Abramowitz, Alan I., and Kyle L. Saunders. “Is polarization a myth?.” The Journal of Politics 70.2 (2008): 542-555.https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022381608080493.
This source was selected to explore the complex problem of political polarization in the United States of America. The study provides experimental evidence proving that the Republican and Democratic parties increasingly face ideological gaps, which has become the main obstacle to overcoming the danger of political polarization. The essay supports its claim that partisanship-based divisions have adverse consequences for governing and civic dialogue by analyzing the data and trends provided in this report. Abramowitz and Saunders address some critical issues behind political polarization, such as media polarization, gerrymandering, and the interests of pressure groups that contribute to analyzing the root causes of this problem in their study.
Au, Wayne. “Teaching under the New Taylorism: High‐Stakes Testing and the Standardization of the 21st Century Curriculum.” Journal of Curriculum Studies, vol. 43, no. 1, Feb. 2011, pp. 25–45, https://doi.org/10.1080/00220272.2010.521261.
Wayne Au’s research was utilized for a critical viewpoint on the functioning of current standardized testing in the education domain. In his article, the author carefully explores the undesirable implications of standardized testing, including the problem of curriculum standardization and the teacher’s teaching principles. Au’s views are included in the essay, making it more influential as it advocates for using different assessment methods focused on holistic skill development and equality in education. Au’s contribution addressed equally valid shortcomings of the current standardized testing regime, which corresponds with the essay’s advocacy for education policy reforms.
Davis, Terri Burney, James Nelson, and Political Scientist. The Texas Constitution: The People, History, and Government of the Lone Star State. Lamar University Literary Press, 2017.
The book on the Texas Constitution was chosen for its thorough treatment of Texas’s peculiar features of its political and legal system. Davis, Nelson, and their co-authors do a complete study about the earlier legislation adopted in the constitution of Texas and the analysis of its historical maintenance to give an overall understanding of the state’s governance system. Through this source, the author draws out some key points concerning the imbalance between state and local authorities and the rights and duties of the Texas public. In their contemplation of later amendments to the Texas constitution, focusing on the ones related to public education funding and the general planning of transportation infrastructure, the authors make their essay revision even more diligent and informative.
Levendusky, Matthew S. “Americans, not partisans: Can priming American national identity reduce affective polarization?.” The Journal of Politics 80.1 (2018): 59-70.https://doi.org/10.1086/693987.
Levendusky’s research became part of the findings to present tactics for fighting political polarization in the USA. In this article, Levendusky explores whether priming the American national identity can lessen party differences and create uniformity among rival political groups. Through applying Levendusky’s findings, the paper identifies new ways of dealing with the issues brought about by political polarization. Levendusky’s work provides theoretical frameworks and valuable empirical evidence for the essay’s debate about the role of political identity in determining political behavior and opinion.
Podolsky, A., T. Kini, L. Darling-Hammond, and J. Bishop. “Strategies for Attracting and Retaining Educators: What Does the Evidence Say?”. Education Policy Analysis Archives, vol. 27, Apr. 2019, p. 38, doi:10.14507/epaa.27.3722.
This source was selected because it analyzes different assessment approaches in education, namely project-based learning. The research by Podolsky et al. underscores the value of project-based learning for acquiring critical thinking, teamwork, and problem-solving proficiency among students. The contribution of Podolsky et al. to the advocacy for equality and innovation in education policy through supporting empirical evidence and practical insights is of great significance in probing the analysis of education, constitution, and political polarization in contemporary America.
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