中大下载的英文名著THE PUBLIC INTEREST.docx
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中大下载的英文名著THEPUBLICINTEREST
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Chapter2
THEPUBLICINTEREST
Adeclineofintegrityinpublicservicehasbeenevidentinrecent
decades,asaparalleloftheglobalizationprocess.InPublicIntegrity,J.
PatrickDobel(1999)arguesthatwhenpoliticiansbasetheiractions
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