The Heritage Foundation Introduces: The Not-So-Great Society

Why is the American education system failing to improve when so many other sectors have seen tremendous increases in productivity over the past half-century?

As with any complex system, there are numerous contributing factors, but perhaps the most salient among these is the structure of the public education system itself.

In 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson announced his “Great Society” proposal.

When the President told the American people that they must accept “greater government activity in the affairs of the people,” little did they know how destructive a bargain they were making.

The Great Society’s “War on Poverty” began a massive infusion of federal tax dollars and involvement into pre-K and K–12 education. It also created new taxpayer-underwritten student loans and grants for the general public to attend college. Since then, federal taxpayers have spent $2 trillion on K–12 education alone—to say nothing of the billions spent annually on student loans and grants.