During four intensive summer weeks, 28 students were exposed to the daily life of top political leaders (ministers and city mayors), acting as their political advisors. Real-life assignments were planned in cooperation with liaisons from the personal offices of these political leaders. The cases brought the hectic, complicated and uncertain life…

Elaborates ways in which literature may influence politics and demonstrates literary techniques employed to develop political arguments, disseminate political thought, and articulate ideological positions. Describes an interdisciplinary undergraduate course which used literature from Latin America as its focus. (JDH)

A model presidential nominating convention gathered 4,000 students from three states in May 1984 and selected Gary Hart as the Democratic nominee. Preconvention training prepares students to run the convention themselves while learning the political process in action. (MD)

This article examines what makes knowledge political in its derivation and uses, and what potential political functions it may serve. Emphasis is placed upon the idea that the consequences of political knowledge for a democracy are neither uniformly beneficent or malevolent; but depend upon how the knowledge is being used and by whom. (DE)

Describes a course offered on the political economy of national security. Discusses the objective of the course as the introduction of major economic issues associated with national security. Outlines lecture topics, course readings, and class format. Evaluates course weaknesses and strengths. Includes course assignments and requirements. (RW)

This paper chronicles the life of Democratic Congressman "Tip" O'Neill, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1977-1986. O'Neill's life is recounted, including: (1) encountering the patronage practice in Boston politics; (2) experiences in the Massachusetts legislature; (3) work with the Kennedy brothers and Lyndon Johnson;…

This chapter discusses the historical development of the politics of education as a field of academic inquiry and reviews the major research trends and developments in the field since its birth in about 1960. The authors first separately trace the historical development of education and of political science in the United States, focusing on those…

Discusses the process of state textbook adoption and how this process influences the subject matter that will prevail throughout the country. Elaborates on the Texas textbook adoption system as an example of a statewide selection procedure. (GEA)

Discussing the place of Christian beliefs and values in the political realm, O'Neil examines three future-oriented books which argue that religion has a significant part to play in the public sphere. Analyzes ideas in "The Naked Public Square" by Richard Neuhaus; "Freedom with Justice" by Michael Novak; and "Religion in…

This 63-page annotated bibliography contains available materials in the area of political communication, a relatively new field of political science. Political communication includes facets of the election process and interaction between political parties and the voter. A variety of materials dating from 1960 to 1972 include books, pamphlets,…

Examines the attitudes of Irish secondary school students toward political parties and the influence of the parties on the students. Results showed high student awareness of party differences, parental disposition to be an important influence, and party attitude to be an important influence on certain issues. (Author/CK)

Analyzes Reagan's foreign economic policy, and presents reasons for the misinformation surrounding Reaganomics. Outlines the Reagan administration's economic goals, including a discussion of the U.S. trade deficit and attempts to remedy it. Addresses criticisms launched against Reagan's economic policy, and provides cross-country data on budget…

Traces the evolution of the National Security Council (NSC) under President Reagan. Examines the structure of the Reagan NSC and compares the structure of the Reagan NSC to that of his predecessors. Analyzes the rebuilding of the NSC in the aftermath of the Iran Contra Affair and the policy mistakes of the NSC in that affair. (RW)

This book is a collection of 14 papers that grew out of activities and conferences of the Committee for Community Research of the International Sociological Association. All of the papers reflect a general concern for establishing an international basis for the study of local political power and decision-making. The various authors attempt to…

Political psychology is the study of the bidirectional interaction of political and psychological processes. This academic discipline was founded after the First World War by Harold D. Lasswell. The content of political psychology is discussed and illustrative studies of the field are briefly summarized. (CS)