December 10, 2008 3:10PM # Automakers Should Learn from Public Schools By [Andrew J. Coulson](https://www.cato.org/people/andrew-coulson) --- SHARE The Big Three automakers seem ready to settle for a $15 billion bailout that will [probably do very little good ](http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/10/opinion/10friedman.html?_r=1&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink)and [considerable harm](https://www.cato.org/2008/12/10/the-auto-bailout-vs-free-speech/). They’re thinking too small. Much too small. [If they model themselves on the public school system](https://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=9834), as I suggest in a new Cato Commentary, they will have a truly risk-free business model in which they will be well protected from the rigors of competition and fickle consumers. Update: It seems I’m not the only one to see the merits of modeling the auto industry on our famously efficient and successful school monopoly. Jay Greene proposes [an NCLB act tailored to the automakers](http://jaypgreene.com/2008/12/08/no-consumer-left-behind/). ##### Related Tags [Education](https://www.cato.org/education), [General](https://www.cato.org/general), [Center for Educational Freedom](https://www.cato.org/center-educational-freedom) [![Creative Commons License](/build/cato_2020/images/creative-commons.svg)](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/) This work is licensed under a [Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/).