Political Determinants of K-12 Education Spending in State Legislatures
Open Access
Author:
Stromswold, Madison Allynn
Area of Honors:
Political Science
Degree:
Bachelor of Arts
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
Eric Plutzer, Thesis Supervisor Dr. Matthew Richard Golder, Thesis Honors Advisor
Keywords:
State Legislatures State Politics Lobbying Professionalism Partisanship Education Funding K-12 Education U.S. States State Spending
Abstract:
This research quantitatively studies the effects of certain variables on K-12 education spending in state legislatures from 1986-2015. I tested partisanship, professionalism, and lobbying activity to see if they were determining factors in K-12 education spending by looking at years for which I have all available data. My research demonstrates that partisanship has become increasingly more important for determining K-12 allocation at the state level than lobbying or professionalism. More professional and Democratic controlled legislatures seem to attract K-12 education lobbyists. However, results indicate that lobbying drives down K-12 education spending. Ultimately, my research brings scholars closer to understanding how partisanship, professionalism, and lobbying impact K-12 education spending in state legislatures.
