The authors argue that the most influential and well-known educational policy programs in the past 30 years are not based on democratic consensus, but are instead formulated by the political community as symbolic efforts meant to generate personal partisan gain.

Mary Lee Smith is Professor in the Department of Education Leadership and Policy Studies at Arizona State University and the Director of Southwest Education Policy Studies in Phoenix, Arizona. She has spoken at local schools and educational agencies nationwide on the topics of grade retention and mandated assessment.

Prologue Chapter One: School Policy Under the Spotlight Chapter Two: Testing the Theory in Testing Policy Chapter Three: School Choice and the Illusion of Democracy Chapter Four: The Contribution of Mass Media to Desegregation Policy Chapter Five: Research and the Illusion of Rationality Chapter Six: Education Policy, Inc. Chapter Seven: Finale Bibliography