The intent of this paper is to touch on current trends that contribute to adversarial relationships in education and to pose policy-related questions that derive from these trends. At the federal level, adversarial relationships spring from demands from legislation, the courts, and federal officials. At the state level, confrontation arises from…

Typically, applied social research is of much lower quality than one would like to see in light of its importance in social policy formation. It is conducted by social scientists who are not yet rewarded by high standing, and the end results are often irrelevant to the ongoing policy formation process. (Author/CTM)

Argues that with the presidential elections of 1976 now history, the electorate may hope for greater support to those people who see social problems as public issues rather than psychological dilemmas in search of biomedical remedies. No one close to social science and related to government could fail to detect in the last decade a powerful drift…

This article identifies, describes, and demonstrates theoretical and methodological developments through a study of policy cultures in six states (Arizona, California, Illinois, Penneylvania, West Virginia, and Wisconsin). (CB)

The postsecondary education policymaking process in Australia, rather than being goal-oriented and rational, is a series of adjustments to existing policy dictated by political expediency, often over many years and changes of government and leading to decisions reflecting unstable origins. This committee's broad influences illustrate this process.…

Discusses the political aspects of educational policy formation and describes the governance of public education in the state of New York. (JG)

Examines four simulation games used in higher education to teach the role of elections in promoting governmental responsibility, the effects of imperfect accountability on governmental policy, and ways to make governments more accountable. These games simulate interest group lobbying, political party formation, bureaucratic policy making, and…

Examines the sociopolitical circumstances surrounding the formulation, passage in Congress, and presidential veto of the Comprehensive Child Development Act of 1971 (S.1512). Argues that policy is often influenced by several issues that motivate political action; in the case of child care legislation, children are only one factor among many.…

Criticizes the Holtzman Report (Boruch and Cordray) focusing on the politics behind the national educational policymaking process. (GC)

Documents and analyzes changes in the structure of educational governance in New Jersey, suggesting that these changes are indicative of general changes in the process of resolving conflict on education issues in other states. (Author/IRT)

British government policies affecting education are in four categories: deliberate party policies for education; as part of a tradition of consensual policymaking; forced on government by external constraints; and deriving from other areas such as public expenditure or central-local government relations. Few are found in the first category. (MSE)

Models for university planning must adapt to the political process of decision making, and to the structures and priorities of each institution. In this regard, the limitations of conventional models are discussed, and an approach to model-building that emphasizes institution-specific devices is described and applied to the University of…

A member of the Commission on the Year 2000 recalls the practical hazards and psychic rewards of forecasting the future of a nation. (Editor/LBH)

The political context of evaluation is described, with positive and negative influences. Strategies are proposed for preserving the credibility of evaluation in political contexts. Researchers must maintain the neutral posture of the basic scientist. (SLD)

Explores the relationship between urban executive officers and their political environments, first by reporting on how three types of these officers perceive their policy influence upon their urban legislatures and then by developing a paradigm of conflict management in the urban context to explore opportunities for research into social change and…