1. Civic Education
1.1. Civic Education equips students with the necessary skills to actively engage with the social and political landscape of today's world and the changes it undergoes
1.1.1. 2006 paper "Why Does Democracy Need Education?" by economists argues that education is a causal force behind democracy
1.1.2. Study by Sunshine Hillygus finds that the differences in political engagement among college students are mirrored in K-12
1.1.3. Data from the department of education reveals that there is a statistically significant difference between the rate of political participation among humanties and STEM graduates
1.2. The overemphasis on vocational training as a solution to economic inequality ignores the multifacetal nature of inequality and the potential of a well-rounded education to address it
1.2.1. Participatory Readiness
1.2.1.1. The ability to participate in politics in a way that creates that desired level of economic equality through changing actual policy
1.2.1.1.1. Disinterested Deliberaton
1.2.1.1.2. Prophetic Work/Frame shifting
1.2.1.1.3. Fair Fighting
1.2.1.2. Evidence
1.2.1.2.1. Dani Rodrik's argument that economic inequalities are not inevitable consequences of globalization or technology but result from policy choices
1.2.1.2.2. Daron Acemoglu and Jim Robinson's assertion that political institutions and power dynamics shape how technology is developed and how economic gains are distributed
1.2.1.2.3. Historical examples like 19th century Britain and early 20th century America where expanded political participation drove economic reforms
2. Vocational Education
2.1. Equipping individuals with in-demand job skills was seen as essential for national economic success in a globally competitive market
2.1.1. The Soviet launch of Sputnik caused a widespread panic in the United States, convincing the nation that they were lacking in scientific intelligence in comparison. This produced educational laws to be created in order to raise funding for improved and increased STEM training.
2.2. They argue that providing a wider distribution of skills - particularly those in high-demanding fields - inddividuals from disadvantaged backgrounds can gain access to higher paying jobs, thereby reducing income inequality
2.2.1. Claudia Goldin "The Race Between Education and Technology" (2008)
2.2.1.1. Argued that technological change was driving increased demand for skilled labour and education was the key to bridging the gap and mitigating income
2.2.2. Thomas Piketty "Capital in the Twenty-First Century" (2014)
2.2.2.1. "The poor catch up to the rich to the extent that they achieve the same level of technological know-how, skill, and education"