Educational opportunity, democracy, and the free market: A genealogical examination

This thesis examines the role of the U.S. federal government in facilitating opportunity for higher education. The primary case study used in this investigation is that of the 1944 G.I. Bill. A secondary question addressed by this thesis is: how do the interactions between democracy and capitalism inform the role government plays in facilitating educational opportunity? To accomplish this, the discourse surrounding the 1944 G.I. Bill is critically examined using Michel Foucault's genealogical methodology. Special attention is paid to several key aims of education and their interaction with democracy and capitalism in the United States. Overall, I conclude that, for a variety of reasons, a democratic government must be highly invested in facilitating higher educational opportunity. In terms of facilitating educational opportunity, the U.S. government must be engaged in a balancing act between market priorities for higher education and democratic ideals.