Following a foreword by Derek W. M. Barker, "Deliberation as Public Judgment: Recovering the Political Roots of a Democratic Practice," contents of this issue include: (1) Beyond Adversary Democracy (Jane Mansbridge); (2) What Is Political Judgment? (Ronald Beiner); (3) The Bumpy Road from Mass Opinion to Public Judgment (Daniel…

Three variations of experience identified in the educational literature entail different ways of thinking about and developing learners' imaginations. The relationship between these different imaginative modes resembles shifts between different kinds of understanding in Kieran Egan's theory of imaginative development. From this theoretical…

Political theory has described a positive linkage between education, cognitive ability and democracy. This assumption is confirmed by positive correlations between education, cognitive ability, and positively valued political conditions (N = 183 - 130). Longitudinal studies at the country level (N = 94 - 16) allow the analysis of causal…

This study examined the judgments and reasoning of adolescents (ages 12-19 years) from three sites in urban and rural China (n = 270) and in an urban Canadian comparison sample (n = 72), about the fairness of various forms of democratic and non-democratic government. Adolescents from both China and Canada preferred democratic forms of government,…

This paper reports the findings of a survey of rural northeastern Kentucky high school teachers on the questionnaire "What Do You Really Believe?," an instrument originally developed by Phi Delta Kappa (PDK) and revised to assist in identifying a potential set of Core Values to which a majority of the public might subscribe. The present…

The role of schools in promoting social reproduction is the focus of unproductive debate among proponents and between adherents and others. This essay is concerned with how this body of theory may become a force for progressive, practical transformation. (MT)

This article explores the notion of sound judgement by citizens in environmentally attentive democracies. The argument is against indoctrination, and in favour of greater continuity and progression throughout all phases of education. A democratic education that is attentive to issues of environmental sustainability will need to draw on the…

Addressing the problems of increasing antisocial behavior, declining civility, and decaying morals, this book contains a collection of essays that consider the origins and the development of America's character, the factors that influence it, and the consequences for society of inadequate character development. Essays include the following: "The…

Describes working with psychologist Lawrence Kohlberg in developing assessments of a group's sense of community, mutual acceptance of social norms, and the democratic process. Explains how Kohlberg influenced the author's professional work. (Author/NB)

The conflict between access and quality in education has been front-page news for decades. Policies regarding the role of elite universities, the organisation of secondary education, admissions criteria, courses of study, high stakes testing, and fiscal and programme accountability have changed with uncommon frequency, resulting in confusion and…