2020 Dennis Judd Best Book Award, American Political Science Association Outside Money in School Board Elections documents and analyzes the injection of external funding into local elections. Local school board contests have recently become flashpoints of national donor interest. Some observers see this engagement as a needed boost for complacent school districts while others view it as a threat to local democracy.   Drawing on a detailed study of elections in five districts (Bridgeport, Connecticut, Denver, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, and New Orleans), the authors explore what happens when national issues percolate downward into local politics. They suggest that the involvement of wealthy individuals and national organizations in local school board elections are signs of the nationalization of local education politics that potentially have significant implications for equity and democracy.     Outside Money in School Board Elections brings attention back to local participation and the diversity of players at that level, and highlights the national trend of increasing wealth inequality and its impact on the politics of education. This cross-case investigation demonstrates that local and national education politics are not separate fields but closely intertwined areas of political advocacy with complex interactions. "This important book by Henig, Jacobsen, and Reckhow helps us to begin to understand the causes and implications of outside money in school board elections and provides a foundation for further research and analysis." —Domingo Morel , Perspectives on Politics "This volume addresses a previously underexplored component of our democracy: the increased impact of national issues on local campaigns focused on education. Informed by data and rigorous methodology, authors Henig (Columbia Univ.), Jacobsen (Michigan State Univ.), and Reckhow (Michigan State Univ.) investigate the influence of money on these elections from within and outside the community, as well as the role played by teacher and other employee unions." — Choice "As the first large-scale assessment of the monetary flows, identities, and political allegiances surrounding school board elections, the authors offer a comprehensive analysis and we encourage future research to take up race in the nationalization of education politics from a critical perspective." — Teachers College Record "[ Outside Money in School Board Elections '] findings are stark and its message is very compelling. It will be and should be of interest to political scientists and education policy analysts but also to local politicians and officials and to parents." — Education Review Outside Money in School Board Elections documents and analyzes the injection of external funding into local school board elections. Drawing on a detailed study of elections in five districts, the authors explore what happens when national issues percolate into local politics. They suggest that the involvement of wealthy individuals and national organizations in local school board elections are signs of the nationalization of local education politics that have potentially significant implications for equity and democracy. “Readers can follow the campaign money to discover how new national political actors influence school board elections all over the US. But different local contexts create different local outcomes. This book unearths new insights about the complex external political web confronting local school reform politics.” —Michael Kirst , professor emeritus, Stanford, and president, California State Board of Education “‘Follow the money’ proved to be a smart research strategy for Watergate. Henig, Jacobsen, and Reckhow put it to superb use in their study of outside money in school board elections. With great skill this rich study shows that, while external funding is important, it does not totally supplant local political agency. The authors make a strong case that nationalization in education politics is a major trend to follow in all its nuances.” —Clarence N. Stone , research professor of political science and public policy, George Washington University “The education reform fervor that inspired elite donors to shell out hundreds of millions also stirred equally intense criticisms about their influence on local politics.  Outside Money in School Board Elections  will throw a cold glass of reality in the faces of donors and their critics, having everyone rethink the best way to win over local school boards.” —Andre Perry , fellow, The Brookings Institution Jeffrey R. Henig is a professor of political science and education at Teachers College and professor of political science at Columbia University. Rebecca Jacobsen is an associate professor of education politics and policy in the College of Education at Michigan State University. Sarah Reckhow is an associate professor of political science at Michigan State University. Education Politics and Policy Ser