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IMPLEMENTING SERRANO
Author(s) -
CROWLEY DONALD W.
Publication year - 1982
Publication title -
law and policy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.534
H-Index - 45
eISSN - 1467-9930
pISSN - 0265-8240
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-9930.1982.tb00278.x
Subject(s) - legislature , supreme court , action (physics) , state (computer science) , state action , law , law and economics , economics , political science , public administration , sociology , computer science , physics , algorithm , quantum mechanics , doctrine
In Serrano v. Priest the California Supreme Court held the state's method of financing public schools unconstitutional because educational expenditures were dependent on district wealth. This article traces the court's ability to structure the implementation of this policy. Although the court succeeded in placing the issue on the agenda, the events since the decision illustrate the difficulties courts encounter when they require action from a legislature. In Serrano, the “polycentric” nature of the problem, the difficulties of obtaining legislative action on a redistribute policy, and the effect of intervening economic forces have served to keep the Serrano principle from being realized fully.