rage that accompanied desegregation in
by my understanding of the impact of
Denver, Pontiac, or Boston has been found in
religious strife on the decisions of our
voucher programs, which tend to place stu-
forbears to migrate to this continent,
dents in more integrated settings than do tra-
and on the decisions of neighbors in
ditional public schools.56
the Balkans, Northern Ireland, and the
Middle East to mistrust one another.
But though vouchers allowed the Dutch
Whenever we remove a brick from the
to vanquish their fiercest social conflicts,
wall that was designed to separate reli-
they were not a panacea. They reduced coer-
gion and government, we increase the
cion, but still force generally liberal Dutch
risk of religious strife and weaken the
taxpayers to support some educational
foundation of our democracy.54
choices with which they do not agree, most
notably, the more conservative Muslim
voucher schools. Some Dutch citizens view
Stevens' assertion came, of course, directly
state funding of conservative Islamic educa-
from the "foundation of democracy" myth. It
tion as out of step with their values, and that
was also highly ironic. Imposing govern-
has led to calls for government intervention
ment-run schooling on every American-- the
to reduce the freedom or number of such
opposite of freedom and choice--has been
Schooling driven
schools. Thankfully, vouchers are not the
the cause of constant social and political con-
by choice is the
only vehicles that deliver choice; tax credit
flict, while enabling people to select schools
programs of various types ensure that every-
that reflect their own values, use the curricu-
only education
one can afford an education, without forcing
la they desire, and so on, is essential to defus-
system that is
taxpayers to support educational decisions
ing social conflict,. Indeed, the misery in
with which they disagree.57
truly consonant
places like the Balkans and the Middle East is
much more the consequence of forcing dif-
Finally, going back to the observations of de
with liberty.
ferent ethnic and religious groups together--
Tocqueville, Salins, and others, it is clear that
just as public schooling attempts to do--than
choice in education is ultimately just a subset
letting them remain apart.
of the overall freedom that has united
Choice's salutary effects are not just theo-
Americans and enabled them to succeed social-
retical. In other nations as well as our own, we
ly and economically. Indeed schooling driven
have seen educational choice defuse social
by choice is the only education system that is
conflicts. The Netherlands, for instance, was
truly consonant with liberty because it lets
split between Protestants, Catholics, and
individuals--rather than government--make
socialists, for generations, and these divisions
their own educational choices. Imposing
caused constant battles over what should be
"democracy" through government-run school-
taught in the public schools. Eventually, in a
ing, in contrast, is inherently authoritarian.
drive to end these conflicts, the Netherlands
instituted a voucher system that let families
Conclusion
choose their preferred public or private
schools. By the 1960s, the social divisions
that had previously torn the country apart
All across the country, public schools
had almost disappeared.55
threw Americans' fundamental values into
conflict during the 20052006 school year--
In the United States we have seen similar
whether over intelligent design, dress codes,
decreases in hostility thanks to school choice.
controversial school books, or sundry other
As discussed, when Catholics established their
divisive topics. This was not an aberration.
own schools and removed themselves from
American history is littered with an endless
many battles to control public schooling, fric-
series of such conflicts, and the problem has
tion between Catholics and Protestants less-
only grown worse as public school systems
ened and Catholics integrated fully into
have become more centralized and the
American society. Similarly, little of the out-
15