The Education of Nations How the Political Organization of the Poor, Not Democracy, Led Governments to Invest in Mass Education

"Democratization leads to the expansion of education in developing nations. Or so conventional wisdom would have it. But in this innovative book, Stephen Kosack argues that conventional wisdom is often quite wrong. He develops a new theory that, by going beyond regime type to consider the logic of politics, puts the explanatory emphasis not on whether the poor are simply allowed to vote, but rather on whether political entrepreneurs have been able to organize them as a powerful constituency . His three, well-chosen case studies provide empirical support, adding illuminating detail about real education systems, their politics, and their development. This is a provocative argument destined to stimulate debate, new thinking, and new research on a topic of great importance."--Terry M . Moe, Stanford University "An excellent work that goes beyond platitudes about democracy and education by offering a fine-grained analysis of the conditions in which quality primary education emerges."--Lant Pritchett, Professor of the Practice of Economic Development, and Development Area Chair, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University "With lucid reasoning and breathtaking empirical scope, Stephen Kosack offers a bold new theory of policymaking that explains why democracies often fail to produce pro-poor policies. The Education of Nations is vital reading for anyone interested in inequality, poverty, and sustainable development in the Global South."--Richard Snyder, Professor of Political Science, Brown University