中大下载的英文名著THE PUBLIC INTERESTWord格式文档下载.docx

中大下载的英文名著THE PUBLIC INTERESTWord格式文档下载.docx

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exclusivelyonideologicalandpersonalbeliefs,thepublicintegrityof

democraticinstitutionscaneasilybelost.Theeducatedpublic—votersand

taxpayerswhoponderthefutureofeducationandsociety—shouldalso

ponderwhetherpublicpoliciesarebeingbasedonunsubstantiated

rationales.Policydevelopmentshouldbeinformedbyresearchthat

examineswhetherthepolicypathwayschosenbypublicofficialshave

effectsconsistentwiththepublicgoalsandtheclaimsmadebypolitical

interestgroups.Toassesstheimpactofchangesinpublicpolicieson

educationandpublicfinanceonpreparationforcollege,accesstocollege,

andsuccessincollege,itisnecessarytostartwithanobjectiveframework,

onethatrepresentsthepublicinterestineducation.

Thisbookfocusesontheintegrityofpolicyresearchwithrespecttothe

positionstakeninrelationtotheresearchfindings.IntheU.S.,policy

makersarecriticalofthequalityofschools.Iamconcernedwithresearchon

thecorrelatesoftestscores—e.g.,mathcoursesinhighschoolorreading

instructionapproachesinelementaryschools—thathasbeenusedto

rationalizepolicy.Thepreviouschapterdiscussedresearchusedbystateand

federalpolicymakerstocriticizecollegesfortheirinefficiencieswhenprices

risebutseldomtoacknowledgethewayspoliciesinfluencepricestorise.A

counterviewisthatpricesriselargelyasaconsequenceofpolicy（Heller,

evidentthatgovernmentpolicydidhaveasubstantialinfluenceinpublic

colleges（i.e.,collegeswerecompensatingforthelossofgovernmentneedbased

grantsandstatesubsidies）,butitwasalsoevidentthateducation

expenditureshaveriseninpublicandprivatecollegeintheU.S.（St.John,

2006）.Whencompetingexplanationsforrisingpriceswereexamined,itwas

26Chapter2

2003）.Myargumentisthatpolicyresearchershaveanobligationtoconsider

themultiplevantagepointsoncriticalissues.Theeasypathistouse

researchtoargueaparticularpositionorpointofview,butintegrityrequires

understandingcompetingargumentsandconstructingresearchtotestthem.

Integrityineducationalpolicyresearchrequiresbalancedapproachesthat

testcompetingargumentsabouteducationaloutcomesandthatevaluatethe

effectsofpoliciesbasedonresearch-informedrationales.Finding

theoreticallysounddesignstoexaminecompetingargumentsiscrucialto

policyresearchersandanintegralaspectofintegrityinresearch.This

requiressteppingbeyondone’sownpositiononpolicytoconsideritalong

withothersinanalysesandinterpretationsofresearch.Researchofthistype

couldleadtoargumentsthatfavoronepolicypositionoveranotherorto

policyargumentsthatbalanceaspectsofmultiplerationales.Forexample,in

researchoncollegeaccessthereislittlereasontodoubtthatpreparation,

information,andfinancesareallimportant,soitisreasonabletoexpect

policyrationalestobalancetheseelements.

Theconceptofintegrityinpublicpolicymakingimpliesusingresearch

inbalancedwaystocraftandrefinepoliciestoachieveoutcomesrelatedto

generallyacceptedgoals.Whilethissoundssimple,mostpolicyarguments

abouteducationlackthistypeofintegrity,apointemphasizedintheprior

chapter.Asauniversity-basedpolicyresearcher,Iamnotdirectlyengaged

intheformationofpolicy.Instead,Ihopemyeffortstoconductbalanced

policyresearchcanbeinformativeforpeoplewhoareengagedinpolicy

making.However,tomaintainmyintegrityasaresearcherItrytousethe

bestavailabledataandmethodsinresearchthatassessescompeting

rationales.

Thischapterstartswithabriefsummaryoftheframeworkusedinthis

study—awayofviewingpolicyonaccessdevelopedinRefinancingthe

CollegeDream（St.John,2003）.Thisframeworkprovidesawayof

examiningcompetingargumentsaboutpreparation,collegetransitions,and

publicfinance.Then,IreexamineJohnRawls’stheoryofjustice,which

providesthecoreassumptionsfortheframework.Next,Ireexaminethe

ideologicalargumentsandcompetingeconomicandeducationalrationales

forreform.Then,Iintroducethebalancedaccessmodelasameansof

assessingrationalesforeducationreform,anissuethathasbecomeafocus

ofmymorerecentresearchoneducationpolicy（St.John,2004）.Finally,I

discussmyapproachtomeasuringtheeffectsofpolicyinrelationto

generallyacceptedstatisticalmethods.

2.ThePublicInterest27

1.FRAMINGTHISSTUDY

Educationandpublicfinancepolicieshavebecomeimbalancedasa

consequenceoftheover