Defunding Democracy: How Education Inve stment Became a Partisan Battlefield

The Political Erosion of Public School Funding in America (1970s–Present)

Introduction

Since the 1970s, public education in the United States has undergone a dramatic transformation—not merely in pedagogy or demographics, but in its very political and fiscal foundations. This article examines the national arc of K–12 education funding over the last five decades, exploring how partisan realignment, economic upheavals, and ideological shifts have produced deep disparities in educational investment. It argues that this divergence is not simply a matter of budgetary preference but a battle over the purpose and power of education itself—a "war on education" that threatens the bedrock of democratic citizenship.

Through an interdisciplinary analysis of federal and state-level policies, economic data (in constant dollars), and political control trends, this piece traces the rise and fall of education spending effort across the U.S. We identify the 1970s as a pivotal turning point, when courts, policymakers, and citizens began rethinking the role of government in ensuring equitable education. Yet from the 1980s forward, a countercurrent emerged: tax revolts, market ideology, and anti-government rhetoric challenged the consensus on education as a public good.

These dynamics not only restructured funding systems but began to reshape civic life itself. As spending declined or stagnated in many states, so too did opportunities for critical thinking, civic engagement, and equitable access to the American promise. The consequences—rising polarization, declining voter participation, and the erosion of democratic norms—suggest that education policy is not peripheral to politics, but central to the fate of the republic.

The 1970s: A Turning Point in U.S. Education Governance

The 1970s represent a watershed decade in American education policy. Emerging from the Civil Rights Movement and the Great Society, this era saw heightened concern for educational equity and government responsibility. A landmark event came in 1979, when the U.S. Department of Education was established as a Cabinet-level agency—a symbolic and institutional affirmation that education was a national concern, not merely a local one.

At the same time, a wave of court rulings exposed the inequities inherent in funding schools through local property taxes. Cases like Serrano v. Priest in California (1971, 1976) declared such systems unconstitutional, triggering efforts across the nation to re-engineer how education was financed. These decisions called into question the traditional paradigm of “local control,” inaugurating a new era of state and federal intervention in education.

But this progress met an abrupt backlash. California’s Proposition 13 (1978) heralded a broader tax revolt, capping property taxes and stripping localities of resources. The results were immediate and long-lasting: education budgets were slashed, state-level funding formulas became more complex, and school boards lost autonomy. This moment launched a slow but steady ideological war over whether education was a shared social investment—or a personal consumer choice.

Economically, the 1970s were turbulent: inflation, oil shocks, and stagnation squeezed state budgets. Still, most states increased their education funding in real terms through the decade, supported by a public that saw education as vital. Yet by the end of the 1970s, the seeds of retrenchment had been planted. The fiscal and political conditions were in place for a fundamental shift in the way America approached public education.

Partisan Polarization and the Divergence of Educational Investment

From the 1980s onward, political realignment deepened the divide in educational priorities. In previous decades, party control did not consistently predict a state’s education investment. But with the rise of the Reagan-era GOP and the retreat of New Deal liberalism, that began to change.

Today, the correlation is stark. According to a 2024 analysis, 17 of the top 20 states in per-pupil education spending were under Democratic control, while 17 of the bottom 20 were Republican-led. This is not merely coincidence—it reflects deep philosophical divides. Democratic governance, by and large, has prioritized education as a public good and resisted privatization. Republican governance, increasingly influenced by market fundamentalism and anti-union sentiment, has favored vouchers, charter schools, and tax cuts over traditional public investment.

The 2008 financial crisis and its aftermath crystalized these patterns. While almost every state cut education funding in response to the recession, their recovery paths diverged. Many Republican-led states—such as Arizona, Florida, and Oklahoma—chose to make the cuts permanent or deepen them, even amid recovery. Conversely, states with progressive coalitions—like California or Massachusetts—moved to restore and expand education budgets.

This partisan sorting has real consequences. States that consistently underfund education tend to have lower educational attainment, weaker labor markets, and diminished civic participation. The divergence in fiscal priorities has grown into a divergence in democratic capacity itself.

The Democratic Consequences of Disinvestment

Education is not just a ladder of opportunity—it is the scaffolding of self-government. The American Founders, from Jefferson to Benjamin Rush, warned that without broad public education, democracy would decay into demagoguery or aristocracy. Rush wrote, “Where learning is confined to a few people, we always find monarchy, aristocracy and slavery.” His warning has never been more prescient.

High-quality public education—especially with strong civic education components—nurtures critical thinking and democratic engagement. It equips students not merely with skills, but with the ability to question, deliberate, and participate. Studies confirm that students exposed to robust civics instruction are far more likely to vote, engage in public discourse, and resist authoritarian rhetoric.

When education funding is gutted, the opposite occurs. Underfunded schools are often forced to eliminate arts, civics, and debate programs, defaulting instead to test-based curricula that emphasize compliance over inquiry. Teachers become overburdened, turnover rises, and school-community bonds fray.

This degradation of public education is not always incidental—it can be strategic. Scholar Henry Giroux argues that attacks on education are often “attacks on democracy itself.” By stripping schools of their critical potential, political actors can foster “manufactured ignorance,” breeding electorates that are easier to manipulate and divide. The narrowing of curriculum, the censorship of history, and the vilification of educators are all tools in this broader assault.

Investing in Democracy or Dismantling It

The last fifty years have shown that education policy is political destiny. From the post-civil rights push for equity to the tax revolts of the late 20th century, and from the rise of charter systems to the resurgence of teacher activism, each chapter in the story of school funding has reflected larger societal battles.

Today, the stakes could not be higher. Some states continue to invest in education as a cornerstone of democratic life. Others, through decades of disinvestment and ideological warfare, risk hollowing out their civic infrastructure entirely.

This is not merely about dollars. It is about whether we believe that democracy requires an educated public—or whether we are content with an electorate governed by grievance, distraction, and fear. The war on education is thus a war on the republic itself.

As one concerned parent asked after years of cuts and curriculum fights: “We have to decide if we’re willing to pay for the kind of society we want.” That decision is now before every community, every legislature, and every generation.

Sources

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). Digest of Education Statistics – historical tables.

Education Law Center (2020). $600 Billion Lost: State Disinvestment in Education.

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (2017). A Punishing Decade for School Funding.

Truthout (2025). Henry A. Giroux, Erasing Democracy: The War on Education.

KQED, The Block That Prop 13 Built: Public Schools and Public Trust.

Associated Press (2025). Historical Context for the U.S. Department of Education.

Politico (2015). Benjamin Rush on Education and Liberty.

State legislative and political control databases via Ballotpedia, 270toWin.