Free Exercise, Pea Gravel, and James G. Blaine

Education | April 17, 2017

By Michael Q. McShane | Read Time 1 min

On April 19, The United States Supreme Court will hear arguments in Trinity Lutheran Church v. Comer, a case that could have far-reaching implications on the ability of the government and religious organizations to cooridinate efforts for the public good. This essay explores the background (both recent and historical) of the case, how it relates to the relationship between church and state, and what it might mean for the government to treat religious organizations neutrally as opposed to favoring or discriminating against them. Click on the link below to read the entire essay.

About the Author

Michael Q. McShane

Michael Q. McShane is Senior Fellow of Education Policy at the Show-Me Institute. A former high school teacher, he earned a Ph.D. in education policy from the University of Arkansas, an M.Ed. from the University of Notre Dame, and a B.A. in English from St. Louis University. McShanes analyses and commentary have been published widely in the media, including in the Huffington Post, National Affairs, USA Today, and The Washington Post. He has also been featured in education-specific outlets such as Teachers College Commentary, Education Week, Phi Delta Kappan, and Education Next. In addition to authoring numerous white papers, McShane has had academic work published in Education Finance and Policy and the Journal of School Choice. He is the editor of New and Better Schools (Rowman and Littlefield, 2015), the author of Education and Opportunity (AEI Press, 2014), and coeditor of Teacher Quality 2.0 (Harvard Education Press, 2014) and Common Core Meets Education Reform (Teachers College Press, 2013).

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