Teaching About American Federal Democracy

Ten essays discuss federal democracy, the form of government of the United States. The first essay discusses the origins of American federalism. The second examines why we have a federal system, the functions federalism serves, and the consequences of federalism for the American political system. Federalism in the Constitution and constitutional law are treated in the third essay. The importance of cultural pluralism in American life and the role of American federalism in supporting pluralism are the foci of the fourth essay. The roles that the local community, the states, and political parties play in the federal system are examined in essays 5, 6, and 7, respectively. State, local, and professional roles in citizenship education are discussed in the eighth essay. The ninth essay explores how high school U.S. history and government textbooks approach federalism. The concluding essay describes resources on federalism that can be used in curriculum development at the secondary and college levels. Many of the essays are followed by topics for further study and suggested readings for teachers. (RM)

How the United States can provide equal educational opportunity to every child The United States Supreme Court closed the courthouse door to federal litigation to narrow educational funding and opportunity gaps in schools when it ruled in San Antonio Independent School District v. Rodriguez in 1973 that the Constitution does not guarantee a right to education. Rodriguez pushed reformers back to the state courts where they have had some success in securing reforms to school funding systems through education and equal protection clauses in state constitutions, but far less success in changing the basic structure of school funding in ways that would ensure access to equitable and adequate funding for schools. Given the limitations of state school funding litigation, education reformers continue to seek new avenues to remedy inequitable disparities in educational opportunity and achievement, including recently returning to federal court. This book is the first comprehensive examination of three issues regarding a federal right to education: why federal intervention is needed to close educational opportunity and achievement gaps; the constitutional and statutory legal avenues that could be employed to guarantee a federal right to education; and, the scope of what a federal right to education should guarantee. A Federal Right to Education provides a timely and thoughtful analysis of how the United States could fulfill its unmet promise to provide equal educational opportunity and the American Dream to every child, regardless of race, class, language proficiency, or neighborhood.

"Twenty-eight eminent essayists remind our nations parents, educators, school board members and politicians that our democracy is in jeopardy and that our nation's system of free universal public education is also under attack. If that attack succeeds, American democracy itself would be further imperiled. That is because American democracy rests on a belief that the power of our government comes from the people, and the diffusion of knowledge and the enlightenment of the people has been a cornerstone of our democracy since the founding of our republic. America's public schools, therefore, have a special mandate"--

Providing practical, concrete teaching strategies alongside relevant methodology and scholarship, this book offers a pedagogical approach for centering students' democratic citizenship and political engagement in American government courses.

This work provides a critical examination of the federalization of education in the United States. The author examines the history of federal involvement in education, analyzing the impact of federal policies on local schools and communities. Through a detailed analysis of the educational needs of a democracy, the author argues for a more localized and community-driven approach to education policy. This book is an essential resource for anyone interested in the history and politics of American education. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

This work provides a critical examination of the federalization of education in the United States. The author examines the history of federal involvement in education, analyzing the impact of federal policies on local schools and communities. Through a detailed analysis of the educational needs of a democracy, the author argues for a more localized and community-driven approach to education policy. This book is an essential resource for anyone interested in the history and politics of American education. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.