In this article, the author talks about the Shays-Farrell race as one of three closely watched contests in Connecticut that could help determine control of the U.S. House of Representatives in the midterm elections November 7. U.S. Rep. Christopher Shays, a Republican, and Diane Farrell, a Democratic, are the candidates for the state's 4th…

This research study explores the policy expansion of school choice within the methodological approach of event history analysis. The first section provides a comparative overview of state adoption of public school choice laws. After creating a statistical portrait of the contemporary landscape for school choice, the authors introduce event history…

A stratified random sample of 1,500 state legislators from 12 states was surveyed regarding their perceptions and knowledge of issues in reading instruction. The states were selected to provide a balanced mix of state sizes, state budget sizes, and geographic regions. Within states, legislators were selected to balance districts. Both mail surveys…

To explore the relationships between the news media and public officials, a study focused on the perceptions of the capital press corps coverage held by members of a state legislature. Data were collected in Wisconsin, where the state legislature consists of a 33-member senate and 99-member assembly. Questionnaires containing semantic differential…

This guide provides basic information for members of minority groups who wish to participate effectively in the reapportionment that will take place as a result of the 1990 Census. The guide focuses on Blacks and Hispanics--the largest minority groups and the only ones for which there are reliable population figures that are more recent than the…

A study investigated whether the frequency of a legislator's direct contact with constituents was related negatively to the legislator's evaluation of mass media as sources of information on constituent concerns. The study also explored whether the legislators' evaluations of mass media as sources of information on constituent concerns were more…

Representing the earliest findings in an ongoing national survey examining how black elected officials view the community press, 113 black state senators and legislators (33% response rate) from 50 states were surveyed using five-point Likert-type items with responses ranging from "Strongly Agree" to "Strongly Disagree." Mean…

The preservation of liberty was Richard Dobbs Spaight's political lodestar while he firmly supported an effective central government and fought for the Bill of Rights. This booklet on Spaight is one in a series on Revolutionary War soldiers who later signed the U.S. Constitution. The booklet reviews covers his youth in Ireland, his military…

Exhibiting the characteristic of self-reliance vital for survival on the American frontier, William Few, a self-educated man and lawyer, had natural abilities that included leadership and organization, and these abilities led him into a long political career. This booklet on Few is one in a series on Revolutionary War soldiers who later signed the…

A Quaker who set aside his strong pacifist beliefs, Thomas Mifflin helped to organize Pennsylvania's military forces at the outset of the Revolutionary War and rose to the rank of major general in the Continental Army. This booklet on Mifflin is one in a series on Revolutionary War soldiers who also signed the U.S. Constitution, and it covers his…

Like many immigrants to the American colonies, Thomas Fitzsimons demonstrated his devotion to his adopted land by helping to defend it during the Revolutionary War. This booklet on Fitzsimons is one in a series on Revolutionary War soldiers who signed the U.S. Constitution, and it covers his political involvement in Philadelphia's (Pennsylvania)…

An officer in the Continental Army, Nicholas Gilman served on George Washington's staff through the dark days of Valley Forge to the final victory at Yorktown, and this experience made him a strong supporter of the U.S. Constitution. This booklet on Gilman is one in a series on veterans of the Revolutionary War who were also signers of the U.S.…

Throughout a lengthy public career, Rufus King employed his considerable diplomatic and oratorical skills to promote the twin causes of nationalism and civil liberty, fighting in the last decade of his life to extend those liberties to the nation's enslaved black minority. This booklet on King is one in a series on veterans of the Revolutionary…

Jonathan Dayton's practical approach to government evolved out of his military experiences during the Revolutionary War, and he became a supporter for the equal representation of the small states. This booklet on Dayton is one in a series on Revolutionary War soldiers who signed the United States Constitution. It covers his early life, his…

Describes how the community educator can develop an effective working relationship with his Congressman. (Author/DN)