In fall 1988, an epic political battle was in full swing in California. It pitted teachers unions against a Republican governor in a vitriolic fight over a ballot initiative to commit a portion of state tax dollars to K-14 education. Proponents pointed to overcrowded classrooms, dwindling course offerings and a lack of school counselors. Foes warned that the law would hamstring legislators and lead to inevitable tax increases. That November, by the narrowest of margins, Proposition 98 passed. Over the next 16 years, the law by which voters dictated the minimum portion of state tax revenue that must be spent...