The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that cities could have school voucher programs that give money directly to parents, who could then choose among competing schools, public or private. The idea was to create competition among schools. Like businesses, schools were expected to improve their services (how effectively they teach) to win students from competitors. The result would be improvement in all schools, private and public, to benefit many students.
1. Do you believe economic principles, like competition, apply in both private and public organizations? Be prepared to defend your answer.
2. Are there other public functions that might benefit from more competition, including competition from private firms?
3. Many people say that businesspeople don't do enough for society. Some students choose to go into the public sector instead of business because they want to help others. However, businesspeople say that they do more to help others than nonprofit groups do because they provide jobs for people rather than giving them charity. Furthermore, they believe businesses create all the wealth that nonprofit groups distribute.
a. How can you find some middle ground in this debate to show that both businesspeople and those who work for nonprofit organizations contribute to society and need to work together more closely to help people?
b. How could you use the concepts of Adam Smith to help illustrate your positio.