Civic engagement is an area ripe for increased pedagogical attention in the discipline of Political Science. However, almost all efforts are limited to courses on local, state, and national government. We teach about the often intricate connections between domestic and international politics, but opportunities for students to research and practice…

School reform involves the public: its expectation of participation and its support for a reform agenda. In theory, the press influences both. To explore this link, we compare education coverage in four press outlets, two each in Chicago and Cleveland. Articles and editors are interrogated for (1) style of journalism and (2) assumptions about the…

This position paper asserts that citizens must reclaim responsibility for and power over public affairs. The New Citizenship calls on all people to reassert common agency and to repossess democratic institutions through popular sovereignty that is the root of democracy. The volume includes the following chapters: (1) "Background"; (2) "Call for a…

This practicum was designed to bridge the gap between strong values held by a Lutheran school and output from learners in the school that reflected these values. Using the "I Can Make a Difference" model, students in grades five through eight worked during weekly enrichment periods for 12 weeks to select and solve real life problems. The…

This guide provides a practical tool for organizing locally-based citizen education programs with information on obtaining helpful resources and tips on making national security issues relevant to the public. The purpose is the make the global have more local application and encourage public discourse on global issues. The volume contains seven…

In 1993, the State Legislative Leaders Foundation launched a research project, "State Legislative Leaders: Keys To Effective Legislation for Children and Families." This report documents the findings of the project involving 177 of the most influential Republican and Democratic state legislature leaders from all 50 states. For more than…

Since 1989, citizen-generated ballot initiatives have appeared in several states. Common to several of these initiatives have been questions dealing with the funding of elementary, secondary, and higher education. The focus of these initiatives has shifted to how much the public is willing to pay for education. This project examines the causes…

The workshop on the popularization of science was the first of what the organizing institutions hoped would be a series of workshops on this important theme. It was held to complement the efforts of various institutions and organizations in the whole area of technological acculturation so that the benefits of science may be understood by and…

This guidebook is designed to assist concerned Michigan citizens, local governments, conservation organizations, landowners, and others in their efforts to initiate wetlands protection activities. Chapter 1 focuses on wetland functions, values, losses, and the urgent need to protect wetland resources. Chapter 2 discusses wetland identification and…

The diversity of values about sexuality among administrators, teachers, parents, and children creates serious challenge for public schools. This case study offers an insider's view of what happened in a community when conservative parent groups challenged a senior high health curriculum. In the "Laketown Public Schools," conflict erupted…

Intended to be used by groups of young people under the supervision of adults, this workbook is for young people who want to learn about public affairs and to become involved in their communities. There are exercises that may be completed independently by each person, and exercises that may be used by the entire group. The guide can be used by…

Developed by Iowa educators, this guide contains 23 sample lessons that offer guidelines for addressing the issue of homelessness with students in grades 1-12. The lesson plans were developed for varying age and ability levels, and slight changes can make them usable in a variety of settings to accomplish many different purposes. Resources are…

The impact of the Progressive Movement of 1890-1935 on social, political, economic, and educational developments is reviewed, especially as it relates to parents of handicapped children. The paper notes how parents of the handicapped have evolved from being suspected of causing their child's handicap to becoming partners with professionals in…

This manual is a workbook designed to prepare and help citizens' groups to campaign for equal education for children of both sexes in their communities' public elementary and secondary schools. The manual is divided into two major sections. Section I, "Planning Your Campaign," includes chapters on (1) goal setting; (2) analyzing the…

Scholars and political commentators have noted a new movement toward direct citizen participation in the candidate nomination process, and some individuals have seen this as a decline of the political parties. This paper examines two concepts: (1) the origins of the argument about participation and strong political parties and (2) the effects of…