in 1996, the republican congress passed a welfare reform law that delegated many new important responsibilities to the states. what is this an example of?

That 1996 welfare reform law is an example of devolution (a type of New Federalism) —the national government transferring significant power and responsibility down to the states.

In U.S. government terms, this is often discussed as:

• A shift from centralized federal control to greater state autonomy over welfare policy.

• A hallmark of the broader New Federalism trend, emphasizing returning power to the states.