In education policy, as in many other policy fields, well-designed policy reforms may fail to get enacted because policymakers may suddenly become confronted with a public backlash against their reform agenda. Thus, understanding the dynamics of public opinion is important in order to be able to assess the chances of successful reform. There is a…

This article presents an empirical analysis of the public funding system for higher education in Germany and a comparison with five other European countries. The large number of separate student support items in Germany makes it an exception and makes the system obscure. The allocations of public expenditure to German institutions are below…

The financial component of Spain's effort to reform higher education is outlined, particularly as it is designed to accomplish changes in program design and manage educational quality. Proposals for financing public universities include a new financial structure for universities, a new resource allocation model, and a program of student grants and…

In about two decades, Spain was transformed from one of the most centralised countries to one of the most decentralised. Spending functions were devolved rapidly. Following the rapid decentralisation to the regions since the early 1980s, the sub-national authorities now have more staff to manage than the central government and have…