Cliff Notes
- In 1980, the Republican Party officially called for the closure of the Education Department shortly after it was established.
- Over four decades later, President Trump appears poised to make significant strides toward dismantling the agency, which would require congressional approval.
- Trump is reportedly preparing an executive order aimed at eradicating the Education Department.
- This initiative has sparked renewed debate on the federal government’s role in education, uniting various factions within the Republican Party, including establishment Republicans and Trump’s base.
- Christopher F. Rufo of the Manhattan Institute characterizes this movement as a “counterrevolution” against what he views as a detrimental bureaucracy in education.
Why Do Republicans Want to Dismantle the Education Department?
Republicans aim to dismantle the Education Department due to a belief that it represents an overreach of federal authority into education policy. They argue that education should be managed locally and believe that federal involvement stifles innovation and imposes a one-size-fits-all approach that may not suit the diverse needs of students across the country. This perspective aligns with the broader conservative ideology advocating for limited government intervention and greater local control. Additionally, the push to dismantle the department reflects ongoing frustrations with educational standards and policies perceived as being shaped by progressive agendas.
Two months after the Education Department officially opened its doors in 1980, Republicans approved a policy platform calling on Congress to shut it down.
Now, more than four decades later, President Trump may come closer than any other Republican president to making that dream a reality.
Though doing away with the agency would require an act of Congress, Mr. Trump has devoted himself to the goal, and is said to be preparing an executive order with the aim of dismantling it.
Mr. Trump’s fixation has reinvigorated the debate over the role of the federal government in education, creating a powerful point of unity between the ideological factions of his party: traditional establishment Republicans and die-hard adherents of his Make America Great Again movement.
“This is a counterrevolution against a hostile and nihilistic bureaucracy,” said Christopher F. Rufo, a senior fellow at the conservative Manhattan Institute think tank and a trustee of New College of Florida.