Author: Fred L. Pincus, Emeritus Professor of Sociology, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

President Donald Trump issued an executive order on March 20, 2025, that calls for closing the U.S. Department of Education. The president needs congressional approval to shutter the department. The order, however, directs Education Secretary Linda McMahon to “take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return authority over education to the States and local communities while ensuring the effective and uninterrupted delivery of services, programs, and benefits on which Americans rely.” The executive order reflects many recommendations from the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, a conservative political initiative to revamp the federal government. But…