The political economy model of educational expansion is discussed in this paper. The model holds that when education is of top priority to the political system in a country, the demand for resources by the educational system will usually be met until the high proportion of resources allocated to education threatens the capacity of the other…

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…

Linguistic cues evoke prestructured beliefs in people's minds regarding the nature and causes of public problems. Political language can shape people's opinions and thereby shape events. There appear to be two beliefs or myths that people use to explain social problems: the first sees the sufferer as responsible for his own plight in a basically…

The present study represents an attempt to further delineate the sociological and psychological variables that predispose a student to become an activist of the "new left." A total of 103 students participated in the study, 48 experimental and 55 control subjects. Measures used included a self report, an activism index, a Vietnam opinion Survey,…

This bibliography focuses upon the programs which have been proposed as a solution to poverty under the so-called war on poverty. The first section of the bibliography suggests some of the materials which could prove useful as theoretical or methodological guides to an analysis of the "powerlessness" of the poor and the operation of the…

This curriculum unit on citizenship education examines some voluntary associations which Americans join to accomplish certain objectives. The purposes of the unit are to show students how associations take positions on certain issues, such as reforming Congress or amnesty, and how they work to effect governmental policies. It is hoped that…

This case study of the Early Childhood Education Program (California) focuses on the political meaning of evaluation. It shows how analysis of evaluation politics reveals who controls education policy, which values are prevailing and dominant, and which definitions of policy goals constitute the assumptive world. (RDN)

Higher education lobbyists in Washington work as liaisons between their institutions and the federal government. The experiences of several lobbyists are described. Lobbying is seen as a game of knowing the people who can help and showing the legislators how a side of an issue benefits them. (MLW)

The firing of Stephen Mumford, a leading fertility researcher at Family Health International (Chapel Hill, North Carolina), because he exposed the efforts of the Roman Catholic Church to influence population policy may be the beginning of a new campaign to cripple population-control leaders and institutions. (IS)

Kirp examines the evolution of Supreme Court doctrine since the Brown decision, the course of specific desegregation cases, and the interchange between political institutions and the courts at the local level. He reveals that the decision-making process in school desegregation is both political and constitutional. (Author/SK)

Examines the foreign policy of the Reagan administration. Discusses the critics of the Reagan doctrine, focusing on the criticisms launched against his weapons' policies. Analyzes the policy course of the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, outlining goals of the administration during the INF negotiations. Contends that Reagan's…

Discusses how English/language-arts teachers can actively teach students to use a socially critical lens for thinking. Considers three modes of teaching this. Discusses how, once students have a least 10 notebook entries focused on social issues, "noticings," and questions, they should be able to reread their notebooks for themes that have…

This paper describes the role of gender in the politics of American education, as carried out in Philadelphia and its suburbs from 1905 to 1930. It discusses volunteerism as a way of life for middle-class American women in the 19th century, particularly within the realm of education. Women were able to act as advocates of school reform through…

The Politics and Mass Media section of this collection of conference presentations contains the following 13 papers: "The 1992 Presidential Debates: A Cognigraphic View" (Richard F. Carter and Keith R. Stamm); "Moving to the Front of the Bus?: Network Coverage of the Invisible Primaries during the 1988 and 1992 Elections"…

Empowering grassroots efforts in literacy is paramount in the literacy education movement. Six issues face literacy work, research, and policy in the United States today: (1) although there are many exciting and innovative literacy projects being conducted, their lessons are unexamined and they are not part of a larger organizing strategy; (2)…