After a surge of Catholic immigrants, James Blaine, Speaker of the House in the 1800s, proposed an amendment prohibiting public aid to religious schools. Though Congress rejected the idea, many states put the proposal in their constitutions, where it remains. Much ongoing controversy over school choice began with Blaine. This paper recommends…

School choice is a promising education reform in the U.S., transferring power over basic education decisions from bureaucrats to parents and allowing poor children a chance to receive excellent education. This paper describes three categories of choice, examines the Constitution and Supreme Court, explains how to design a legally sound school…