Uncommon Knowledge Thomas Sowell on School Choice and the Price Our Children Pay for Bad Ideas | Peter Robinson | Thomas Sowell | Hoover Institution
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Jan 27, 2026 
Thomas Sowell, economist and longtime Hoover Institution fellow known for sharp critiques of education and public policy. He critiques public schooling, praises charter successes, challenges affirmative action and university DEI, warns about AI imitation, and reflects on institutional decline and alternatives outside traditional universities.
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Hold Universities Accountable With Consequences
- Use regulatory and funding pressure to hold universities accountable and force change.
- Sowell supports stronger external interventions against failing university practices.
How Misplaced Preferences Backfire
- Affirmative action harms both non-target groups and the intended beneficiaries by misplacing students.
- Sowell argues many admitted under special preferences struggle and often fail at selective schools.
A Loophole In The 2023 Ruling
- The 2023 Supreme Court ruling restricted explicit racial quotas but left practical loopholes.
- Sowell warns universities will exploit essays and contextual factors to preserve racial preferences.
