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Spring 2006

ISSN 0890-913X

Volume 22, Number 2

Categories: Education | Spring 2006

School Vouchers and Influence Costs

John D. McGinnis, Penn State Altoona

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JournalofPrivateEnterprise,VolumeXXI,Number2,Spring2006SchoolVouchersandInfluenceCostsJohnD.McGinnisPennStateAltoonaItisrelevanttopointoutthebackdropofthepublicationdateofMiltonFriedman'sCapitalismandFreedom.UpontheSovietlaunchofSputnikinthelate1950s,AmericanpoliticiansandeducatorsperceivedaninferiorityinintellectualperformanceamongAmericancitizens.Theproposedandimplementedsolutionwasforincreasedgovernmentspendinginhighereducationandincreasedspendingatstateandlocallevelsinprimaryandsecondaryschools.Inthefaceofthisstatistagenda,MiltonFriedmanreiteratedhis1955proposalforalesssocialistprogramoffinancingeducation—avoucherprogramwherestudentswouldbegiventaxmoniestospendoneducationastheyandtheirparentssawfit.Thatgovernmentwouldbeotherwiseoutofthepictureineducationandthateducatorswouldhavetobecompetitivewitheachotherinrespondingtothedesiresofstudentsstruckmostatthetimeasaradicallyextremelibertarianidea.AsIwillargueinthispaper,thevoucherproposalwasnotandisnotextremeandcertainlyisnotlibertarian.Itmightbefairlycharacterizedasradicalinthatitdepartsinmanyimportantwaysfromtheorthodoxyofwhatiscalledpubliceducation.Itschiefeconomicbenefitsderivefromthereductionofwhatisknownintheeconomicsliteratureasinfluencecosts.However,avouchersystemdoesnoteliminateallorevenmostinfluencecosts.Further,avouchersystemperpetuatesthemistakennotionthateducationisapublicgood(intheeconomicsenseofthatterm)andtherebyformsanimpedimenttooptimaleducationalinvestmentbytheAmericanpeople.AFundamentalMistakeFriedmanwritesinChapter6ofCapitalismandFreedom:JohnD.McGinnis176

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Metadata [hide]

Title	School Vouchers and Influence Costs
Authors/Creators:	John D. McGinnis, Penn State Altoona
Year:	2006
Volume:	22
Number:	2
Pages:	176 - 183
Publisher:	The Association of Private Enterprise Education
ISSN:	0890-913X
Document Type:	Articles
Keywords:	Education, Economics of education, Voucher system, Milton Friedman, Educational policy

Citation:
McGinnis, John D. / 2006. "School Vouchers and Influence Costs." The Journal of Private Enterprise, 22(2): 176-183.