THE PROCESS OF POLITICS: A STUDY OF THE POLITICAL PROCESS LEADING TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE MINNESOTA CENTER FOR ARTS EDUCATION A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA BY JAMES DOUGLAS HAINLEN IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY DR. NEAL NICKERSON, ADVISER SEPTEMBER 2009 2009 JAMES DOUGLAS HAINLEN ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The author wishes to thank people who generously contributed to the research design, writing, and completion of this thesis: Professor Neal Nickerson, my advisor for the completion of this thesis, was unfailing kind and supportive in bringing this project to a conclusion. I would particularly like to thank him for supporting my request to re-enter the Department of Educational Policy and Administration; Professors Arthur Harkins, Byron Schneider, and Darwin Hendel, for reading and offering helpful suggestions; The 27 informants who willingly shared their first-hand knowledge of the details of this investigation; My wife, Linda, and sons, Jeffrey and Steven, for allowing me to work on doctoral studies while also being husband and father. The research and writing of this thesis was divided into two time periods with an intervening period of personal medical issues, and I would like to thank Dr.
Charles Sederberg and Dr. Tim Mazzoni for guiding the initial conceptual design, research, and writing. i ABSTRACT THE PROCESS OF POLITICS: A STUDY OF THE POLITICAL PROCESS LEADING TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE MINNESOTA CENTER FOR ARTS EDUCATION The purpose of this study was to investigate the political process that resulted in the establishment of the Minnesota Center for Arts Education as a state funded educational policy option. This research identified the interest group actors who initiated the idea and the key actors who guided it through the policy arena, and analyzed the interactions of the participants from the political perspective of actors, goals, motivations, resources, strategies, arenas, critical interactions, and outcomes.
This study focused on the executive and legislative arenas in Minnesota government. The study was bounded in time by the initial policy proposal set forth to the members of the Minnesota Alliance for the Arts in Education in 1976, and the final enabling legislation passed in 1989. The research methodology was a single case study with qualitative data gathered from interviews of 27 significant informants, archival sources, and the public record. The research found that human agency and personalization of policy were key elements in the policy making process and a constant factor in the dynamic interaction between Governor Perpich and state legislators.
The concept of a state financed arts high school originated outside the K-12 policy subsystems and gained crucial support when the Governor attached himself and the resources of his position to the idea in 1984. The findings are significant for proponents of educational reform who believe that education policy options ought to be enacted on the merits of the idea and underestimate the importance of the complex interplay of human behavior: power, motivation, advocacy, executive leadership, and political strategy. This research concluded that the legislation for the Minnesota Center for Arts Education was enacted because of the effective use of resources controlled by the Governor and his staff, and a pragmatic understanding and implementation of political strategies during critical interactions in the legislative arena. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.
ii TABLE OF CONTENTS. iii LIST OF FIGURES. vi CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION. 1 Background of the Study.
2 Statement of the Problem and Initial Research Questions. 6 Overview of Study Design. 8 Definition of Terms. 10 Limitations of Study.
12 CHAPTER 2 REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE. 14 Review of Literature on Policy Making. 15 Rational Perspective on Policy Making. 16 Organizational Perspective on Policy Making.
18 Political Perspective on Policy Making. 18 Advocacy Coalition Perspective on Policy Making. 19 Formal and Informal Policies. 20 Systems Perspective on Policy Making.
21 Review of the Literature on Political Analysis. 25 Power and Influence. 28 Sources of power. 30 A Conceptual Framework for Political Analysis of Education Issue Conflicts.
35 Blended Frameworks – a working model for this investigation. 40 Review of the Literature on Fine Arts Education. 42 Review of Literature on Case Study. 50 Setting and Data Sources.
56 Human Subjects Review and Approval. 62 Role of the Interviewer. 63 Coding of Data. 64 Triangulation of Data.
68 Analysis of Data. 73 CHAPTER 4 CONTEXT AND ORIGIN OF THE ARTS HIGH SCHOOL. 75 Multiple Policy Initiatives for Educational Reform 1976-1989. 80 iii Gifted and Talented Education Movement in Minnesota 1978-1984.
83 Arts Education Advocacy 1972-1985. 88 Origin of the Minnesota Arts High School Concept. 92 Feasibility and Planning Committee Proposal 1978-1980. 95 Gubernatorial Leadership in the Policy Arena.
99 Policy Influenced by Perpich’s Time in Europe. 102 Political and Leadership Values of Rudy Perpich. 103 CHAPTER 5 THE POLICY MAKING PROCESS THAT RESULTED IN THE MINNESOTA CENTER FOR ARTS EDUCATION. 110 Idea Initiation and Placement on the Official Policy Agenda 1976-1984.
111 Initial Authoritative Action 1984-1985. 114 Selection of Director, Site, Architect, and Site Acquisition 1986-1988. 119 Final Legislative and Executive Action 1989. 131 CHAPTER 6 FINDINGS ON THE POLITICAL PROCESS THAT LEAD TO THE MINNESOTA CENTER FOR ARTS EDUCATION.
135 Actors in the Policy Issue. 135 Interest group actors. 135 Key actors in the political arena. 141 Key actors: advocates.
144 Key actors: the governor’s able staff. 147 Key actors: state legislators. 148 Key actors: state agency staff. 153 Minor actors: advocates.
155 Actors with limited roles. 157 Key actors: opponents. 160 Goals of the Participants. 171 Stated goals of advocates and opponents.
173 Motivations of the Participants. 176 Motivations for Governor Perpich. 177 Motivations for opponents. 206 Six positional resources available to Governor Perpich.
223 The typological resource of antecedent legislative norms. 224 The typological resource of legislative maneuvering. 227 The typological resources of time, timelines, and timing. 231 The typological resources of rhetoric and narrative.
237 Strategies of agenda setting and coalition formation. 239 Planning as strategy. 243 Compromise as strategy. 249 Executive leadership arena.
251 Expanded leadership arena. 254 Arena of political patronage. 260 iv Legislative arena. 274 Impromptu arenas of negotiation.
304 Human agency: A win/win for Governor Perpich. 306 Ideas matter: Alternate formulations to conform to political reality. 307 No one knew how it was going to turn out: All those “little things”. 314 Lessons for Politics of Education.
321 Archives at the Minnesota History Center. 321 Archives at the Minnesota Center for Arts Education. 322 Archives at the Minnesota Legislative Library. 324 Archives at the Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphonies.
329 Newspapers and Newsletters. 346 Appendix A Comprehensive Chronology of the Minnesota Center for Arts Education 1976-1989. 346 Appendix B Profile of Key Informants. 367 Appendix C Key Informant Packet Initial Letter.
368 Appendix D Consent Form. 370 Appendix E Interview Guide. 371 Appendix F Interview Assessment Guide. 373 Appendix G Key Participants and Organizations Involved in the Issue Conflict 1976- 1989.
374 Appendix H Legislative Committees with Education Oversight during the Issue Conflict. 377 Appendix I Path of Education Bill in the Minnesota Legislature. 379 Appendix J Minnesota Center for Arts Education Funding History 1985 to 1990. 380 Appendix K Contact Summary Form.
381 Appendix L Committees to plan for Minnesota School for the Arts, 1979 Feasibility Conference. 382 Appendix M Feasibility Conference, Participants 1979. 384 Appendix N The Commission on the Economic Vitality of the Arts – Members, January 1984. 386 Appendix O Minnesota Arts Education Task Force Members – February, 1984.
387 v LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Political Systems Model. 24 Figure 2: Conceptual Framework for Political Analysis of Education Issue Conflicts. 39 Figure 3: Blended Frameworks. 41 Figure 4: Framework for data gathering, analysis, and outcomes of the political process 55 Figure 5: Continuum of interviews with increasing amounts of structure.
59 Figure 6: Analysis Codes. 65 Figure 7: Matrix of Key Informants and Research Data. 67 Figure 8: Comprehensive Coding Categories. 69 Figure 9: Policy Initiatives for Minnesota K-12 Educational Policy 1976-1989.
79 Figure 10: Minnesota Department of Education Survey of Reductions in Music. 82 Figure 11: Four Models of Arts High School Organization and Funding. 97 Figure 12: Major Events Leading to the MCAE 1976-1989. 107 Figure 13: Timeline of Participant Involvement for Key Actors and Minor Actors.
143 Figure 14: Perpich's Motivations to Exert Influence on the Policy Issue. 179 Figure 15: Summary of Political Actions Used to Influence the Policy Issue. 310 vi CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION The purpose of this study was to investigate and analyze the political process that resulted in the establishment of the Minnesota Center for Arts Education as an alternative in Minnesota public educational options (Minnesota Statutes: 129C.10 Center for Arts Education, 1985, June 21). This research examined how the educational idea was initiated, evolved over time, gained attention in the executive and legislative arenas, was influenced by political negotiations, and officially implemented with fiscal resources.
This investigation provided a view of a complex process that changed an established reality by the use of power, personal influence, legislative strategy, and maneuvering in the political arena. The policy alternative of a state-supported residential high school for students in the fine arts was a multifaceted issue with great uncertainty about the positive and negative outcomes. There were multiple perspectives about the need for an arts high school in Minnesota that arose in the public, educational, and legislative arenas. Strident positions were articulated about a separate school to serve artistic students in contrast to increased resources directed to arts programs in all schools.
Public pronouncements made by some legislators were highly partisan, even surprisingly immature at times. Other legislators remained more detached and astutely used the issue for political gain and patronage in their legislative districts. Some opponents of the issue acknowledged that the idea of a state sponsored arts high school had educational merit but held that it was not an appropriate institutional response. Other opponents articulated deeply held family and community values that resonated statewide with many people who opposed building an arts high school.
A diverse group of arts advocates enthusiastically embraced the arts high school alternative and developed the concept through public hearings, foundation support and interest group 1 promotion that drove the policy debate for several years in the interest group arena before it emerged in the state policy arena. The policy option of a state supported arts high school first developed in the unofficial policy arena in 1976. It was elevated to the official policy arena in 1984 by Governor Perpich and remained on the legislative agenda for six years. The policy conflict resulted in continued focused actions by the Governor, key legislators, lobbyists, aides, state agency staff, arts advocates, teacher’s unions, and the media.
People who find the development of policy making interesting will find the study of the Minnesota Center for Arts Education a compelling story of the circuitous route a simply stated, but contentious educational policy initiative can take on its way to becoming law. Background of the Study Many students who excelled in the fine arts (music, dance, literary arts, visual arts, and theater), did not have the opportunity to refine their artistic skills and achieve their career goals within the public schools, according to the Minnesota Department of Education Task Force Report (1984, p.