Ten Thousand Democracies

Michael B. Berkman is an associate professor in the department of political science at The Pennsylvania State University. He is the author of The State Roots of National Politics: Congress and the Tax Agenda, 1978-1986. Eric Plutzer is a professor in the department of political science at The Pennsylvania State University.

• Preface 1. Policy Responsiveness in American School Districts 2. Financing Public Education 3. Public Opinion and Americans' Commitment to Educational Spending 4. Direct Democracy, Indirect Democracy and Policy Responsiveness 5. Voting Rights, Electoral Systems, and Policy Responsiveness 6. Teacher's Unions in State and Local Politics 7. The Gray Peril Reconsidered 8. The Democratic Control of American School Boards Appendix A Analysis and Supporting Tables for Chapter 3Appendix B Analysis and Supporting Tables for Chapter 4 Appendix C Analysis and Supporting Tables for Chapter 5 Appendix D Analysis and Supporting Tables for Chapter 6 Appendix E Analysis and Supporting Tables for Chapter 7 ReferencesIndex

"Ten Thousand Democracies is based on superior scholarship, particularly in the book's use of state-of-the-art methods for estimating public opinion in school districts. Specialists in the fields of state and local politics and policy, federalism, education policy, and public opinion and politics of policymaking and many general students of American politics and policy will welcome this book." - Robert Y. Shapiro, professor of political science, Columbia University "This impressive book combines original data, clever analysis, and food for thought for both education scholars and mainstream political scientists. For the former, it provides the best descriptive information I've yet encountered about the variation in institutional structures and education values at the state and local level. For mainstream political scientists, it provides a rich empirical test of the theoretical precepts of the 'new institutionalism.' It's sure to be highly cited for years to come." - Jeffrey R. Henig. Teachers College, Columbia University, coauthor, Building Civic Capacity: The Politics of Reforming Urban Schools"