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Dissertation Information for James Stanley Catterall

NAME:
- James Stanley Catterall

DEGREE:
- Ph.D.

DISCIPLINE:
- Educational Policy Analysis

SCHOOL:
- Stanford University (USA) (1982)

ADVISORS:
- None

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
- None

MPACT Status: Incomplete - Not_Inspected

Title: THE POLITICS OF EDUCATION VOUCHERS

Abstract: This research explores the political failure of an education voucher proposal for the California school system. Despite extensive solicitations of support by sponsors John E. Coons and Stephen D. Sugarman, Law Professors and school finance reformers from the University of California at Berkeley, and despite its purported promises of benefits to children and educators, their signature drive for ballot qualification of their initiative failed. In the campaign, not a single interest group tied to public or private education backed their efforts; this lack of endorsements is specifically investigated. The study explores the preferences structures of the leaders of these groups and interprets their campaign positions in light of both these preferences, and also of a broad set of reasons for why such groups engage in political activity. Data was collected through a survey of these leaders on which they revealed their preferences for critical dimensions of the plan and also their perceptions of the sponsor's design along the same dimensions. Secondary data was obtained from respondents through telephone interviews. Data was analysed using decriptive statistics to determine the extent and type of values conflicts that leaders had with the idea, and to learn if information imperfections contributed to their views. Our findings include: (1) that the leaders of public school groups had pervasive disagreements with the voucher plan and that they were well informed of its contents; (2) client groups (such as minority associations) held the plan in even more disfavor in the views of their leaders, and their leaders were also well informed about the complex proposal; and (3) the private school associations were broadly in agreement with the plan. The importance of these findings lies in two realms. The public school and client leaders either do not like the idea of education vouchers or do not feel that critical parts of the proposed design would work. Disagreement is probably, but not necessarily, tied to their opposition. Private school non-endorsement of the idea was probably due to other factors, such as the hegerogeniety of the memberships or their traditions of non-activity in political campaigns. An overall suggestion is that voucher plans might be expected to have limited success in attracting organized support.

MPACT Scores for James Stanley Catterall

A = 0
C = 2
A+C = 2
T = 0
G = 0
W = 0
TD = 0
TA = 0
calculated 2012-07-28 14:23:48

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