William Bennett

William John Bennett (born July 31, 1943) served as United States Secretary of Education from 1985 to 1988. He was also the first person to occupy the post of "drug czar".

Political Viewpoints

Bennett tends to take a conservative position on affirmative action, school vouchers, curriculum reform, and religion in education. As Education Secretary, he asked colleges to better enforce drug laws, supported a classical education rooted in Western culture, and derided multicultural courses. He frequently criticized schools for low standards.

Related Topics:
Conservative - Affirmative action - School vouchers - Multicultural

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Bennett has tangled with the educational establishment (which he dubbed "the blob" or bloated educational bureaucracy) over the following reform measures, which he espoused:

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• Competency testing for teachers
• Opening the teaching profession to knowledgeable individuals who have not graduated from "schools of education"
• Performance-based pay
• Holding educators accountable for how much children learn
• An end to tenure
• A national examination to find out exactly how much our children know
• Parental choice of schools (The De-Valuing Of America, page 44)

Bennett is a staunch supporter of the War on Drugs and has been criticized for his extreme views on the issue. On a television show, he said that a listener's suggestion to behead drug dealers would be 'morally plausible'.

Related Topics:
War on Drugs - Behead

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Bennett is a member of the Project for the New American Century (PNAC) and was one of the signers of the January 26, 1998 PNAC Letter sent to President Bill Clinton urging Clinton to remove Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein from power. He is also a member of the Heritage Foundation.

Related Topics:
Project for the New American Century - January 26 - 1998 - Bill Clinton - Iraqi - Saddam Hussein - Heritage Foundation

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