1. Why was the Cleveland voucher plan so controversial? Why did people support it? Oppose it?

2. Describe the political alliance formed in Cleveland to develop vouchers. Why was that alliance so unlikely? What ultimately brought this group together? Can you think of other similar alliances in American government?

3. Why did social welfare policies expand in the United States in twentieth century? What changes in politics and society lead to this expansion?

4. What is meant by the term “policy diffusion”? In what ways might policy diffusion serve to improve government policy? In what ways might it harm government policy?

5. What is meant by the term “school choice”? What arguments are there in favor of this idea? What arguments do people make against it? Which side do you find more convincing and why?

6. What is meant by the term “standards based reforms”? What arguments are there in favor of this idea? What arguments do people make against it? Which side do you find more convincing and why?

7. Why is policy making so difficult in the United States? How does the Constitution serve to slow down policy making throughout our system? Are there any reforms that might speed up the process? Are there any drawbacks to such reforms?

8. What kind of program is Social Security and how is it funded? What issues does the program face today? How might the system be reformed?

9. What were the goals of the Affordable Care Act? What other methods might Obama and the Democrats have used to reach the same goals?

10. What are the advantages of traditional public schools? Disadvantages? How do vouchers address any of those disadvantages? What issues do they not address?

11. What are the advantages of intradistrict public choice schools? Disadvantages? How do vouchers address any of those disadvantages? What issues do they not address?

12. What are the advantages of interdistrict public choice schools? Disadvantages? How do vouchers address any of those disadvantages? What issues do they not address?

13. One of the ideas underlying the school debate is that local schools provide superior education. Why might that be the case? Why might that not be true? How might you test that idea?

14. How are charter schools and vouchers similar types of programs? How are they different? What ideas underlie both programs?