The Privateers

“Just as decades of careful empirical studies have converged to expose school vouchers as the drivers of the worst academic declines ever recorded, states are investing more in voucher schemes than ever before. How could this be? Veteran researcher Josh Cowen explains that it was precisely the dismal failure of vouchers to improve schooling that led America’s libertarian billionaires to turn to inflamed Christian nationalists—voters who reject facts—to dismantle our public schools. This vital, infuriating book is a must-read to learn who is harming our kids and our democracy and why, and exactly how they’ve managed to inflict such damage.” - Nancy MacLean, author of Democracy in Chains: The Deep History of the Radical Right's Stealth Plan for America

“The Privateers is essential reading for anyone who cares about public education, and it illuminates the broader threat to our democratic institutions. Self-interested donors have enlisted unscrupulous ‘experts’ to steer funding away from public schools, despite far inferior outcomes. The same Council for National Policy networks replicate this deception on many fronts, undermining climate science, public health, and voting rights. Privateers shows us how.” - Anne Nelson, author of Shadow Network: Media, Money, and the Secret Hub of the Radical Right

“The Privateers offers a meticulously researched challenge to the conventional understanding of voucher legislation’s success in red states. With forensic precision, Cowen uncovers the deeply organized right-wing movement that orchestrated significant policy shifts in the face of growing research evidence of vouchers’ academic shortcomings. To understand the intricate web of actors driving voucher policies, The Privateers is essential reading.” - Jennifer L. Jennings, professor of sociology and public affairs and director, Education Research Section, Princeton University