Excerpts of the 1980 Democratic Party platform dealing with education are presented, along with the complete text of the education section of the Republican Party platform. (LB)

A congressional staff member explains why Congress has difficulty controlling the federal role in higher education and suggests ways the higher education community can help make the federal government a more effective and responsive partner, e.g. assessment of the impact of federal programs by a coalition of nongovernment organizations. (JT)

Reviews activity in Congress, federal agencies, and higher education associations as legislation to extend and improve the 1972 Higher Education Amendments is being fashioned. Issues include a public vs. private debate regarding use of the Basic Opportunity Grant program (BOG) to foster access as opposed to choice among institutions. (JT)

Criticising human capital analysis as it has been applied to public policy (e.g. seeing educational institutions as means to greater personal and national income and substituting capital for labor, which causes competition for students' borrowed money), the author argues for a negative income tax and an endowment funding for institutions of higher…

A policy of lowered standards and expectations for minorities, it is suggested, is reflected in the evolution of government-sponsored programs intended to change the pattern of poverty by helping the disadvantaged through educational opportunity. Such programs include Head Start and Cornell University's special education program. (MLW)