Forging a Federal-State Partnership provides an insider's view of how the federal government assumed a dominant role in disability policy between the Kennedy and Obama eras. The book highlights the roles played by the federal government and the states in disability policy. Specifically, it focuses on the emergence of Medicaid as the primary funding source for intellectual and developmental disability services. The book offers a perspective on the evolution of public policy which is missing from most renditions of disability history. Features and Benefits Gain an insider's view of how the federal government assumed a predominant role in the disability policy arena between the Kennedy era and Obama era. Learn about the many ways in which the sometimes contentious interactions between the federal government and the states have influenced public policy outcomes. In particular, readers will learn about: Federal disability assistance programs in the pre-Medicaid era - including legislation enacted during the Kennedy administration - and how these programs influenced the direction of subsequent national disability policies; The influence of the Developmental Disabilities Act on federal-state policy over the past four decades; The emergence of the Medicaid program as the primary source of funding for public ID/DD services, from the creation of the ICF/MR coverage option, to the establishment of the home and community-based waiver authority, to Medicaid policy in the post-health reform era; The critical role litigation has played in shaping public policy toward persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The impact of Social Security and SSI payments on the availability of ID/DD services; and An insightful analysis of issues which are likely to shape the direction of future federal-state policy toward persons with lifelong disabilities This is a unique history of the revolutionary changes in public policy toward persons with