The Capitol in the Classroom: Implementing the Common Core in an Era of Coercive Federalism

The Capitol in the Classroom: Implementing the Common Core in an Era of Coercive Federalism Constantine, Molly The increased prevalence of federal mandates and funding initiatives support the existence of coercive federalism. The Common Core State Standards Initiative is a notable example of a coercively implemented policy. The failures of its implementation suggest important limitations to coercive federalism, particularly in regards to education policy. Based on my study of the implementation of the Common Core in New York State, I argue in this thesis that its failure is attributed to its rushed rollout in schools, extensive amount of standardized testing, and lack of support received from both teachers and parents.