A study explored the contribution of selected literacy, demographic, and sociopolitical variables on registering to vote and on voting, using as a database a subset of the respondents to the Young Adult Literacy Survey, administered in 1985 to a stratified national sample of 21- through 25-year-olds. Three sets of independent variables were…

The findings presented in this report are based on the results of the November 1988 supplement to the Current Population Survey (CPS) conducted by the Bureau of the Census. Some of the highlights of the report follow. (1) Overall voter turnout dropped to 57 percent in 1988, the first decline reported in CPS in a presidential election since 1972.…

This election-education program is designed to help develop an informed electorate and to instill in future voters an appreciation of the importance of the right to vote. It provides a framework for discussions of the electoral process and gives students an opportunity to face the responsibilities and challenges associated with citizenship and…

The purpose of this election-education program is to help develop an informed electorate and to instill in future voters an appreciation of the importance of the right to vote. It provides a framework for discussions of the electoral process and gives students in grades three through six an opportunity to face the responsibilities and challenges…

A study examined mass media use and ability to predict public support for two heavily publicized Florida referenda--casino gambling and a statewide lottery. It was hypothesized that (1) voters who read newspapers that publish election public opinion poll stories will be better able to predict support for the issues than voters who rely on friends…

A discussion guide, one in a series on constitutional reform issues developed by The Jefferson Foundation as part of The Jefferson Meeting on the Constitution project, examines electoral college reform. The first section discusses how the electoral college functions and presents a brief history since 1787. The second section outlines four…

Literacy training is the first step in citizenship education for democratic empowerment. This report examines empowerment of individuals through community education and applies those lessons to Appalachia. The South Carolina Sea Island Citizenship Schools were formed and supported during the 1950s by the Highlander Folk School (Monteagle,…

Designed to help students understand basic election issues, campaign practices, election processes, and voting procedures, this curriculum guide contains information about U.S. politics in relation to the concept of freedom and historical material on the founding of U.S. political parties, Jeffersonian democracy, and political parties after 1850.…

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…

Student involvement in the democratic process and understanding of the nature of public schools can be enhanced through the study of community school board elections. The materials in this instructional guide present basic information with related student learning activities to assist teachers in planning an election mini-unit. The unit may be…

The goal of this material is to explore some aspects of social choice theory that are thought to have potential usefulness in the practical design of decision-making procedures. The document is divided into three chapters: (1) Power in Voting Bodies; (2) Voting Methods for More Than Two Alternatives; and (3) Recent Approaches to Voting Using…

Written in Spanish, this booklet contains brief information on seven August events celebrated by Puerto Ricans: Herbert Hoover's birthdate (August 10); Acta del Seguro Social (Social Security Act, August 14); Julian E. Blanco (August 14), Enmienda 19 Sufragia de la Mujer (Amendment 19, Women's Suffrage, August 26); Benjamin Harrison (August 20);…

Guidelines for a school-wide simulated election on the state, county, or local level to be conducted by high school social studies or political science classes are provided. The objective is to prepare students for observation of and participation in a real political campaign in the community. Details for the election, establishing political…

A 3-part teaching unit acquaints secondary students with election procedures and with the issues surrounding the 1984 presidential election. While designed to accompany an educational television series on the 1984 election produced by Albany Educational Television (AET), materials may also be used independently and adapted to other elections. Part…

A study examined data from 1,828 adults in 17 cities in the United States to test a model of how community integration (sense of community) and use of media affected voting and other political participation. The portion of the model dealing with mass media included the new concept "quasi-mass media," which involves more personalized…