Common Core was a federal educational initiative instituted for the first time in 2009. This legislation aimed to both federalize nationwide education standards as well as improve the overall quality of education in the United States, creating a graduating class that will be ready for both two-year and four-year educational institutions. Also, the Common Core State Standards’ Initiative  aimed to accomplish these goals by creating national curriculum guidelines and testing standards. Unlike other similar federal programs, Common Core has been horrendous from the start.

    The main, if not the only issue with Common Core, will be that it is a federal program concerning something the states should have sole control over. The federal government has always had a special talent of inserting its long tentacles where they do not belong and ruining everything for everybody. Specifically, Common Core is a perfect example of this as states were innovating education standards themselves fine before the legislation.

   Additionally, Common Core thwarts competition between states by universalizing education. As states decide what educational legislation they would like to institute, there is an inherent competition between that state and its neighboring states. If a state has a clearly better educational system than a neighbor state, it will attract more individuals, consequently increasing population and subsequently tax revenue in a non invasive non-federal way.

    Lastly, Common Core sets a terrible precedent for future legislation. Nobody debates that the American educational system is in despair; however, the perfect solution is not for the federal government to simply insert itself and spend tax dollars where it does not belong. In essence, the federal government is an upscale country club that forces everyone to pay membership dues, while only providing membership benefits to a select and arbitrary few.

    The sooner the American Voter reflects this in the polls, the quicker this country can make a turnaround from excessive government. However, if large government continues to progress, the federal government will have no choice but to spend all revenue on accumulated interest and gut all the entitlement and defense programs that bureaucrats have held dear for so long.