- democratic states must offer free and public schools

- democratic states must ensure that these schools do certain things by specifying curriculum, pedagogy, funding, etc.

- democratic states must ensure that all that is specified is developed according to the best evidence possible for the efficacy of what is specified. They must do so by relying on experts, controlling these experts–particularly in their all important responsibility of training further experts

- democratic states may devolve some of their responsibility and authority to various agencies–for example, accreditating agencies

- accreditating agencies may develop criteria that then become binding on those institutions which they control