Traditionally, civic education has been introduced at the eighth grade level. Research indicates that youngsters begin learning political information and attitudes much earlier. With that in mind, this publication is designed around concepts that can be developed throughout the primary and intermediate grades. Elementary students can begin to…

This ERIC Digest outlines what is meant by the phrase human rights and the origin of the concept. It also traces the delineation of the concept of human rights from the 17th century antecedent of "natural rights" to its eventual incarnation as inherent political or personal rights, such as freedom of speech, press, assembly, and…

Recent efforts to improve schools through community democratic school decision making and practices conflict with ideas of some of the founding fathers of the U.S. Constitution. There are several differences between the ideas of some contemporary democratic education reformers and those of Publius (the pen name of the authors of the Federalist…

This study guide is designed to be used by any group of people interested in examining and strengthening the ways in which politics works tody. An argument is made that politics suffers because U.S. society largely has lost a strong sense of public life--a challenging, diverse, and dynamic arena beyond one's immediate family and friendship…

Establishing constitutional government involves not simply the creation of a written document that purports to create the political structure of a nation and guarantee rights to its people, but "constitutionalism" in the sense of meaningful and effective adherence to constitutional norms of democratic organization and the protection of…

This guide is designed for those who participate in North Dakota's Close Up program, a program that provides the state's young people with the opportunity to experience government firsthand in an innovative and participatory setting. The state's 1991 legislative program offers a broad range of activities for student participants, including:…

This paper includes two documents: a working document and a report on the symposium on the democratization of higher education and its role in the promotion of economic and social progress. This symposium was part of UNESCO'S program entitled "Democratization of Education." The purposes of the program's activities were to stimulate and…

The North Dakota Close Up experience is based upon the belief that students need to have an understanding of the roles of state and local governments, of politics and law, and of the rights and responsibilities of citizens in a democracy if the U.S. experiment in self-government is to survive. This document is designed to help students and…

The author analyzes attitudes and court decisions about the Pledge of Allegiance. He suggests a more rational approach with an awareness that patriotism cannot be forced and that mere recitation cannot achieve allegiance. (Author/JR)

Leisure is defined as an individual's expression of his unique style and personal psychic rhythm. The author challenges the present pessimistic evaluation of American society's future. He considers puritanism outmoded and harmful and calls for exploration of various means of leisure to overcome alienation and make life meaningful. (SE)

Included in this publication are the following addresses to the meeting: (1) "The Professional Ethics of Teachers in a Democratic School" (Betty A. Sichel); (2) "The 4Cs of the New Scholarship on Women" (James W. Garrison and Anne Phelan); (3) "Is It Possible to be Philosophical About Poverty?" (J. Gordon Chamberlin); (4) "Moral Images, Democratic…

Based on the premise that democracy's values will not survive if they are not purposefully transmitted to successive generations, this booklet proposes that U.S. schools increase efforts to improve citizenship education. The featured issues are: (1) the reasons improvements are needed; (2) what citizens need to know; and (3) the role of humanities…

This paper addresses the responsibility of educational institutions to improve the social and civic values and the behavior of youth while illustrating the condition of civic education. U.S. children educated during the Vietnam War and Watergate Eras developed a weakened sense of citizenship obligations. Without a government-sponsored nursery…

A study was conducted to assess the expectations and sources of conflict and frustration for school board members in Washington, Missouri, and New Jersey. It tested the widely held belief that school board members are experiencing increased conflict and frustration and explored how these pressures are related to the conflicting expectations on…

The basic paradox of citizenship education in the United States is that the first steps toward the rational, autonomous, critical-minded citizen required by a democracy are necessarily non-rational and based on an unquestioned deference to authority. The movement from the morality of authority to the morality of principle constitutes the challenge…