Lacking Subtlety: A Critical Analysis of the Project 2025 Report and Impacts on Music Education

• In Event: Intersections of Policy and Music Education

Abstract

In 2023, the Heritage Foundation, a far-right Washington think tank, released a 922 page document titled Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise (also called the Project 2025 report; Dans & Grove, 2023). This document lays out specific plans for the next conservative U.S. presidential administration. While the entire document has implications across education, we chose to analyze the section regarding the Department of Education. Utilizing critical policy analysis and Butler’s notions of gender ideology, we examine the “Department of Education” chapter of this document and explore what impact its implementation could have on music education. Noting that Project 2025 seeks to disband the federal education system, this paper investigates potential threats to music education in a divided political landscape.

Authors

• Joshua Palkki, Georgia Institute of Technology

• Justin M. Caithaml, University of Bridgeport

• Shawn T. Kimbrel, Arizona State University