Mexico's implementation of mandatory teacher assessments in 2013 was part of a group of federal reforms aimed at enhancing the quality of state-run education. The reforms elicited strong opposition from key stakeholders. Building on the idea that policy capacities are the set of capabilities necessary to perform policy functions, we examine the…

The federal budget and the rising national debt are crucial concerns in American politics. Yet, they are issues about which average citizens, and particularly young citizens, are presumed to have limited knowledge and very little to say. They are also topics that are not generally seen as engaging to students in introductory political science…

This study of all fifty state, high school social studies curriculum standards found a lack of attention in the vast majority of state standards to the federal budget, federal debt, and budget deficit, topics of significant concern. These concepts are important to teaching about economics in the United States since they lie at the center of…

This study is the twelfth in a series of studies conducted by the American Association of School Administrators (AASA) on the impact of the economic downturn on schools. AASA launched the series in fall 2008 in response to state budget shortfalls, federal buyouts and interventions, and a series of additional events characterizing a slowing,…

At the heart of progressivism is the belief that government--not big government, or small government, but effective government--has a critical role to play in ensuring the well being of its citizens. Public spending serves an important function in pursuing economic growth objectives while ensuring that gains are widely distributed to promote…

To advance the economic and social health of the country, the federal government directs resources to children--the country's future workers, parents, and voters. This helps ensure the well-being of children and helps them develop their potential and future contributions to our common welfare. Federal resources are used to promote the health and…

The federal government's student loan programs for higher education convey substantial financial benefits to borrowers because of their broad availability and favorable terms. Of the various provisions included in a federal student loan contract, the option to consolidate individual loans contributes greatly to a borrower's benefits and the cost…

The Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, as amended, establishes deficit targets to lead to a balanced unified budget by fiscal year 1993. If the Office of Management and Budget projects a deficit in excess of the target amount plus $10 billion, the President must issue a sequester order to reduce budget resources…

This data brief reviews the financial obligations of federal agencies for academic sciences and engineering activities in fiscal year 1997. Federal agencies were obligated more than 4% above the fiscal year 1996 levels. When adjusted for inflation, federal academic science and engineering activities support was up 2% in fiscal year 1997. This…

This report reveals that federal research and development obligations are scheduled to rise from $17.4 billion in fiscal year 1974 to an estimated $18.9 billion in fiscal year 1975 and to $21.7 billion in fiscal year 1976. The gains in funding are 8.4 percent for 1975 and 14.5 percent for 1976, both of these the largest relative rises in the…

Presents the results of a study conducted to determine the allocation of general revenue sharing funds to libraries from 1973 through 1977 and to estimate the impact of these funds on library budgets around the country. Data are summarized in 6 tables and a reference list is included. (Author/JL)

Research suggests that investing in young children can help build a strong future workforce, improve children's educational success and health, and potentially reduce some of the social ills that drain the nation's resources and will. To have an informed conversation about future investments, it is important to start from an understanding of the…

For fiscal year 1999, President Clinton is requesting $31.2 billion in discretionary budget authority for the U.S. Department of Education, an increase of $1.7 billion over the 1998 level. The budget is broken down into seven program areas: elementary and secondary education, bilingual and immigrant education, special education and rehabilitative…

This study surveyed personal factors influencing reasoning of 61 adult citizens about federal budget deficit solutions. Reasoners were motivated to present a strong argument for their answers and generally did not offer counterargument unless prompted to do so. Education level was not significantly related to quality of argument. (SLD)

This study examined the total number of federally funded teacher training programs (excluding student loans and grants that could be used for teacher training), the budget obligations for teacher training programs, the number of teachers trained by these programs, and differences in services across the programs. The study found that in fiscal year…