Largely speaking, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts can be described as progressive and liberal in its political cultural and overarching political outlook. Of course, this is not to say that so has been the situation since forever. Massachusetts has had a history of a feudalistic political set up, which underwent transformation in the late 19th century (Clark, 2018). Since the 20th century, the state has increasingly adopted a more individualistic political culture, wherein the government is recognized as an institution that addresses the needs of the individual citizens of society (Clark, 2018). New goods, services and policies are introduced by the government if there is sufficient demand for those goods and services among the state’s population. However, along with the objective of welfare, the political performance of the party in power is also guided by the voting behavior of the people. New schemes are enacted if politicians can use them to garner support from voters or interested stake holders. This paper presents a critical evaluation of the prevalent political culture in Massachusetts, with special emphasis on the impact of this culture on the public education system of the state of Massachusetts.
Predominant Political Culture
The two main political parties in the state are the Democratic and the Republican. Massachusetts has had some crucial milestones to its credit. It was the first American state to legalize gay marriage in 2003 and to provide universal state-wide healthcare in 2006 (Wildeman & Wang, 2017). However, its political culture is further greatly influenced by puritanical values and ‘moral policies’. For instance, while the state permits gambling activities it has also prescribed preventive measures to curb the problem of gambling addiction. It encourages individuals who may be addicted to gambling to enlist themselves so they can be banned from casinos (Clark, 2018). By placing the moral responsibility of welfare upon the citizens, instead of a more pro-active measure by the state, such policies point at the contradictory political culture of the Massachusetts commonwealth.
Major Characteristics of Political Culture and its Emphasis on Capitalist Values
A prominent feature of the Massachusetts’ political culture is the individualistic, almost ‘business-minded’ outlook of its political leaders in power (Wildeman & Wang, 2017). Though a noble philosophy in itself, an overwhelming individualistic outlook has led to the Massachusetts government privatizing several key sectors of society, including education. As a result, studies have shown that focus has shifted from addressing the crucial shortcomings and immediate needs in the sectors of elementary and secondary education, to building public schools as potential markets for interested private stake-holders. This points to another important characteristic of the political culture of Massachusetts, that is, emphasis on capitalist economic values (Wildeman & Wang, 2017). These values are embraced by the American people as a whole. In Massachusetts, the emphasis is on a free-enterprise system that grows upon open market competition. The political culture has come to rely largely upon the idea of achieving development through private ownership of property and minimum government interference in business affairs.
As a result of this, Massachusetts has been more tolerant of corruption led by government backed private stake-holders (Wildeman & Wang, 2017). This is well reflected in the sphere of elementary and secondary education in public schools where organizational changes in leadership are more evident than changes in the structure of curriculum and teaching in schools.
Behavior of People and Groups
According to the article, the spheres of elementary and secondary education in Massachusetts have been largely governed on the principle of self-government. The state has also adopted a number of progressive education policies as introduced by the federal government. However, since the adoption of such federal policies the parties concerned have developed an attitude of indifference towards this sector. Driven largely by individualistic needs and objectives, concerned parties like the school boards, parents, etc. have failed to address the key issues regarding the education structure in the state. Two key behavior patterns can be found with respect to the stake-holders in Massachusetts’ education system. Firstly, there is an attitude of complacency among experts, policy-makers and executives who believe that adopting standards backed by the federal government would be adequate in addressing the drawbacks of the state’s education system (McNamara & Musgrave, 2020). Issues such as long-term consequences of shifting to the national standards have not even been raised.
Secondly, there appears to be an emerging nexus between the political and economic leaders of Massachusetts in the education system (Nichols & Plummer, 2017). The increasing capitalist outlook of the groups has had adverse impacts on the education standards of the state. For instance, the report submitted by the interest group appointed by Paul Reville provided no empirical evidence on the effects of integrating “21st century skills” into the Massachusetts’ education system. The excessive capitalistic and economic approach of the concerned groups has resulted in slow development of the state’s education system in spite of availability of funds and grants.
Most Sympathized Political Culture
A close reading of the article reveals not just the critical stance of the author vis-à-vis Massachusetts’ political culture but also points to the author’s inclination towards a more democratic political environment. Without explicitly proposing, the author seems to suggest that a democratic approach, guided by ‘welfarist’ measures would create a conducive environment for the growth and development of the education system in Massachusetts (Sentance & Chieppo, 2018). The author critiques the excessively individualistic and capitalist attitude evident among the stake-holders in the local elementary and secondary education system. For instance, in stating that the school boards have failed to ask certain crucial questions pertaining to the education system of Massachusetts, the author suggests that the interested stake-holders are not concerned about the welfare and future of the public schools or the education standards of the children graduating from these schools.
Further, the author criticizes the approach of the concerned parties when he points out that while on one hand, the state government wants to upgrade the education system (by integrating it with 21st century skills) on the other, its propositions are not backed by evidence-based studies. Thus, the political leaders and the board members are not concerned about the long-term implications of their proposed measures but are short-sighted and narrow in their concern (McNamara & Musgrave, 2020). Perhaps, the sole driving force of the political leaders is to boost their vote bank. The author strongly criticizes this shrewd capitalist political culture and advocates for one that is more inclined towards social growth, inclusive development and welfare.
With the help of this case study, the author not only manages to present a critique of the shortcomings of the political culture prevalent in Massachusetts, but also exposes its potential adverse effects on the education system of the state. The growing nexus of the political and economic leaders of Massachusetts have meant that the issue of development in education system has become secondary, as schools are increasingly seen as markets for profit than places of learning.
References
Clark, T. N. (2018). The new political culture. Abingdon: Routledge.
McNamara, K. R., & Musgrave, P. (2020). Democracy and Collective Identity in the EU and the USA. JCMS: Journal of Common Market Studies, 58(1), 172-188. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcms.12978
Nichols, T. P., & Plummer, E. (2017). Year 1 State Report: Massachusetts. Center on Standards, Alignment, Instruction, and Learning. ERIC Number: ED594158
Sentance, M., & Chieppo, C. (2018). Is Two-Tiered Public Education on the Rise in Massachusetts? Policy Brief. Pioneer Institute for Public Policy Research. ERIC Number: ED588865.
Wildeman, C., & Wang, E. A. (2017). Mass incarceration, public health, and widening inequality in the USA. The Lancet, 389(10077), 1464-1474. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(17)30259-3
