Political Divisions in Education and the Decline of Internal Cohesion in the United States

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 M.A. in Regional Studies–North America, Faculty of Law and Political Science, Allameh Tabataba’i University, Tehran, Iran

2 Associate Professor, Department of International Relations, Faculty of Law and Political Science, Allameh Tabataba’i University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Public education is regarded as one of the most important instruments for shaping and strengthening social cohesion in modern governance. Since the nineteenth century, governments, recognizing the vast capacity of this institution, have used it to create societies aligned with the values and objectives of the ruling class, reproducing their desired concepts within the framework of education. In the United States as well, public education has played a key role in realizing the “melting pot” theory and in creating cultural homogeneity among immigrants. In recent decades, however, this very instrument of convergence has itself become one of the principal sources of divergence and political conflict. Adopting a descriptive-analytical approach and using documentary and comparative methods, this study, within the theoretical framework of “education as a public good,” seeks to answer the question of how political divisions in education become a tool for the decline of internal cohesion in the United States. The findings show that the two dominant discourses in this field are, first, an individualistic and market-oriented discourse that emphasizes reducing the role of the federal government, strengthening charter schools, and expanding families’ freedom of choice; and second, an equality-oriented discourse that calls for the expansion of educational justice, free education, and support for minorities and low-income groups. As a result, education in American society has become a focal point for reflecting deep internal ideological and cultural conflicts.

Keywords

References

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American Strategic Studies
Volume 6, Issue 1 - Serial Number 1
Serial number 21 - Spring 2026
July 2026

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History

  • Receive Date: 07 June 2026
  • Revise Date: 19 June 2026
  • Accept Date: 13 July 2026
  • Publish Date: 22 June 2026

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