Forum on Public Policy The Influence of Politics on Education and Religion: How Much Is Too Much?

Separation of church and state is fundamental to the democracy upon which America is founded. Today, however, politics, religion, and education have become entwined in a dance that is sometimes exhilarating, sometimes difficult to follow. Religious extremism has moved front and center in this new century and threatens both political and educational institutions. Furthermore, public education has received mostly failing marks from those in politics and the church. Education’s role in a democracy is to train citizens who are active and informed voters and who understand that free exercise of religion is guaranteed by the constitution, with tolerance and respect for diversity critical to that guarantee. Indeed, if public education ignores the moral void left by the secularization of schools, not only youth but democracy itself will suffer. Boundaries must be drawn around the intersections—magnifying the benefits of their partnerships and minimizing the disadvantages that can arise when religion and education are unmindfully combined. As laboratories for these issues, vouchers, charter schools, and other special solutions provide benefits as well as disadvantages. These characteristics are examined in this paper, along with a set of standards that may be helpful in distinguishing politicization from partnership