A model presidential nominating convention gathered 4,000 students from three states in May 1984 and selected Gary Hart as the Democratic nominee. Preconvention training prepares students to run the convention themselves while learning the political process in action. (MD)

Maintains that civic competence and socially responsible behavior have been among the 10 developmental tasks of adolescence since the 1950s. Contends that the decline of interest in political socialization must be shared by both political science and developmental psychology. Discusses community service as a measure of civic competence. (CFR)