American Presidents and Education (PDF)

The role of the president of the United States in regard to education changed significantly following the end of World War II. As the U.S. economy became more sophisticated and the country emerged as the dominant technological and world power, the demand for an educated work force increased. In this work, Maurice R. Berube offers the first comprehensive analysis of the involvement of American presidents in educational policy, tracing the efforts of administrations from Washington to Bush, and chronicling the national and international pressures to shape educational policies that have characterized the post-World War II era.

Berube's work takes the form of a policy study as he analyzes presidential programs in education, the reasons for their implementation, and their correlation to national educational outcomes. Beginning with the birth of the presidency, he examines successful programs that had a considerable impact and less successful efforts that were significant either ideologically or as forerunners of future policies. The constitutional constraints of the president's role in education are explored, as well as recent developments including the corporate presidency and the rhetorical presidency. Among the other issues addressed are education and the economy and the federal and state constitutions' views of a right to education. This work will be a unique and valuable resource for students of presidential history, the politics of education, and contemporary issues in education, as well as an important addition to public and academic library collections.