A report by the National Center for the Study of Privatization in Education discusses the limited use of education vouchers in an era of unprecedented growth in school choice. Part 1 of the report describes the policy, political, and legal barriers that may limit the expansion of large-scale voucher programs, while Part 2 discusses the efforts of voucher advocates to build support among historically marginalized populations frustrated with the performance of public schools and open to limited forms of private school choice. The authors consider the consequences of these strategies and suggest that the very voucher programs that appeal to disadvantaged families may prove most offensive to middleclass and suburban voters who vigorously object to policies that undermine local authority and redistribute local resources. Specifically, vouchers have the potential to erase municipal boundaries, dissolve neighborhood ties, lower housing prices, and upset student enrollments.

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