There is a strong link in the United States between education and political and civic participation, though little data exists focusing on the large group of Americans who study in community colleges, either finishing their education with associates' degrees or moving on to bachelor's degree programs. This fact sheet uses one relatively recent…

School boards, who have been regarded as the keystone that links public education to ordinary citizens, are normally elected. However, these elections are usually low-turnout, low-interest affairs in which the vast majority of ordinary citizens play no role at all. In school board elections, the incentives of the teacher unions are strong and…

During this past winter, election fever hit Canadian schools from coast to coast to coast. Elementary and secondary school students across Canada studied the democratic process and took their new found knowledge to their own ballot boxes. Nearly half a million students, aged nine through 18, cast a ballot through the national parallel election…

The educational objective of this user's guide is to provide parents, teachers, and administrators with a resource to catalyze a wide range of partnerships and projects. Schools work best when everyone is actively involved so as to demonstrate democracy first hand. This program is designed to promote the democratic process of active citizenship in…

A 353 demonstration project was conducted in the Lancaster, Pennsylvania, area to provide adult literacy students with information concerning voting in local, state, and national elections. The project had two components: (1) development and presentation of a series of three learner voting workshops; and (2) creation and presentation of a hands-on…

Designed as a teacher resource, the booklet contains nine short lessons related to events in United States history that are remembered in August: the birthday of Francis Scott Key, composer of the national anthem (August 1); the first United States census (August 1); the birthday of Herbert Hoover, 31st President (August 2); the birthday of Julian…

A study examined the source of important voter perceptions during the 1984 presidential election and their impact on the choice between Ronald Reagan and Walter Mondale--specifically perceptions involving the effects of either a Reagan or a Mondale victory on the American economy. The origins of these economic perceptions were sought in…

This report evaluates the progress that has been made since three landmarks in blacks' struggle for equal treatment in the United States. Despite the 1944 case of Smith vs. Allwright, in which the Supreme Court decided that the Texas White Primary was unconstitutional, growing evasion and resistance by whites limited gains in black enfranchisement…

Four articles expressing the views of nine prominent United States citizens about the Constitution provide a context for reflecting on the meaning of the Constitution in present-day America. In "Why Has the Constitution Endured So Long?" Don Edwards, chairman of the House Civil and Constitutional Rights Subcommittee, discusses why the…

In this speech, the Assistant Attorney General of the Civil Rights Division, U.S. Department of Justice, focuses on the civil rights enforcement record of the Justice Department under the Reagan Administration. First, in the area of voting rights, Reynolds describes how jurisdictions covered by the "preclearance" requirements of the…

Procedures for establishing a student-run election information and issue analysis center at the high school level are presented. The purpose of the election information center is to provide the student population with an awareness of candidate's views and to coordinate volunteer activities of students in a campaign. Student personnel include a…

This study examined the voting motivations and news media viewing habits that underlie non-voting behavior. Data for the study were taken from a 1976 national survey of non-voters focusing on the respondents' reasons for not voting and self-evaluations of their news media usage. Reasons for not voting were judged to be either substantive…

In his testimony, before a public hearing of the New York City Commission on Human Rights in May 1974, the author notes that he has been with the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department since 1958; over the past five years, an attempt has been made to routinize the enforcement of civil rights statutes. (Author/JM)

This publication is a collection of social science research and statistical techniques that can help win civil rights court cases. Articles included are: (1) "A Lawyer Looks at Social Science in the Courts"; (2) "How Social Scientists and Lawyers Can Work Together"; (3) "The Nature of Statistics and Research as Used in Civil Rights Litigation";…

This publication summarizes research findings and other data on school financial elections during the past decade in an attempt to provide school officials with a useful compilation of the available information. Major topics addressed in the report include 1) general trends regarding school financial elections in the 1960s and early 1970s, 2)…