Journal of Economic Literature
Book Reviews
2026-09-01
Robert Bifulco of Syracuse University reviews “Spin Cycle: How Research Is Used in Policy Debates: The Case of Charter Schools” by Jeffrey R. Henig,. The EconLit Abstract of the reviewed work begins “Explores how controversies over the charter school movement illustrate the use and misuse of research in policy debates. Discusses the New York Times/AFT Charter School controversy; informed democracy--an ideal and its skeptics; how cool research gets in hot waters--privatization, school choice, and charter schools; research in the public eye--personalization, polarization, and politicization; research outside the spotlight--accumulation, convergence, and contingency; following the money--the role of funding in the politicization of education research; how research reaches the public ear--old media and new; and whether the ideal of informed democracy can be revived. Henig is Professor of Political Science and Education at Teachers College, Columbia University, and Professor of Political Science at Columbia University. Index.”