As part of our ongoing partnership with the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, we spoke with Senior Fellow Condoleezza Rice about America’s status in the world and which domestic policies affect it.
The former U. S. Secretary of State and National Security Adviser says that the crisis in education may be the greatest national security threat facing the country. It disproportionately affects the poor, she says, since wealthier parents either move to better school districts or send their kids to private school. She wants poor parents to have options too – charter schools and vouchers. And she notes that education, along with immigration, are key parts of the aspirational American dream.
“If I could wave a magic wand, we would continue to be the place where human potential reaches its greatest height. That means bringing people here from all over the world – immigrants – and it means allowing people to escape the bounds of class – that’s education.”
Rice also stresses the importance of fiscal policy – low taxes and regulation – to create jobs and make the US a magnet for investors around the world.