# Correlates of Values and Identity-Based Conflicts in Public School Districts and States 

The goal of this paper is to identify district-level variables that predict the prevalence of values- and identity-based conflicts in public schools, including the presence of private options and charter schools; religious, linguistic, ethnic, and political diversity; and the size of the population served.

Winter 2020 • International School Choice and Reform Conference Paper 

By [Neal McCluskey](https://www.cato.org/people/neal-mccluskey) 

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**Abstract**

A common concern about school choice is that it will “balkanize” society, making it easier for diverse people to separate into homogenous, and potentially hostile, groups. The inverse of this is a concern that public education that attempts to bring all people under one schooling umbrella will foster divisive conflict. It will force diverse people to fight with one another politically to determine such things as whose values, or ethnic histories, will be taught in the public schools for which all must pay. The goal of this paper is to identify district-level variables that predict the prevalence of values- and identity-based conflicts in public schools, including the presence of private options and charter schools; religious, linguistic, ethnic, and political diversity; and the size of the population served. I find that by far the most powerful predictor of the number of conflicts is, not surprisingly, district population size, while arguably only the number of charter schools significantly and with meaningful effect predicts conflicts with population size controlled. The analysis has many shortcomings, which I discuss.

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##### Correlates of Values and Identity-Based Conflicts in Public School Districts and States 

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##### About the Author 

[![Neal McCluskey Cropped](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/author_picture/public/2023-11/mccluskey-cropped.jpg?itok=I-QI0yJD)](/people/neal-mccluskey) 

##### [Neal McCluskey](/people/neal-mccluskey)

Former Director, Center for Educational Freedom, Cato Institute

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