“批判种族理论”与“父母权利”运动:政治极化背景下美国社会围绕教育问题的争论

“Critical Race Theory”and Parents'Rights Movement:Debates on Educational Issues in American Society Amidst Political Polarization

随着政治极化的溢出效应不断向教育领域渗透,美国民主党、共和党在教育改革理念和政策上的分歧日益加剧,主要聚焦在两点:一是“批判种族理论”在历史教学中的争议,民主党拥抱多元文化主义,而共和党则坚守基于“美国例外论”的爱国主义教育;二是关于父母与政府在学校教育中的权力边界之争,共和党提倡扩大“父母权利”,民主党则视教育为超越个人权利的公共利益和社会福利。美国民主、共和两党在教育问题上的博弈,联邦与州、地方的权力冲突,以及利益集团的推动和最高法院的全面右转,加剧美国社会政治极化和分裂,不仅降低公共教育质量,还在宏观层面上对主流价值观构成挑战。

As the spillover effects of political polarization increasingly infiltrate the field of education, the ideological and policy disagreements between the Democratic and Republican parties on educational reform are intensifying, focusing on two main threads. One is the controversy over “Critical Race Theory” in history teaching, with the Democratic Party embracing multiculturalism and the Republican Party adhering to an authoritarian patriotic education based on “American Exceptionalism.” The other is the debate over power boundaries between parents and the government in school education, with the Republican Party advocating for the expansion of “parents' rights” and the Democratic Party viewing education as a public interest and social welfare that transcends individual rights. The political logic behind the emergence of educational issues involves the catalysis of electoral politics, the political game-playing between the two parties, power conflicts between the federal, state, and local governments, as well as pressure by interest groups and the comprehensive rightward shift of the Supreme Court. Political polarization not only reduces the quality of public education in various states and endangers talent cultivation but also challenges mainstream values at the macro level and weakens the public's identification with the nation.