Wednesday, November 02, 2022

Sunday School Every Day: The Economics of Homeschooling

 The Pandemic has created a surge in popularity for homeschooling. Many parents pulled their children from public schools due to concerns around the virus. As the virus fades and schools return to normalcy, those select children have still not returned to the public classroom. The parents of the Pandemic have instead enrolled them into Evangelical Christian homeschooling centers Recently across all US states, homeschooling numbers are up 50%. What caused this sudden change? Distrust towards the Government and Christian Lobbyists in Congress fighting for homeschooling education. These Christian Lobbyists, called the Home School Legal Defense Association, and the Christian school directors form a Privileged Group, one in which one member gains vastly more benefit for a public good than the costs. The individual total benefit for the Lobbyists (Vi) far exceeds the total benefit to the individual Christian school directors (Vi). The Lobbyists, who represent millionaire Televangelists and Evangelical Church leaders, will benefit the most from a growing young Evangelical Christian population. When added together, the collective Vi's push Vg far above the total cost curve C(T). When this occurs, the overall T* is much higher than it would have been without the privileged member. The school directors benefit from the proposals in made by the Lobbyists, an industry now worth $2.5 Billion. The number includes tuition, school books, bouncy house and other inflatables. This Privileged Group, as per Olson's arguments, holds so much power due to its size and cohesion. Its small size and strong ideology create the perfect storm for a truly powerful pressure group that will only continue to grow in size and power.  

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