An examination of the political context of adult education at a pragmatic level is presented. Topics include: four levels of decision making (employment of staff, program planning, student selection, and tutor and student relationship); less controversial areas; political neutrality; and politics and policy. (LH)

A more effective approach to strategic planning and management must be based on an understanding of the political dynamics through which policies are made. (Available from Subscriptions Manager, Pergamon Press Ltd., Headington Hill Hall, Oxford OX3 OBW, England; $60.00 annually.) (Author)

Finds little interaction between political information level, strength of party identification, and voting defection (not voting according to the "party line"). Concludes that the decision to defect from party affiliation is largely related to the specific issues in a political campaign. (RL)

Analyzes problems that have accompanied the growth of the citizen participation and public interest movements, and suggests that public participation that is not carefully ordered and constrained by administrators can lead to poorly conceived decisions. (Author/JG)

Discusses the influence of ideology (including both psychological and political dimensions) on an individual's approach to environmental risk management. Compares and contrasts technocratic and humanist forms of environmental ideologies. Also reviews the implications of socio-political and psychological constraints on environmental decision…

This booklet contains two statements from the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB). The "Statement on Institutional Governance" encourages all governing boards and chief executives to examine the clarity, coherence, and appropriateness of their institutions' governance structures, policies, and practices. It presents…

Discusses attempts to find suitable technology to solve city problems, and to search for ways to heal the breach between planning and politics. (DM)

Common strategies for making public educational policy are outlined and a variety of indirect and slow as well as direct uses of policy are examined. Some suggestions are provided for policy analysts to make their work more relevant to current policy debates. (MSE)

Based on a review of research on evaluation use, the implications for future research and for improving the practice of evaluation are discussed. Six principles of evaluation use are outlined, and internalization of evaluation functions by decision makers is addressed. (TJH)

Based on a case study of the formulation and enactment of the Education Amendments of 1972, an analysis of the federal policy-making process for higher education is presented to provide the academic community a realistic perspective on federal action. Includes discussion of the policy arena, sources of policy options, and pluralistic…

Patterned after a 1976 study, a study examined voters' decision making during the 1980 campaign for the presidency of the United States. Data from a survey of 183 registered voters indicated that partisan voters were likely to be precommitted to a candidate choice and thus relatively immune to mass mediated campaign effects. However, those voters…

Rather than accept present theoretical approaches to the study of community political power as a basis for developing new theory, this monograph examines the saliency of the approaches themselves. By considering what kinds of data and questions are excluded by Hunter's "repute analysis" technique and Dahl's "issue analysis"…

This paper suggests that a first, important, step toward a broadening of the skills of the educational planner is a clear conceptualization of some implications that accompany differing styles of decision-making. It has been suggested that planning traditionally employs a rational decision model that leaves the planner poorly equipped to deal with…

Study of the inclusion of students on boards of trustees. (IR)

Perceptions of college institutional research directors concerning the quality of executive decision making at their institutions were studied. Perceptions were assessed using a theoretical model of Groupthink developed by Janis, who postulates that a high amount of environmental stress should lead to a greater degree of…