Schools, State, and Political Power

Abstract

This chapter introduces the fundamental questions and puzzles about state interventions in local communities that guide this book: (1) Which communities are affected by state takeovers, and how so? (2) Why are black communities disproportionately negatively affected by state takeovers? (3) Why are Republicans—usually the champions of local control and decentralization—leading the state takeover movement? (4) What are the enduring implications of these trends for urban governance and theories of urban politics? Following the questions and puzzles, the chapter focuses on how the public schools have played a vital role in helping traditionally marginalized communities access paths to political empowerment and demonstrates how state takeovers of local school districts reveal fundamental dynamics of political power.