Blogger Matthew Yglesias notes that people overestimate the influence of the federal government when it comes to education issues and thinks that the media plays a role in this (Systematic Misinformation About Responsibility). "People don’t realize how small a role the federal government plays in education policy," writes Yglesias. I'm inclined to agree, though I don't think it's just national political reporters who struggle on this account. Anytime someone sneezes "education" in Washington -- yesterday's Duncan press call is a great example -- education reporters dutifully cover it and their papers dutifully publish it. But why? Duncan doesn't have any real influence over how state and local governments respond to their budget crises. He wasn't announcing the discovery of a new, unspent pot of
