Whose Knowledge Counts? The Strong Presence of Interest Groups in U.S. Education Policy Making

• In Event: Whose in Charge? Peripheral Governance in Education Policy Making

Abstract

This study investigates who provides and produces knowledge in the education policymaking process, drawing on the case of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). To understand knowledge utilization in the development of the ESSA, I analyzed 628 witness testimonies and their references featured in the 115 congressional hearings and conducted interviews with 18 witnesses. The results illustrate that knowledge utilized in the policy process were predominantly drawn from think tanks and advocacy groups. Furthermore, who are invited to provide knowledge in the policy process is influenced by political contexts with regard to who has more access, resources, and power.

Author

• Chanwoong Baek, University of Oslo