The main argument across chapters in this dissertation is that politics, and to a degree types of placement methods, influence educational outcomes. In chapter one, I explore aspects of state educational agencies (SEAs), such as placement method (appointed versus elected), capacity, and policy variation. In chapter two, I explore the partisan effects of elected SEAs, where I see no difference in charter share enrollment at the state level dependent on the partisan composition of SEAs. Lastly, I look to the local district level in chapter three, where I explore spending behavior between Democrats and Republicans in Pennsylvania using a regression discontinuity design (RDD). Results from the RDD models fail to meet threshold enforcement. I conclude with an overarching statement on the role of state and local forces on education policy and where results from chapters 1-3 may aid in other studies of politics.

Author

• Bornstein, Sara

Language

• en

Keyword

• Education policy
• bureaucratic administration
• polarization
• state and local politics

Date created

• 2026

Type of Work

• Dissertation

License

• All rights reserved

Rights statement

• In Copyright

GW Unit

• Political Science

Degree

• Ph.D.

Advisor

• Hankinson, Michael

Committee Member(s)

• Warshaw, Christopher
• Lawrence, Eric

Persistent URL

•  https://scholarspace.library.gwu.edu/etd/ms35t960n