Efforts of educational interest groups to defeat merit pay for Pennsylvania teachers during 1983-1986 are explored in this case study. Political systems theory and allocative theory provide the conceptual framework. Deutsch's (1973) outline of variables that affect the course of conflict was used to organize indepth personal interviews and a…

The following similarities exist between the language situations of the United States and Australia: (1) both countries have developed and prospered through overseas immigration; (2) until recently, neither country has had a "de jure" official language, only a "de facto" one built around English; (3) in both countries…

The roles of academic senates in university organization are discussed. Three symbolic purposes that academic senates may fill are considered first: they may symbolize institutional membership in the higher education system, collective and individual faculty commitment to professional values, and joint faculty-administration acceptance of existing…

Up until now Hispanics have not gotten involved in the policy analysis field. By learning to specifically assess the actual or potential impact of alternate policies or programs, it will be possible to help decision makers adopt policies which are more equitable to Hispanics. The following steps may help an individual carry out policy analysis:…

The effects of McCarthyism on U.S. colleges are considered, with a focus on the response of administrators and faculty members to the anti-Communist furor of the 1940s and 1950s. Perspectives on McCarthyism as a political process are offered, along with an explanation of how it gained so much power. McCarthyism is seen as having two stages: the…

Evaluation as a political arbitration entity is discussed in the case of a multilateral literacy development project in the fourth year of operation in a Third World country. An external evaluation team was invited to evaluate the project when conflict appeared between the funding agency (A) and the technical agency (B) over a project-related…

This monograph, one of the nine-booklet Teacher Quality Series, explores the state/local control boundary and suggests how state policy can encourage local strategies to improve teaching. The following topics are covered: (1) understanding the developmental process in teachers; (2) clarifying goals in policy formation; (3) policies indirectly…

The historical background of collective bargaining in higher education is considered, along with some implications for the future. The major purpose of collective bargaining is to lead to an employment contract. Public institutions do not come under the National Labor Relations Board since state actions establish them and they are subject to state…

Concentrating on her domestic and foreign news stories of the 1930s, a study analyzed the news reporting of American novelist Josephine Herbst. Although the study focused on Herbst's reporting from Cuba and Germany, other writings were examined, including several fictional pieces, memoirs, and literary criticism. Herbst's work was analyzed…

To help determine why women are not more active political participants and to provide information necessary to design messages to persuade women to become more involved, a study examined factors that affect political involvement of Southern women. For a comparison between perceptual attitudes between politically active women and other groups of…

A study assessed the effect of the telelvision drama "The Day After" on attitudes toward (1) defense spending, (2) a nuclear freeze, (3) nuclear disarmament, (4) the likelihood of war, (5) the severity of such a war, (6) personal political efficacy on the issue of war and peace, and (7) the likelihood of nuclear war under the presidency…

Social science concepts have an impact on the study of teacher education in developing countries, and teacher education is a primary social force woven throughout the study of national development. A recommended approach to research on teacher education combines a study of how education influences, and in turn is influenced by, other developmental…

Between 1964 and 1968, "U. S. News and World Report" engaged in symbolic discourse with its readership through its coverage of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. "U. S. News" faced a dilemma in the mingling of King's force as a symbol with the power exerted by the egalitarian principles that Gunnar Myrdal identified as components of…

A study tested the relationships between emotion in political television commercials, viewer memory, and evaluations of those advertisements. Subjects were in two groups, one of 31 undergraduates and one of 30 adults from the local community. Subjects in the first group were shown 34 different political ads followed by 28 30-second advertisements.…

This chapter discusses the implementation and encouragement of instructional development on the university campus, with particular emphasis on the instability and political nature of the campus environment. Empirical data obtained from a survey of instructional development activities throughout the Delaware Valley of Pennsylvania and New Jersey…