This paper describes the development of a parliamentary research service in Egypt. The first part investigates the impact on the Egyptian parliament (the People's Assembly) of the development of a new social and cultural environment that fostered the democratization process. The second part deals with how the establishment of a parliamentary…

The strategies presented in this report are suggested as ways to make decision makers at all levels of education more aware of the benefits of educational technology (ET) in improving the effectiveness, efficiency, and enjoyment of learning. These strategies emphasizing results and learning are provided, not to limit any person or group, but to…

In the past few years, the concept of local control of public education through elected school boards has been superseded by legislation mandating other forms of citizen involvement in educational decision-making. Specifically Alberta's enactment of the Department of Education Act and approval of Operational Plans for Early Childhood Services…

Reporters' perceived concern for their editors' news priorities and their own role self-concepts were examined for their effects on how reporters covering the Indiana State Assembly used diverse sources of information. Subjects, 34 reporters and 39 state senators, were surveyed concerning their contacts with each other during the 1982 legislative…

A case study illustrating the political influences on higher education in a hypothetical state is presented. Higher education became a target for reform by the state's governor, who expressed interest in the sharing of resources between institutions in close geographic proximity; supported the more extensive use of management tools as a means of…

This paper discusses pregnancy disability compensation policies. On December 7, 1976, the Supreme Court held in "General Electric v. Gilbert" that exclusion of pregnancy and pregnancy related disabilities from coverage under an otherwise comprehensive temporary disabilities plan was not a violation of Title VII's prohibition of…

The speaker discusses Congressional program evaluation. From the Congressional perspective, good evaluators understand the political, social, and economic processes; are familiar with various evaluation methods; and know how to use authority and power within their roles. Program evaluation serves three major purposes: to anticipate social impact…

In this paper, social science utilization is studied as an aspect of legislative decision making. The purposes of the paper are to provide a review of political science literature on state legislatures, offer a theoretical framework for interpreting utilization of social science research, apply the framework to interview data, and generate a…

The present study focused on possible linkages between (1) the global characteristics of Kansas with individual characteristics, voting behavior, and attitudes of the Kansas state senators; (2) the personal and attitudinal characteristics of senators with various educational policy outcomes; and (3) the structural features of the senatorial…

The role of research and information in legislative decisionmaking is discussed. It is suggested that planning is of marginal utility to state legislatures. The primary obstacles to planning in the legislative arena are the turnover among state legislators, internal shifts of power, and the legislative tendency to deal with discrete policy issues…

Individual members of state legislatures wield the greatest influence in state level policy formation. This was one of the findings of a study that identified the power and influence context of state-level policymaking. Data were gathered from six states (Arizona, California, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Illinois) using an instrument…

After several lengthy evaluations of California's Early Childhood Education (ECE) program proved inadequate, unhappy legislators and educators finally found satisfaction in a brief, mimeographed report. Several factors were responsible for the success of this new evaluation, the "Interim Report on the Special Study of Selected ECE Schools…

New directions that state legislatures have taken in regard to accountability in higher education are reviewed, along with the way that the relationship between the legislature and higher education is changing as a result of new developments. In response to public criticism that the legislature is too responsive to pressure groups, does not do its…

A study conducted in Illinois determined how or if decision-makers actually used the results of a community problems needs assessment survey ("Illinois: Today and Tomorrow") of 15,000 persons in the state. Data for the use study were collected from sixty in-depth personal interviews with randomly selected cooperative extension advisors…

A study is presented to determine (1) where people influential in public university governance believe various typical decisions are being made and (2) where they believe those decisions should be made. The kinds of issues that bring about most disagreement as to proper authority in governance and administration are identified. Centralization of…