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The Democratic Deficit in U.S. Education Governance

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 March 2021

VLADIMIR KOGAN Open the ORCID record for VLADIMIR KOGAN [Opens in a new window] ,
STÉPHANE LAVERTU Open the ORCID record for STÉPHANE LAVERTU [Opens in a new window]  and
ZACHARY PESKOWITZ Open the ORCID record for ZACHARY PESKOWITZ [Opens in a new window]
VLADIMIR KOGAN*
Affiliation:
Ohio State University
STÉPHANE LAVERTU*
Affiliation:
Ohio State University
ZACHARY PESKOWITZ*
Affiliation:
Emory University
*
Vladimir Kogan, Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, Ohio State University, kogan.18@osu.edu.
Stéphane Lavertu, Professor, John Glenn College of Public Affairs, Ohio State University, lavertu.1@osu.edu.
Zachary Peskowitz, Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, Emory University, zachary.f.peskowitz@emory.edu.
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Abstract

Political scientists have largely overlooked the democratic challenges inherent in the governance of U.S. public education—despite profound implications for educational delivery and, ultimately, social mobility and economic growth. In this study, we consider whether the interests of adult voters who elect local school boards are likely to be aligned with the needs of the students their districts educate. Specifically, we compare voters and students in four states on several policy-relevant dimensions. Using official voter turnout records and rich microtargeting data, we document considerable demographic differences between voters who participate in school board elections and the students attending the schools that boards oversee. These gaps are most pronounced in majority nonwhite jurisdictions and school districts with the largest racial achievement gaps. Our novel analysis provides important context for understanding the political pressures facing school boards and their likely role in perpetuating educational and, ultimately, societal inequality.

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Type
Letter
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American Political Science Review , Volume 115 , Issue 3 , August 2021 , pp. 1082 - 1089
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the American Political Science Association

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Footnotes

The authors are listed in alphabetical order. Please direct communications to the corresponding author, Vladimir Kogan.

References

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Kogan et al. Dataset

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https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/H1HRYV
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