During my 45 years as an academic, I have followed the admonition sometimes attributed to the legendary Jedi warrior Obi-Wan Kenobe that political scientists should "use [their] power for good and not for evil." In this spirit, I have devoted substantial portions of my career to public service by providing strategic advice and campaign management…

Reports on a comparison of coverage of the Democratic and Republican parties by 12 Ohio metropolitan newspapers in the 1971 Ohio municipal election campaigns. (GW)

This study was part of a larger study examining the attitudes of various groups toward elections, campaigns, and a variety of issues. This portion of the study dealt with students, 336 of whom were interviewed. In addition, 40 questionnaires were randomly drawn from two groups of students--those who registered to vote and those who did not. The…

Two unrelated studies investigated issues in newspaper journalism. The first, a replication of an earlier study, examined whether the priority given by newspapers to reporting local news was warranted. Respondents in three areas of the country were asked to rate their interest in various types of news on a five-point scale. Results indicated that…

Intended for local municipal officials and their advisors on public finance issues, this publication describes the legal environment surrounding bonds and examines some of the factors affecting the political feasibility of bond issues. Four categories of state controls of municipal bonds are discussed: limits on the amount of debt municipalities…

The pamphlet analyzes registration and voting behavior among college and university students. When the voting age was lowered to 18 in 1971, it enabled almost 13 million young people to vote. Over four million are students. Although voting patterns vary among and within campuses, some trends can be identified. Registration rates for students are…

A study examined differences in the language of direct mail advertising used by political campaigns at different levels--national state, and local. Seventeen direct mail fund-raising political campaign letters were content analyzed with Wiseman and Schenck-Hamlin's typology of compliance-gaining techniques, language style and readability. The…

Describes organizational and planning strategies used to convince voters in the Park City (Utah) School District to approve two bond referendums. Offers 10 suggestions for conducting a successful school-bond campaign. (LMI)

This study identifies successful election strategies employed by community colleges in bond issues or tax levy increase elections, and distills these strategies into a list of principles or rules that can be utilized by colleges in preparing for such an event. Results of case studies conducted at Maricopa (Arizona), Santa Monica (California), and…

An investigation of a proposed public transit was based on the assumptions that knowledge of school tax referenda should provide a framework for understanding voter behavior in other types of referenda, and that propositions generated in one type of research should hold up in another. It was anticipated that there would be spillover effects from…

Research on schoolboard and city council elections over a 60-year period in Santa Barbara, California, indicates that the community made roughly simultaneous changes in policy direction in both political areas. The study examines the effects of common ideologies or values on electoral issues and candidates as well as the role of elections as…

Discusses how in the past, most politicians have ignored issues regarding Native Americans, but with new found political capital educators hope to change this situation. Explains that Native Americans can become empowered through mobilizing the Native American voters. Those involved with the tribal colleges and universities play a critical role in…

This document presents a step-by-step strategy, in a question-and-answer format, for mounting a successful political campaign for school board. Part one, the introduction, provides advice on how to acquire the necessary background knowledge of a school district and suggests possible campaign themes such as "parents' rights" or "back to basics."…

In this lesson plan, the city of Malibu (CA) is at the mercy of the weather phenomenon El Nino. The press secretary for the Mayor of Malibu recognizes an opportunity to turn this potential natural disaster into a re-election campaign. A task force will be assembled to protect the lives and property of the community. Students role play members of…

An aspect of the Lansing, Michigan desegregation process that is examined in this paper is the school elections which have been held since 1969. The purpose of this examination is to determine what, if any, reliable voting patterns can be found in the Lansing community relative to the desegregation process. The assumption underlying this analysis…