Reverse discrimination is an effect of affirmative action that cannot be overlooked: it is discriminatory and it has victims. If laws may be used to discriminate against Whites, they may once again be used to discriminate against Blacks if we do not retain our respect for equal rights. (Author/KH)

Although students are told about the principles of democracy, they get few chances to experience democratic participation. Analyzes five research efforts spanning 45 years which attempted to study democratic practices in schools and how such practices affect attitudes and behavior. Results indicate that democratic education is both possible and…

Data from a followup of the Freshman Norms Survey of the Cooperative Institutional Research Program are analyzed for the influence of participation in higher education on income, political attitudes, and job and life satisfaction. Possible impacts were found on the first two, but not on the others. (MSE)

This report explores questions about roles for citizens and governments in a good society by examining six Canadian experiences with civic engagement. Each case study involves different sectors of society, key players, goals, processes, and outcomes; touches on long-standing policy issues in Canada; and details how players have come together or…

This paper examines ways in which context influences the implementation of high-stakes accountability systems. The trajectory of implementation efforts has followed a familiar course, with the emergence of scattered opposition prompting officials to "refine" testing systems in predictable ways. These efforts placate critics while softening the…

The Mass Communication and Society section of the Proceedings contains the following 11 papers: "A Cynical Press: Coverage of the 1996 Presidential Campaign" (Sandra H. Dickson, Cynthia Hill, Cara Pilson, and Suzanne Hanners); "JMC Faculty Divided: Majority Finds Dozen Uses for Research" (Fred Fedler, Maria Cristina Santana,…

What do 14-year-old students know about democratic institutions and processes? What skills do they possess to understand and interpret political communication? Do they hold concepts of citizenship and democracy similar to those held by adults in their societies? What role do schools and other civic organizations play in the civic development of…

The Hungarian CIVITAS program, working with the Florida Law Related Education Association (FLREA) and researchers from the University of Central Florida, conducted a three-year evaluation of the "Citizen in a Democracy" competition. Over this period the program grew rapidly in size and quality, involving thousands of students and…

This article provides a brief historical review of efforts to prepare immigrants to pass the U.S. citizenship test, defines key terms, discusses events that have shaped civics education, and offers suggestions, whatever the approach chosen, for integrating civics content with English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) skills development. Covered topics…

This hearing presents testimony on Medicare support for graduate medical education in light of Clinton Administration and other reform proposals to reduce the number of specialized residencies in teaching hospitals. The testimony includes opening statements by Senator William V. Roth, Jr., chair of the Senate Committee on Finance, and Senator Phil…

This is an Executive Summary for "Citizenship and Education in Twenty-eight Countries: Civic Knowledge and Engagement at Age Fourteen," the first report of the results of the second phase of the Civic Education Study conducted by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA). The Executive Summary briefly…

In almost all democratic countries, a rising incidence of nonformal means of political communication, e.g., polls, pressure groups, demonstrations, suggests a need to broaden participation in political decision making. Outlines two possible approaches for achieving this goal: the dual weighted-vote system and computerized politics. (Author/CS)

Former Berkeley Free Speech Movement activists' sociopolitical status, self constructions, perceptions of parents' child-rearing practices, and moral reasoning were compared with assessments made 11 years earlier. An argument was made for their continued political and psychosocial distinctiveness as a generational cohort although some important…

The author analyzes the characteristics of the students and the institutions involved in the campus disorders of the 1960s. He suggests that, while today's students lack their predecessors' social outrage, future rebellion is not impossible, especially while university personnel remain unresponsive and ignore the historic power of student…