What if Self-Interest Doesn't Explain Everything?
Today, Michael J. Petrilli of the Fordham Institute once again joins Deborah Meier on Bridging Diffferences. The two will co-blog for several weeks.
Dear Deborah,
Dear Deborah,
I'm glad you brought up the topic of democracy. In future posts, I plan to explore the habits and attributes we hope to inculcate in our youthful, budding citizens, including a commitment to self-sufficiency. But today let's continue the conversation about democratic governance of our public schools.
You and I have more in common than we might want to concede, in that we share a somewhat cynical view of politics. Namely, we see most political actors and institutions as acting out of self-interest. You, and many other liberals, are obsessed with "the rich," worrying that they will buy elections and promote their own narrow interests (while becoming even richer in the process). I, and many other ed-reformers, am obsessed with the teachers' unions and other "adult interest groups," worrying that they will buy elections, run their own candidates, and promote their own narrow interests.
Yet look at what just happened in New York City: Neither the candidate of the rich nor the
