Discusses the implications of Jaffee v. Redmond--a case involving privileged communication between counselor and client--for social workers involved in federal and nonfederal cases, for those who practice with Native Americans, and for those who practice in federal prisons. Discusses the positive and the negative implications of the decision. (RJM)

This report surveys the basic research on how children understand and respond to television advertising messages in order to determine whether regulation is necessary. The implications of the research findings for likely marketplace developments in an unregulated environment are discussed, and it is concluded that there is no sound basis to expect…

This paper examines the government's authority to regulate indecent broadcasts, beginning with a historical overview of the Federal Communication Commission's (FCC) involvement with broadcast indecency and its application in case law. First Amendment considerations are discussed and some suggestions are made regarding how the Commission should…

This study identifies and assesses the potential impact of new electronic technologies on education in private homes, and looks beyond immediate incremental changes to broader, more subtle, complex, or threatening changes that may require attention from federal policymakers. Some educational implications are discussed: (1) equality of access to…

Whether individuals should be allowed to see and correct their health records evokes controversy that revolves about citizens' rights to know what information is kept on them, society's duty to protect individuals' and doctors' rights, and the rights of employers and other parties to maintain the confidentiality of their files. A review of the…

This paper attempts to conceptualize, sort, and analyze national and state policies that have affected teacher education programs during the last 30 years. If teacher recruitment, preparation, licensing, and professional development are situated at the ropes center, then who is winning the tug-of-war over teacher education policy making. The paper…

Fiscal and programmatic controls that have been applied to different types of federal grants are described. It is suggested that a simplification of grant program structure is necessary to establish priorities and ways or controls to pursue these priorities. (CJ)

Recent court cases leave unresolved the controversy over the presence of bias in major tests involving assessment of minority children throughout the country. Federal legislation has emphasized the need for establishing nonbiased testing procedures, and many changes in the assessment repertoire will occur in the next few years. (FG)

Despite a tradition of government secrecy, Canada recently adopted freedom of information legislation. Reflecting greater public and media interest in the issue of public access to information and government secrecy, Bill C-34, the Access to Information Act, received royal assent in 1982, as did a privacy act, enacted to protect the complementary…

Available technical literature pertaining to exit facility design and emergency escape provisions of the National Fire Protection Association's "Life Safety Code" (1976 Edition) are reviewed in order to determine the technical support for such provisions. The report focuses on the time-based capabilities of building occupants to effect…

A review of national presidential election campaigns since the passage of Section 315 of the Communications Act of 1934 indicates the inadequacies of that section and the need for its revision. Section 315 stipulates equal access to the mass media for all legally qualified political candidates. Basically, the difficulty with Section 315 is that it…

The Oregon state Title I office has developed two needs assessment guidebooks to assist districts in complying with Title I needs assessment regulations. The first guidebook was developed in 1974. Following its dissemination, needs assessment procedures in Title I districts were closely monitored for compliance with the regulations, and it was…

An examination of the rise of "electronic religion" (religious broadcasting on radio and television) in the United States and the movement's fusing of religious and political issues during the 1980 election year lends credibility to the argument that a clash between church and state is inherent in the political aspects of these…

The Congressional Research Service prepared this compilation of articles and bibliography to facilitate student research on the regulation of mass media in the United States, the 1979-80 intercollegiate debate topic. The selection of articles reproduced in Section A and the citations chosen for the bibliography in Section B are representative of…

In the area of commercial speech, the courts face two competing rights: the public's right to know and the state's right to discipline members of the medical profession. The Federal Trade Commission has taken strong action against medical advertising prohibitions, and legal precedents have been set in Virginia Board of Pharmacy v. Virginia…