In the ongoing school choice debate we are often bombarded with studies and statistics allegedly showing whether school choice works or not. But one thing that few recognize is how moral ideas shape the debate.

On December 11, 2015, Carl Svanberg, research associate at ARI, brought some much-needed attention to the moral-political dimension of the school choice debate. In his talk to the congressional staffers, titled “Collectivism vs. Education: Understanding the Campaign Against School Choice,” he exposed the collectivist premise driving the opposition to school choice.

“I wanted to illustrate to these staffers who work on education policy how collectivism manifests itself in the school choice debate,” says Carl. “Believe it or not, but the opponents of school choice not only explicitly say that the problem with educational freedom is that it enables people to escape from the government schools and, thereby, pursue a superior education elsewhere, but also that you should sacrifice your children’s education for ‘the common good.’” The audience’s reaction to Carl’s presentation was positive.