Voting patterns in the 97th United States Congress (1981), in which the Senate was under Republican control for the first time in 30 years, are analyzed. The study measured conservatism from congressional voting analyses made by the Americans for Democratic Action (ADA), Americans for Constitutional Action (ACA), and the Conservative Coalition…

Two experiments were conducted in November 1980 and March 1981 to study media effects on the perceived legitimacy of political groups. The first experiment was a pilot study designed specifically to explicate legitimacy by factor analysis. The second experiment was designed to validate the factor analysis performed in the pilot study, to expand…

The pamphlet analyzes registration and voting behavior among college and university students. When the voting age was lowered to 18 in 1971, it enabled almost 13 million young people to vote. Over four million are students. Although voting patterns vary among and within campuses, some trends can be identified. Registration rates for students are…

The twentieth century history of the academic study of political communication can be divided into three parts: the period between the World Wars, the period 1940-1965, and the period from 1965 to the present. In the first period, social scientists were greatly concerned that the democratic process might be subverted by propaganda; they were…

College and university faculty, together with their students, have established a reputation as being among the most liberal-left political groups in the United States. The extent to which that reputation is deserved and reasons why political liberality is so dominant on the nation's campuses are the subjects of this document. The empirical…

A study was conducted to determine political values of secondary school teachers. Two hundred and two social studies teachers from 24 public high schools in Missouri served as a sample population. The survey instrument contained questions on political involvement and various personal background characteristics. The results indicated that Missouri…

The arrival of Cubans and other exile and refugee groups since 1960 has dramatically altered the social and political demography of Miami. Those groups' active participation in the political system is discussed, as is the use of that system to achieve group goals and stimulate the sense of ethnic identity and political power. (PS)

School Boards of the future will have to be politically controlled, members will have monetary compensation, and boards will represent an approximate 15,000 to 20,000 students rather than the traditional 1,000 to 3,500. (Author/MB)

Argues that political speech-making can have significant impact. Surveyed audiences of four presidential candidates during the 1976 Illinois primary. Analyzed attitude/behavior changes and motivations for attendance. Noted that, while the strongest motivations were of a cognitive-orientation nature, reasons related to event excitement were…

This report on the background and motives of Welsh volunteers in the British Brigade during the Spanish Civil War demonstrates how free-ranging discussions with the volunteers, their families, and friends provide a rich oral history despite the lack of written accounts of that period. (AM)

Reports a replication of earlier research showing no significant differences in dissent between states where the chief judge was chosen by merit and states with arbitrary selection. Suggests the two variables may not be related or may be overshadowed by other considerations. (JAC)

Discusses Barbara Jordan's keynote address at the 1976 Democratic National Convention which succeeded in pleasing the immediate audience of partisans while not offending the general audience. The success is attributed to Jordan's ability to appeal to two seemingly contradictory sets of values. (JMF)

Examines the attitudes of Irish secondary school students toward political parties and the influence of the parties on the students. Results showed high student awareness of party differences, parental disposition to be an important influence, and party attitude to be an important influence on certain issues. (Author/CK)

This study, examining school board elections in Tucson, Arizona, focuses on three research points: (1) the extent to which voters prefer candidates of their own racial/ethnic background; (2) the sociopolitical factors affecting these voters' preferences; and (3) the degree of voter polarization among Chicano and Anglo voters. (Author)