They spend our money and that makes us happy. Ironically, if our spouse or children wanted to run around spending our money like the government, we'd be upset. Yet if the politicians promise to flood certain projects with our money, well then, that is okay. This phenomenon is especially curious when it comes to the topic of education. Consider that the top ten ranked states in test scores and graduation spend some of the lowest amounts of money per pupil and on teacher salaries.
New Jersey ranks low on the list of test scores, while Utah is one of the highest.
Many studies have shown that when the number of teachers who have master's degrees increases, the student test scores do not increase by any significant number, as many would expect. Again, this has not been shown to increase test scores or graduation rates by a significant amount. We have continued to throw good money after bad at public education and the system only seems to get worse. Fox News reported on a California school that had been intent on raising students' self-esteem. They held special classes and groups that instead of focusing on education focused on raising self-esteem, without actually doing anything that truly raised the students' self worth.