Implied Political Pedagogy

Abstract

Public education in the United States intertwines with politics. The historical accounting of public education in America, from funding and regency to learning standards and assessments, reveals politician's direct public education at national, state, and local levels (ERIC Clearinghouse for Social Studies/Social Science Education, 1994; No Child Left Behind Act, 2002). Although this political-education nexus presented throughout the country's history, it experienced heightened engagements in recent years as statements, beliefs, and activities were widely debated and, in some cases, codified into law (American Association of University Professors et al., 2021; Office of the Governor, 2022; The White House, 2023, para. 44; Turley, 2022). While much research and theory exist on the practice of education's engagements with and through politics (Apple, 1996; Giroux, 1981; Giroux & McLaren, 1986; Ladson-Billings, 2006; McLaren, 2016), research by Epps and Wilcoxson (2024) revealed a previously unidentified educational practice, Implied Political Pedagogy, influenced and shaped by politics. Building on Epps and Wilcoxson's initial broad categorization of Implied Political Pedagogy, this article relies on a brief historical accounting of the American political-public education relationship and research data to position and expand the pedagogy's application by educators and explore its characteristics, structure, scope, and pedagogical relationships.