Michael B. Berkman's Books

Ten Thousand Democracies

Politics and Public Opinion in America's School Districts

By: Michael B. Berkman

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

Ten Thousand Democracies

Politics and Public Opinion in America's School Districts

By: Michael B. Berkman

The essence of democracy is popular sovereignty. The people rule. In the United States, citizens exercise this right through elected officials who they believe will best represent their own values and interests. But are those interests and values always being followed? Authors Michael B. Berkman and Eric Plutzer provide the first systematic examination of the extent to which the governments closest to the American public—its 10,000-plus local school boards—respond to the wishes of the majority. Ten Thousand Democracies begins with a look at educational reforms from the Progressive era in the late 19th and early 20th centuries through the civil rights movement and ending with Pennsylvania's 2004 tax relief measure. Berkman and Plutzer explore what factors determine education spending levels in school districts, including the effects of public opinion, the nature of local political institutions, and the roles played by special interests. The authors show how board members are selected, how well the boards represent minorities, whether the public can bypass the board through referenda, and how the schools are financed. By providing an innovative statistical portrait that combines public opinion data with Census data for these school districts, the authors answer questions central to democratic control of our schools: how responsive are school boards to their public and when? How powerful are such special interests such as teachers' unions and senior citizens? By using the lens of America's public school districts to examine the workings of democracy, Ten Thousand Democracies offers new insight not only into the forces shaping local education policy but also how democratic institutions may function throughout all levels of government.

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

236

Publisher

Georgetown University Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

1589014200

ISBN 13

9781589014206

The State Roots of National Politics

Congress and the Tax Agenda, 1978–1986

By: Michael B. Berkman

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

The State Roots of National Politics

Congress and the Tax Agenda, 1978–1986

By: Michael B. Berkman

Winner of the William Anderson Award of the American Political Science AssociationExplores the role of state politics in shaping the national agenda during the 1980s. By focusing on the federal tax policy from 1978-1986, Berkman argues that a conservative political agenda slowly replaced the liberal agenda dominant since World War II. The state roots model asserts that national policymakers, particularly members of Congress, are products of their state political systems and environments. Berkman applies this model to the tax-cutting policies that took hold nationally in 1978, before Regan came to office, and continued in the tax acts of 1981 and 1986.

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

216

Publisher

University of Pittsburgh Pre

Published Date

ISBN 10

0822974576

ISBN 13

9780822974574

The State Roots of National Politics

Congress and the Tax Agenda, 1978–1986

By: Michael B. Berkman

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

The State Roots of National Politics

Congress and the Tax Agenda, 1978–1986

By: Michael B. Berkman

Winner of the William Anderson Award of the American Political Science Association Explores the role of state politics in shaping the national agenda during the 1980s. By focusing on the federal tax policy from 1978-1986, Berkman argues that a conservative political agenda slowly replaced the liberal agenda dominant since World War II. The state roots model asserts that national policymakers, particularly members of Congress, are products of their state political systems and environments. Berkman applies this model to the tax-cutting policies that took hold nationally in 1978, before Regan came to office, and continued in the tax acts of 1981 and 1986.

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

216

Publisher

University of Pittsburgh Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0822955083

ISBN 13

9780822955085

Ten Thousand Democracies

Politics and Public Opinion in America's School Districts

By: Michael B. Berkman,Eric Plutzer

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

Ten Thousand Democracies

Politics and Public Opinion in America's School Districts

By: Michael B. Berkman,Eric Plutzer

The essence of democracy is popular sovereignty. The people rule. In the United States, citizens exercise this right through elected officials who they believe will best represent their own values and interests. But are those interests and values always being followed? Authors Michael B. Berkman and Eric Plutzer provide the first systematic examination of the extent to which the governments closest to the American public -- its 10,000-plus local school boards -- respond to the wishes of the majority. "Ten Thousand Democracies" begins with a look at educational reforms from the Progressive era in the late 19th and early 20th centuries through the civil rights movement and ending with Pennsylvania's 2004 tax relief measure. Berkman and Plutzer explore what factors determine education spending levels in school districts, including the effects of public opinion, the nature of local political institutions, and the roles played by special interests. The authors show how board members are selected, how well the boards represent minorities, whether the public can bypass the board through referenda, and how the schools are financed. By providing an innovative statistical portrait that combines public opinion data with Census data for these school districts, the authors answer questions central to democratic control of our schools: how responsive are school boards to their public and when? How powerful are such special interests such as teachers' unions and senior citizens? By using the lens of America's public school districts to examine the workings of democracy, "Ten Thousand Democracies" offers new insight not only into the forces shaping local education policy but also how democratic institutions may function throughout all levels of government.

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

206

Published Date

ISBN 10

1435631919

ISBN 13

9781435631915

Book's by Michael B. Berkman

Ten Thousand Democracies

Ten Thousand Democracies

The State Roots of National Politics

The State Roots of National Politics

The State Roots of National Politics

The State Roots of National Politics

Ten Thousand Democracies

Ten Thousand Democracies

Username

Password

Username

Password

Password again

Birthday

Email