Includes bibliographical references (pages [194]-208) and index.
Contents:
Introduction : Closed for school, open for business - when citizens become targets in the era of mass school closure -- What targeted citizens think : racial differences in public opinion on school closures -- Who targeted citizens blame : blame, approval, and Black power -- How targeted citizens fight back : participating while poor and Black in the policy process -- Who wins and who loses in the era of mass school closures : toward a theory of collective participatory debt -- Conclusion : Closed for school, closed for democracy - why closing schools undermines democracy -- Epilogue : Close to home.
Summary:
This book investigates the declining presence of public schools in large cities and its political consequences on the Americans most directly affected - poor Black citizens. The book examines the targeted nature of urban public school closure and its impact on the politics of those affected. It documents how school closure policies target these communities and, through the process, makes them feel excluded from the public goods afforded to equal citizens under the law. Targeted groups become superlative participators to make their voices heard, and some even attain policy gains. But their negative experiences with the policy process undermine their belief in the power of political participation. In the end, the book makes clear that when schools shut down, so does Black citizens' access to and belief in American democracy. -- Provided by publisher.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.