Doctoral Dissertation Research in Political Science: The Politics of Education Reform in Mexico

这篇博士论文研究支持项目考察了墨西哥地方教育改革的政治。在拉丁美洲和许多发展中世界盛行的以市场为导向的经济改革的背景下，学者和政策制定者开始强调改革社会政策领域的必要性。教育尤其重要，这既是因为整个区域的成就水平相对较低，也是因为它有潜力补充宏观经济政策，以实现长期、公平的增长。墨西哥的教育系统在过去25年里经历了一个权力下放的过程，这为审查墨西哥各州改革战略重大差异的政治决定因素提供了机会。这项研究建立在对欧洲和拉丁美洲社会支出水平原因的研究基础上，从跨国分析转向单一联邦制度内的跨州比较。此外，它在理论上和经验上都有助于在经济结构调整政策的背景下探讨发展中国家的社会政策改革政治的新文献。对瓜纳华托、米却肯州和普埃布拉三个案例的深入研究嵌套在对墨西哥32个联邦单位(31个州和联邦区)的广泛统计分析中。后者利用从墨西哥城的统计和教育机构收集的数据，前者基于对这三个案例中的政客、教师工会官员、商界领袖和教育工作者的采访。这项研究有助于对社会政策如何随着市场自由化而变化的广泛社会理解。除了对政治学的贡献，这项研究还通过强调政策建议的政治可行性，增加了关于课程改革和教育的社会经济回报的辩论。最后，这项研究通过洞察向发展中国家人民提供更高水平的教育机会和质量的政策的政治可行性，实际上有助于经济发展战略。

This Doctoral Dissertation Research Support project examines the politics of education reform at the sub-national level in Mexico. In the context of market-oriented economic reforms that have prevailed in Latin America and much of the developing world, scholars and policymakers have begun to emphasize the need to reform areas of social policy. Education is particularly important, both because of the relatively low levels of achievement throughout the region, and because of its potential to complement macroeconomic policies to achieve long-term, equitable growth. Mexico's education system has undergone a process of decentralization over the last 25 years that offers an opportunity to examine the political determinants of significant variation in reform strategy across the Mexican states. This research builds upon studies of the causes of levels of social spending in Europe and Latin America by moving from cross-national analysis to cross-state comparison within a single federal system. Furthermore, it contributes both theoretically and empirically to a nascent literature on the politics of social policy reform in developing countries in the context of economic structural adjustment policies. An in depth examination of three case studies- -Guanajuato, Michoacan, and Puebla - -are nested within a broad statistical analysis of the 32 federal units (31 states and the Federal District) in Mexico. The latter utilize data gathered from statistical and educational institutions in Mexico City, and the former are based upon interviews with politicians, teacher union officials, business leaders, and educators in each of the three cases. The research can contribute a broad social understanding of how social policies change in response to market liberalization. In addition to its contribution to political science, this study adds to debates on curricular reform and the socioeconomic returns to education by highlighting the political viability of policy suggestions. Finally, this research contributes practically to economic development strategies by offering insight into the political feasibility of policies that offer higher levels of educational access and quality to people in developing countries.