Los Angeles City College (LACC), a predominantly minority, inner-city community college, administered the ACE "1977 Student Information Form" to 3,000 incoming students for fall 1977. The form allowed students to express opinions on current issues; the generated information was used in comparing student characteristics and attitudes with…

The author briefly examines how educational reform attempts in Cuba since 1959 have taken place and how they have been related to social, economic, and political change efforts in the society at large. The Cuban educational system makes a significant contrast against the failure which characterizes the other Latin American educational systems.…

Fiscal and political forces that will shape the political economies of urban school districts are examined. Topics discussed include local tax bases, federal revenue, state revenue, declining public support, and policy choices. (CJ)

Defines "grand" corruption as that occurring at the higher levels of a political system and involving large sums of money. Discusses the impact and incentives for this level of corruption as well as various government responses. Identifies multinational corporations as the major malefactors. (MJP)

Examines the role of the media in the social construction of the Tangentopoli affair. Originally perceived as a minor scandal involving kickbacks on a cleaning contract, Tangentopoli became a rallying cry for reform, and seriously affected the 1994 Italian elections. Includes graphical analysis of media coverage. (MJP)

Advocates utilizing an issues-centered approach to teaching controversial political issues in social studies classrooms. Recommends augmenting this approach with the development of a democratic classroom where student views are encouraged and considered. Identifies useful techniques for this approach, including debates, simulations, discussions,…

Maintains that, although 18th-Century historians understand the significance of environmental influences, the concept of environmental history did not emerge until the mid-1900s. Discusses the influence of Earth Day, Rachel Carson's "Silent Spring," and the landing of humans on the moon. (CFR)

Considers the role of international election monitors in the political process of newly democratized countries. Discusses the responsibilities and backgrounds of election monitors and provides a personal perspective on recent elections in Haiti and Bulgaria. Briefly examines the efforts of the National Endowment for Democracy. (MJP)

This study examined what makes college students feel positive about the potential and need for change in racial relations, particularly whether a student's own race is a significant factor. Data were drawn from an initial sample of 24,847 first-time freshmen who completed the 1985 survey and a 1989 follow-up instrument to measure how students'…

This unit is designed to lead high school students to consider seriously the U.S. role in the world. At the core of the unit is a framework of choices for U.S. foreign policy. These choices, or Futures as they are called in the unit, are intended to be a vehicle to guide students through the process involved in developing a reasoned opinion on the…

This critique of higher education makes the case that the decline of America's colleges and universities is directly related to the trend toward research and away from teaching. The book claims that: (1) the "publish or perish" dictum generates useless research and articles, while leading professors away from their students in the pursuit of…

There are several disturbing trends in U.S. public life. Citizens are increasingly distancing themselves from the institutions that structure decision making in the public domain. There is a diminishing sense of community, individuals tend not to have any personal obligation to their fellow citizens, nor do they seem to expect any consideration…

National normative data on characteristics of students entering college as first-time, full-time freshmen are presented, based on results of the fall 1985 Cooperative Research Program survey. The data are weighted to represent the population of freshmen. Extensive statistical data are reported separately for women and men, and for 37 institutional…

The book suggests models of new world organizations that will be necessary to achieve the elimination of global poverty, injustice, war, and environmental imbalance by the end of the 20th century. The book was developed by the World Order Models Project (WOMP), an international group of researchers and scholars established in 1968 to explore…

This paper offers an explanation for the rise of radical, social movement activity among youth in the United States in the 1960s and for the decline of such activity in the 1970s. Mannheim's theory on generations is used to explain this phenomenon. Mannheim argued that the major historical events of an era will profoundly shape the political and…