Partisan Priorities: The Impact of Political Governance on Education and Defense Spending in U.S. States

This paper investigates the association between political governance and budgetary allocations to education and defense across U.S. states between 2016 and 2020. Drawing on panel data covering multiple dimensions of political control—namely, party affiliation, administrative alignment, and continuity in governance—it seeks to understand how these factors shape fiscal priorities. We find that states governed by Democrats consistently allocate a higher share of their budgets to education relative to defense. However, administrative alignment across the executive and legislative branches does not appear to significantly affect the education-todefense spending ratio. Furthermore, continuity in party control over time, especially under Democratic leadership, is associated with a stronger emphasis on education. While many of the observed differences are not statistically significant, the trends suggest consistent ideological orientations shaping fiscal decisions. These findings contribute to the broader literature on political economy by highlighting how partisan governance and institutional continuity influence public expenditure priorities. The results hold implications for long-term socioeconomic outcomes, especially in the context of human capital development and strategic policy planning.