VOUCHERS AND VOTING - AN INITIAL ESTIMATE BASED ON THE MEDIAN VOTER MODEL

One of the major concerns associated with school voucher proposals is that they will only benefit those who leave public schools in favor of private schools. The children left behind in public schools are expected to necessarily be made worse off by such policies. This paper provides evidence suggesting that children left behind in public schools will also benefit. The available evidence suggests that, after a voucher plan, voter support for public schools will rise enough to increase the human capital of public school students, despite the presence of negative peer group effects.