The tension at the heart of pension politics is the incentive to satisfy today's claimants in the here-and-now at the expense of long-term concerns. Rules and auditing standards are intended to tame this kind of short-sighted behavior in the private sector. In the public sector, the primary safeguard is the hope that public officials will not be…

The last three decades have seen an intensification of commercialization throughout the public sector in general and state schools in particular. Policies designed to introduce business ideologies, structures and practices have operated in tandem with a push to include the corporate world in the running, governance and provision of educational…

The adoption of a more "open" national training market in vocational education and training (VET) in Australia has led to considerable changes in VET organizations and considerable challenges for VET managers. Recent research has established the critical role that 'strategy' plays in leading and managing these organizations and the…

In this White Paper, the Business Roundtable recommends access to AMERICA 21, a 21st-century approach to lifelong learning for workers, as well as assistance for job dislocation. AMERICA 21 would channel funding from the myriad of existing initiatives into a modernized, streamlined system that leverages and builds on today's best private and…

Presents a framework for analyzing key training resources during times of reduced funding. Recommends proactive approaches to assist public sector trainers with increasing efficiency during economic downturns. (SK)

The United States Supreme Court recently rendered a decision in the "Collins v. City of Harker Heights" case, which addressed the liability of public entities for alleged "constitutional torts." Discusses the precursors of "Collins," analyzes the decision itself, and discusses the various elements that must be…

Presents a framework for planning, designing, conducting, and implementing training program evaluations. Identifies pitfalls, evaluation criteria, resources, and constraints. (SK)

Focuses on two main communication technology themes: debate on the contemporary cultural turn predicted by new technologies; and implications of that disputed turn for some core concepts of the public sphere. Presents a series of elemental analyses regarding whether the Internet strengthens the political model of representation and lobbyism rather…

Includes three papers: "Trends in Volunteerism: A Canadian Perspective" (Paddy Bowen); "Shrinking Government--A New Zealand Story: The Effects on Volunteers, Volunteer Agencies, and Their Clients" (Mary Woods); and "Public Issues Facing Non-Profits and Volunteerism in the United States" (Jeanne H. Bradner). (SK)

Proposes that a cooperative effort among scientists, politicians, and the public will be needed to slow or reverse the destruction of cultural resources such as the pyramids of Egypt resulting from environmental factors. Factors cited leading to deterioration include air pollutants, ozone exposure, and mass tourism. (MDH)

Suggests that any technology has physical and economic limits, and that the Internet is not inherently egalitarian. Uses Habermas's description of the rise of the bourgeois public sphere to discuss the potential for the Internet to become a public sphere. Looks at the incidence of social leveling, newly available areas of debate, and access to the…

Points out that more and more union members now work in the public sector and are more likely to be female, highly educated, white collar, and work in bureaucratic settings. Considers consequences of this shift in the composition of union membership on national union movements. Contains 35 references. (JOW)

This article, through an investigation of the development of the concept of the "consumer", argues that recent thinking on consumerism is likely to radically change the metaphors and processes of much business management, and that these changes are likely to feed through into further calls for a restructuring of concepts and practices in the…

This white paper proposes bringing the federal government, state governments, and the private sector together as part of a new approach to making high-speed Internet services available across the country. It proposes the creation of a new federal Universal Broadband Fund (UBF) that, together with matching funds from the states and the private…

This paper assesses the impact on economic growth of increased efficiency of public spending in primary and lower-secondary education. Higher efficiency in public spending in schools can bolster growth through two main channels. On the one hand, it can allow a transfer of labour from the public sector to the business sector at unchanged…