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Get The Federal Government Out Of Education? That Wasn't The Founding Fathers' Vision
Published: April 13, 2011
In this paper, CEP president and CEO Jack Jennings tracks the federal government’s involvement in education through the course of American history, and argues that this involvement must continue. Jennings provides evidence that the government has played an essential role in the development of public schools – consistent with the founding fathers’ vision – and that this role is vital to the continued success of the country. Supplemental papers by Wayne Riddle and Alexandra Usher discuss in more detail two aspects of federal involvement: special provisions written into the U.S. tax code that provide substantial indirect financial support for public education, and the federal land grants given to states for the support of public schools. PDFs of states’ original Enabling Acts establishing their land grants are also available below.
Download files:
Full Paper (Jennings) (PDF format, 342 KB) * Direct link: http://www.cep-dc.org/cfcontent_file.cfm?Attachment=Jennings%5FPaper%5FGetTheFedsOutOfEducation%5F041311%2EpdfSupplemental Paper: How Public Education Benefits from Tax Code Provisions (Riddle) (PDF format, 400 KB) * Direct link: http://www.cep-dc.org/cfcontent_file.cfm?Attachment=Riddle%5FPaper%5FTaxExpenditures%5F41311%2Epdf
Supplemental Paper: Public Schools and the Original Federal Land Grants (Usher) (PDF format, 423 KB) * Direct link: http://www.cep-dc.org/cfcontent_file.cfm?Attachment=Usher%5FPaper%5FFederalLandGrants%5F041311%2Epdf
Media Advisory (PDF format, 112 KB) * Direct link: http://www.cep-dc.org/cfcontent_file.cfm?Attachment=MediaAlert%5FFederal%20Role%20Papers%20Final%5F041311%2Epdf
Alabama Enabling Act (JPG format, 1928 KB) * Direct link: http://www.cep-dc.org/cfcontent_file.cfm?Attachment=Alabama%2EJPG
Alaska Enabling Act (JPG format, 2084 KB) * Direct link: http://www.cep-dc.org/cfcontent_file.cfm?Attachment=Alaska%2EJPG
Arkansas Enabling Act (JPG format, 1969 KB) * Direct link: http://www.cep-dc.org/cfcontent_file.cfm?Attachment=Arkansas%2EJPG
California Enabling Act (JPG format, 1914 KB) * Direct link: http://www.cep-dc.org/cfcontent_file.cfm?Attachment=California%2EJPG
Colorado Enabling Act (PDF format, 1305 KB) * Direct link: http://www.cep-dc.org/cfcontent_file.cfm?Attachment=Colorado%2Epdf
Idaho Enabling Act (JPG format, 2025 KB) * Direct link: http://www.cep-dc.org/cfcontent_file.cfm?Attachment=Idaho%2EJPG
Illinois Enabling Act (JPG format, 1778 KB) * Direct link: http://www.cep-dc.org/cfcontent_file.cfm?Attachment=Illinois%2EJPG
Indiana Enabling Act (JPG format, 1873 KB) * Direct link: http://www.cep-dc.org/cfcontent_file.cfm?Attachment=Indiana%2EJPG
Iowa and Florida Enabling Act (JPG format, 1798 KB) * Direct link: http://www.cep-dc.org/cfcontent_file.cfm?Attachment=Iowa%2DFlorida%2EJPG
Kansas Enabling Act (JPG format, 1909 KB) * Direct link: http://www.cep-dc.org/cfcontent_file.cfm?Attachment=Kansas%2EJPG
Louisiana Enabling Act (JPG format, 1622 KB) * Direct link: http://www.cep-dc.org/cfcontent_file.cfm?Attachment=Louisiana%2EJPG
Michigan Enabling Act (JPG format, 2037 KB) * Direct link: http://www.cep-dc.org/cfcontent_file.cfm?Attachment=Michigan%2EJPG
Minnesota Enabling Act (JPG format, 1929 KB) * Direct link: http://www.cep-dc.org/cfcontent_file.cfm?Attachment=Minnesota%2EJPG
Mississippi Enabling Act (JPG format, 1885 KB) * Direct link: http://www.cep-dc.org/cfcontent_file.cfm?Attachment=Mississippi%2EJPG
Missouri Enabling Act (JPG format, 1841 KB) * Direct link: http://www.cep-dc.org/cfcontent_file.cfm?Attachment=Missouri%2EJPG
North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Washington Enabling Act (JPG format, 2149 KB) * Direct link: http://www.cep-dc.org/cfcontent_file.cfm?Attachment=ND%2C%20SD%2C%20MT%2C%20WA%2EJPG
Nebraska Enabling Act (JPG format, 1878 KB) * Direct link: http://www.cep-dc.org/cfcontent_file.cfm?Attachment=Nebraska%2EJPG
Nevada Enabling Act (JPG format, 1747 KB) * Direct link: http://www.cep-dc.org/cfcontent_file.cfm?Attachment=Nevada%2EJPG
Ohio Enabling Act (JPG format, 1742 KB) * Direct link: http://www.cep-dc.org/cfcontent_file.cfm?Attachment=Ohio%2EJPG
Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona Enabling Act (JPG format, 1350 KB) * Direct link: http://www.cep-dc.org/cfcontent_file.cfm?Attachment=OK%2C%20NM%2C%20AZ%2EJPG
Oregon Enabling Act (JPG format, 1981 KB) * Direct link: http://www.cep-dc.org/cfcontent_file.cfm?Attachment=Oregon%2EJPG
Utah Enabling Act (JPG format, 2061 KB) * Direct link: http://www.cep-dc.org/cfcontent_file.cfm?Attachment=utah%2EJPG
Wisconsin Enabling Act (JPG format, 2028 KB) * Direct link: http://www.cep-dc.org/cfcontent_file.cfm?Attachment=Wisconsin%2EJPG
Wyoming Enabling Act (JPG format, 2052 KB) * Direct link: http://www.cep-dc.org/cfcontent_file.cfm?Attachment=Wyoming%2EJPG