[19980611]97-50A_教育券：宪法标准.pdf

Grand Rapids School District v. Ball, 473 U.S. 373, 385 (1985).1Committee for Public Education v. Nyquist, 413 U.S. 756, 780 (1973).2In most of the cases involving aid to religious institutions, the Court has used what is3known as the Lemon test to determine whether a particular aid program violates the establishmentclause: First, the statute must have a secular legislative purpose; second, its principal or primary(continued.)Congressional Research Service The Library of CongressCRS Report for CongressReceived through the CRS Web97-50 AUpdated June 11, 1998Education Vouchers: The ConstitutionalStandardsDavid M. AckermanLegislative AttorneyAmerican Law DivisionSummaryThe establishment of religion clause of the First Amendment to the Constitutionprovides that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.”In numerous cases the Supreme Court has construed this clause to impose substantialconstraints on the provision of public aid to sectarian elementary and secondary schools.That has been true with respect both to direct aid to such institutions and to indirect aid,i.e., aid that goes initially to students or their parents and that is used to defray the costof at