Canadian rural policy, despite differences in legislative procedure and allocation priorities, could hold many lessons for U.S. policymakers. The revived U.S. interest in block grant transfers to the States, for example, is similar to longstanding Canadian programs, which have traditionally stressed local economic planning. For Federal assistance to work well it must be comprehensive and designed to outlast the administration that implements it. Canada's programs, while sharing some features with U.S. programs, are often delivered in a manner that encourages rural areas to make a long-term commitment to integrating programs into a broader development strategy.