President Donald Trump has instructed U.S. Department of Education Secretary Linda McMahon to "take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education" using her authority to "the maximum extent appropriate and permitted by law." As Secretary McMahon considers such steps, she has already indicated that…

In the months since inauguration, the Trump Administration has leveled a staggering number of threats on social programs--from executive orders to funding freezes and staff layoffs--that are already harming child care and early learning programs. These assaults on social infrastructure and aggressive moves to reshape the government are accompanied…

Forty years after its opening, Americans must reconsider the efficacy of a federal, Cabinet-level Department of Education. Rescinding agency status, eliminating duplicative, ineffective, and inappropriate programs, and re-organizing remaining programs under a restored Office of Education within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services…

This article is based on research undertaken between 2009 and 2012 into the former Labour government's extremely ambitious "Building Schools for the Future" (BSF) Programme and its withdrawal by the Coalition government. The project, which utilises analysis of policy documents, case studies in six local authorities (LA) and…

The decline in the number of UK universities offering undergraduate degree programmes in subjects such as sciences, mathematics, modern languages and humanities has been well documented and is now of real concern. It appears that economics may be going through a decline in new (post-1992) UK universities with many economics programmes having been…

The 2012 federal Budget marks the beginning of a painful and unnecessary fiscal retrenchment. Despite boasting one of the lowest debt-to-GDP ratios amongst industrialized countries, the Conservative government is pressing ahead with deep cuts of more than $5 billion across departmental budgets by 2014-15. For post-secondary education and research,…

Many who would define themselves as liberal progressives were heartened by the election of Barack Obama to the presidency. However, perhaps almost as many have been disappointed by Obama's policies as president. In this paper the author seeks to understand and explain the seeming reversal in Obama's policies, especially regarding education. He…

The Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (Public Law 111-152) was put in place to provide for reconciliation pursuant to Title II of the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2010 (S. Con. Res. 13). The table of contents for this Act is as follows: (1) Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. (A) Title--Coverage,…

Discusses how, as many universities shut down their nuclear reactors used for research and training, the Energy Department considers moving its support to regional facilities, a change that might lead to more shutdowns. (EV)

A review of the 1983 attempt to close the Department of Adult Education at the University of Southampton illuminates the debates over the nature of adult education, the end of political consensus about educational policy, and the demise of the "Great Tradition" of university liberal education in the process of mainstreaming extramural…

Presents the viewpoints of seven social service veterans, all in the private sector, who discuss the effects of reducing welfare assistance. They respond to the question of what would happen if the government stopped adding people to the welfare rolls, i.e., no additional participants accepted for Aid to Families with Dependent Children, food…

Rising program deficits and lack of state aid for college sports programs in Oregon have caused the suspension of sports teams as a cost-cutting measure. Some trace the financial problems to equalization of women's sports and the 1982 downturn in the lumber industry. Financing options appear limited. (MSE)

Cites a shift toward a more conservative political agenda in Australia that parallels trends in Canada; analyzes the development of the child care system in one province of Canada to demonstrate that despite manifold distributions to the child care system, the lack of a constitutional dimension has left the program vulnerable. Presents the example…

This document consists of four consecutive issues of a newsletter presenting information on public policy and research of interest to school-based health centers (SBHCs) for children and youth. The spring 2000 issue explores why some SBHCs are closing and student support for SBHCs. The summer 2000 issue addresses the use of SBHCs in alternative…

Provides models helpful to policymakers at state and institutional levels involved in academic program review and discontinuation, outlines levels of policy decisions for program discontinuation, and examines models that may be effective at each level. Concludes with program discontinuation-related recommendations. (Author/MSE)