Abstract
This article applies Hans Weiler's conception of the “political utilities” of decentralization to case study data on a school district's decision to enact site-based management. The article argues that site-based management may have considerable political utility in crisis contexts. Quite apart from its ability to improve school performance, it may bolster the district's ability to manage conflict and maintain legitimacy. These dual utilities may be more multifaceted than the orienting perspective posits and may be encumbered by dual liabilities that make this prominent reform a precarious as well as a potent political strategy.
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