American Education System

American Education System

Introduction

Education is one of the most salient domestic issues in American politics. Americans generally agree that the primary purpose of the public education system is to provide students with the tools they need to become effective contributors to society (Kahn, and Kenney, 2001). As such, taking steps to produce the best education system possible is a common theme in political campaigns. Education issues are relevant to federal, state, and local level politics and campaigns. Because the U.S. Constitution makes no provision for education, the federal government bears limited responsibility for educating citizens. This constitutional arrangement makes individual states the principal providers of education for U.S. citizens; therefore, the states fund, develop, implement, and monitor public education. At the local level, school systems are charged with implementing the standards devised by state and federal officials.

Overview

State autonomy produces interstate variability in the quality of American public education (Spring, 2005). One source of these state differences is disparity in school funding. Local property taxes provide the preponderance of funding for public schools. During the 2004-05 school year, the federal government provided approximately 10 percent of educational funding. The remaining 90 percent was generated by state and local sources. The resources allocated to public schools are largely contingent upon local assets. Education issues have substantial currency for candidates because of their broad appeal within the electorate (Kahn, and Kenney, 2001). Voters can relate to candidates who address issues pertinent to public schools. A large proportion of Americans have children who attend public schools, and many voters have been the beneficiaries of public education. Education issues are also politically valuable because citizens who are more likely to vote, as well as those who are the strongest party identifiers, are more likely to view education as an important issue.

The 1950s and 1960s produced ...