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As America marks its 250th anniversary, we have an opportunity to reflect on one of history’s greatest experiments.
The Founders established a nation unlike any the world had ever seen, not built on inherited privilege, but on the belief that every person possesses God-given, inalienable rights. They believed that free people would accomplish more than concentrated political power ever could. That vision transformed the world.
The United States has lifted more people into prosperity than any other nation. No country has produced more innovation. America has consistently led the world in charitable giving, volunteerism, entrepreneurship and scientific advancement. Millions have come because the American dream is unique: the freedom to build a better life through opportunity.
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Yet today something has shifted in our national outlook.
A growing number of young Americans are skeptical of capitalism and more confident in government solutions. That should concern every American, not because government has no role, but because a free society depends on citizens who understand why liberty, limited government, personal responsibility and free enterprise have produced more opportunity than any alternative.
So how did we get here? Much of the answer lies in the classroom.
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Many students leave school without mastering the skills needed to succeed in college, the workforce and life. At the same time, schools increasingly emphasize America’s shortcomings while giving comparatively little attention to the extraordinary ideas that transformed the world: constitutional government, individual liberty, free markets, religious freedom and equal opportunity under the law.
America has never been perfect.
But it remains one of humanity’s greatest success stories because its founding principles have unleashed unprecedented freedom, innovation, opportunity and prosperity, allowing each generation to build on what came before.
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Young Americans face legitimate challenges. Housing is less affordable. Inflation has strained budgets. College graduates carry significant debt. Starting a family feels increasingly unattainable. It’s understandable that government solutions may sound appealing.
America’s strength has never come from creating citizens who depend on government. It has come from educating citizens capable of governing themselves. That kind of freedom cannot be legislated; it must be learned.
And it begins with an education that equips young people to think critically, work diligently, embrace responsibility and shape their own future.
If we want to preserve America’s future, our greatest investment should not be in elections every few years. It should be in educating the next generation, academically, morally and civically.
Recently, I had two conversations with students that illustrated this difference.
One spoke exclusively about America’s shortfalls. The conversation was marked by the belief that solutions to life’s challenges would come primarily from government. There was little discussion of personal responsibility, opportunity or the hope that can be built through hard work and service to others.
The other, educated in a classical Christian school, spoke of beauty, goodness and truth. Our conversation centered on purpose, character, faith and using one’s gifts to serve others and strengthen communities. It was grounded not in resentment, but in responsibility, not in despair, but in hope.
America’s education challenge is no longer only about declining reading and math scores, though those should concern every parent. It is also about whether we are cultivating young men and women who believe they have both the ability and the responsibility to shape their own futures.
Too many young Americans are graduating without the academic preparation to succeed, without a meaningful understanding of our nation’s founding principles and without confidence that the American dream is still within reach. At the very moment they should be entering adulthood with optimism, many instead feel disillusioned, anxious and convinced their future depends more on government than on their own initiative, perseverance and ingenuity.
Parents recognize this. Across the country, families are seeking schools that not only deliver academic excellence, but also cultivate character, civic understanding, personal responsibility and hope. They want environments that prepare children not merely to earn a living, but to live with purpose and to become thoughtful citizens capable of sustaining a free society.
That is why the Education Freedom Tax Credit may become one of the most important educational reforms of our generation.
Beginning in 2027, Americans can receive a dollar-for-dollar federal tax credit for contributions to qualified scholarship organizations that help students attend the school that best meets their needs. Rather than expanding another federal program, this initiative empowers private generosity, strengthens civil society and gives parents greater freedom to choose the education they believe is best for their children.
It is a uniquely American solution, using voluntary charitable giving to expand educational opportunities rather than placing more decisions in the hands of government.
As we celebrate America’s 250th anniversary, our responsibility extends beyond the courage of the Founders. We must ensure that the next generation understands the principles that made their achievement possible.
Freedom survives only when each generation chooses to preserve it.
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If we truly believe in liberty, opportunity and the American dream, there may be no more important investment we can make than helping every child access an education that prepares them to preserve and improve the greatest experiment in self-government the world has ever known.
The next 250 years of America will be shaped not merely by the laws we pass, but by the children we educate.
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