Few analyses have examined what testing's political status means for how those outside the education establishment view externally mandated tests and what they expect them to accomplish. This article provides such an analysis by first elaborating on the notion that testing and accountability have become political issues. It then describes the various constituencies with an interest in educational assessment and examines how the political incentives that motivate policymakers and their constituents shape testing policy. The article concludes with a discussion of the implications of a political perspective on testing, focusing particularly on the likelihood that such a perspective can be reconciled with professional testing standards and also be responsive to the concerns of professional educators. (Contains 8 notes.)