The politics of education is a new field of research specialization both in education and in political science. As with any new field, the politics of education faces a number of problems. On the other hand, it shows promise of being able to make important contributions both in increasing our understanding of educational and political systems and in providing substantial help in tackling current pressing educational problems. The aim of this paper is to describe briefly the development of the politics of education to date, to note some of the main literature that has been produced, particularly in the United States and in Australia, and to discuss some of the problems the politics of education faces and some of the possibilities it offers. A substantial bibliography is included. (Author)