The Politics of Federal Reorganization

The Politics of Federal Reorganization: Creating the U.S. Department of Education deals with the politics underlying the creation and early implementation of the U.S. Department of Education, with emphasis on the characteristics and dimensions of the stages of the policy process. The literature on reorganization in general, and federal government reorganization in particular, is examined. Comprised of nine chapters, this volume provides a glimpse into the reasons why reorganization efforts are ubiquitous and yet very difficult to implement. A number of themes are discussed: the importance of the stages of the policy process in shaping the nature of political action; the internal tensions within the executive branch; the conflict between the culture of analysis and the culture of politics; the role of interest groups and issue networks in shaping public policy; and the continuing uncertainty about the federal role in education. Jimmy Carter's goals in establishing a new Department of Education are also analyzed, along with the deliberations in Congress and Ronald Reagan's proposals to abolish the department. This monograph will be of interest to political scientists, politicians, policymakers, and government officials.

Preface

Chapter 1 Introduction

Chapter 2 The Context for Change

Chapter 3 Jimmy Carter: Who Was That Man

Chapter 4 Getting the Ball Rolling

Chapter 5 The Plot Thickens

Chapter 6 Congress Confronts the Department

Chapter 7 Organizing the New Department

Chapter 8 Implementation

Chapter 9 Conclusion

Bibliography

Index

About the Authors