Public libraries were indispensable resources for newcomers during the height of European immigration to the United States. They were havens for the poor and jobless during the Great Depression and bridges between rural and urban communities during times of major demographic change. An increase in the Spanish-speaking population has inspired…

This paper asks, in the context of recent legislative changes, what can be done to support more citizens in England and Wales with learning disabilities to vote in national elections? This issue is addressed through (i) a review of recent disability access campaigns that have reported discrimination against, and the under-representation of, adults…

Teachers live for the "teachable moments"--those opportunities to connect their subject content to events taking place beyond the classroom. They can occur spontaneously, lucky occasions to bring the curriculum to life grabbed on the fly. In other instances, a teachable moment looms large. In hundreds of thousands of classrooms nationwide,…

The persistence of adolescents' political attitudes and behaviors into adulthood is a perennial concern in research on developmental psychology. While some authors claim that adolescents' attitudinal patterns will remain relatively stable throughout the life cycle, others argue that the answers of adolescents in political surveys have but a…

Education issues are poised to break through the din of presidential politics and economic anxiety in more than a dozen states next month, as voters confront ballot questions and constitutional amendments involving K-12 policy and school finance. High on the list are gambling referendums in six states--Arkansas, Colorado, Maine, Maryland,…

In response to SO 504 322, it is agreed that a chronological age criterion for voting is necessary but disagreement is found with the 15-year-old franchise. For journal availability, see SO 504 322. (ND)

Review effects on educational systems of New Jersey's Public Law 1972, Chapter 81 (Bill S-992) granting full adult status to 18-year-olds. (DS)

Asserts that young people are increasingly disaffected with political parties and voting, more concerned with single issues of environmentalism or unemployment. Identifies trends: (1) increasing sense of discontent with institutions; (2) frustrations in reaching ambitions; and (3) disconnection from core institutions. Proposes remedies including…

Over 40 years ago the historic Kerner Commission Report declared that America was undergoing an urban crisis whose effects were disproportionately felt by underclass populations. In "America's Urban Crisis and the Advent of Color-blind Politics", Curtis Ivery and Joshua Bassett explore the persistence of this crisis today, despite public…

The background material and activities in this publication will help prepare high school students to exercise their right to vote. Although written specifically for use in South Carolina, the publication can easily be adapted for use by teachers in other states. Examples of the different kinds of materials and activities follow. One activity…

Students need to learn about the real-world issues our nation faces. They need to understand how concerned individuals gather information, consider opposing opinions, come to conclusions, and act on their beliefs. Background information, resources, and classroom activities are provided to help students understand the importance of voting. (DF)

Discusses the issue of secret voting in England during the middle decades of the nineteenth century, with particular reference to the movement to secure the secret ballot and to the important position occupied by the ballot question within the Philosophic Radicals' reform program. Journal availability: see SO 507 179. (Author/DB)

Chart is provided giving information on voting registration, dates of primaries, absentee voting, incumbent politicians, and other pertinent voter information. (AF)

Every day, 14 retired teachers and other school employees arrive at the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers' headquarters and go to work for Hillary Rodham Clinton. The retirees--working with volunteers and union staff members from as far away as Alaska--are working to inform teachers' union members why the American Federation of Teachers (AFT)…

Typically, the period between the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday in mid-January and the end of Black History Month in February sees serious and sober public discussions about the state of Black America. Those discussions have heated up earlier than expected due to the November release of a national survey on Black social progress by the…