ABSTRACT
Since the fi rst charter school laws were passed in Minnesota in 1991, the number of charter schools has grown to over 4,000.1 So, too, has grown the desire of political analysts, policymakers, and educators to understand the politics surrounding charter school adoption. In some ways charter schools are anomalies in politics. Both Republicans and Democrats support them; some teachers unions are soft ening their opposition to charter reform; and although they seem to be at the heart of the school choice debate, charters seem to have become an accepted part of the public school landscape. Th is chapter explores some of the politics around charter school legislation. We do not seek to replicate the work of numerous researchers who have conducted in-depth studies of charter school legislation in states around the country. Rather, we hope to bring the key fi ndings of those studies together to highlight how political factors play a role in charter school adoption and implementation.
