Conflict, Competition, or Cooperation?

Douglas M. Abrams is a former Fulbright Fellow to France and is an administrator within the Utah Department of Community and Economic Development.

• List of Figures Foreword Preface 1. Prologue 2. Education Policy Structures National Patterns and Their Reflection in Utah 3. Education Policy Elites in Action A Microanalysis of Political Interrelationships 4. Optimizing Legislative Appropriations Cooperative Budget Strategies 5. Competing for Domain Vocational Education 6. Managing a Crisis Opposition to Tax Limitation Initiatives 7. Building the Infrastructure Bricks, Mortar, and Libraries 8. Political Strategies in Education Principles of Understanding and Action Appendix Notes Selected Bibliography Index

"Conflict, Competition, or Cooperation? is a timely addition to the long neglected study of the interface between elementary-secondary and post-secondary education. The work provides valuable insights for several research traditions." — E. Robert Stephens, University of Maryland at College Park"State policymaking is critical to the future of American education, yet it is among the least understood dimensions of the system. Much of the literature is anecdotal, focused on a single state, and highly biased by the author's personal perspective. Rarely is there an effort to connect case studies with a broader theoretical framework or a national context and few attempts have been made to link policymaking at the elementary/secondary and higher education levels. Douglas Abrams' work is a significant effort to fill that void. It will be especially useful for students interested in both a theoretical and practical understanding of the education policymaking process. While focused on one state, the work is undergirded by a thorough review of the related literature. The analysis of the policymaking process in Utah is fascinating reading in itself, but readers from other states will quickly recognize and appreciate the relevance of the analysis to their own situations." — Aims C. McGuinness, Jr., Director, Higher Education Policy, Education Commission of the States