the forces of interdependence has so far prevented development of a static equilibrium that might stifle adaptation and change. (Author/JM)