Integrating Education Politics and Policy into the Political Science Curriculum

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Abstract

To the extent that politics is “who gets what, when, and how,” (Lasswell, 1936), teaching about K12 education in political science can serve as a critical method of teaching democracy. Education is a vital tenet of a democratic society, equipping citizens with the skills necessary to self-govern. Individuals also experience K12 education policy consistently throughout their lives, as a student, a parent, a taxpayer, and/or a community member. Thus, by empowering students with knowledge related to education politics and policy, we contribute to the development of a society where citizens can shape the future of democracy. Arguments for this inclusion focus on 1) the relevance of education for all students who have their own experiences in K12 education; 2) the unique importance of education across cultural, geographic, and political contexts; 3) the role of education in many topics within political science, such as federalism, public policy, democratic theory, American political development, and comparative politics; and 4) the importance of education as a critical factor for shaping a democratic society. Incorporating education politics and policy into political science curriculums can both support traditional student learning outcomes for the discipline while also teaching democratic purposes and democratic norms.

In response to democratic backsliding, many elected officials, policymakers, and scholars have increasingly turned to education as a source of civic engagement and democratic attitudes. The democratic purpose of public education is not new, though it is rarely explicitly covered in political science programs. Indeed, the American Political Science Association’s Education Politics and Policy Section was not founded until 2020. Many early arguments for the expansion and fortification of public education explicitly acknowledged the primacy of citizenship as an outcome of education (e.g., Mann, 1855, Dewey, 1916). However, the predominantly local nature of education politics and policy has kept it off the many political radars for much of American history (Henig, 2013). This has changed dramatically in recent decades, with education surfacing on local, state, and federal political agendas (Manna, 2007; Shapiro et al. 2021). Given this prominence, students of political science should be increasingly prepared to engage with education politics and policy in their lives.

Students of political science can also learn about democracy through studying school systems. Education is also one of the most robust democratic institutions as one of the largest public goods and vehicles of redistribution. Education consistently ranks as one of the largest expenditures of national budgets (OECD, 2022). In democracies, education must equip citizens with the skills necessary to achieve self-governance (Acemoglu et al., 2005). Because the students of today are the citizens of tomorrow, schools already reflect the democracy we will have in the near future. While generational and demographic changes in America are actively shaping a multiracial democracy, schools already exhibit these dynamics and exemplify how democratic institutions must adapt to support democratic ideals (Turner, 2020; Fraga, 2018). K12 education politics and policy also reflect broader trends in American politics, such as nationalization (Henig, 2013; Henig et al., 2019) and polarization (Houston, 2023). Education politics and policy also reflect the complexities of shared governance in a federalist system, with power and public preferences shifting across local, state, and federal actors over time (Arnzen & Houston, 2023). This makes schools an excellent lens for political science to reflect on the future of democracy.

Because education matters for nearly all pro-social behaviors (Lumina Foundation, 2023), this paper makes the case that education politics and policy, either as a class, case studies, or other interdisciplinary activities, can help the discipline teach the purposes and processes of democracy. First, this paper articulates an argument as to why an explicit focus on education politics and policy can invite students into political science while reifying learning objectives of critical thinking, information and media literacy, compromise, and problem-solving. Then, it reviews learning objectives and themes of classes and programs that already prioritize K12 education politics and policy, identifying actionable steps programs can take to weave education into their curriculum, including sample syllabi and program documents. Finally, it concludes with a discussion of education’s role in democratic education, both in terms of education for democracy (e.g., civic education for future citizens) and education as democracy (e.g., deliberative democratic spaces for students). Education stands as a critical factor for shaping a democratic society, making it imperative for political science curriculums to emphasize its political dimensions.

Authors

• Cameron Arnzen, Brown University

• Chloe ONeill, Teachers College, Columbia University