The political and religious characteristics of parents in four western states who educate their children at home are examined. The relation of those characteristics to parents' decisions to circumvent state-sponsored education services are also considered. Additional discussion focuses on the relevance of the findings for public policy. The target population included all families conducting home education in Washington, Oregon, Utah, and Nevada. Data were collected with a questionnaire of 54 items on 290 variables. Findings and discussion in this report are based on data from only one of the states. Of nearly 4,500 mailings to families in the state, the responses of 582 families were usable. Consistent with previous research, home school parents in this study were religiously committed and highly orthodox. Many belong to peripheral Christian religious organizations. Politically, the respondents were overwhelmingly Republican and conservative; only seven percent identified themselves as Democratic and only five percent considered themselves liberal. It is concluded that educational policymakers need to understand the importance that home school parents attach to family value systems and ways of life. Policymakers should acknowledge such parents' resistance to rationally organized institutions that marginalize their participation. Twenty-seven references are included. (RH)