There have been sterile and robust debates on the issue of national integration as an indelible mark of unity. Democratic consolidation comes to mind when the heterogeneity and differences are seen as factors that cannot hinder our peaceful co-existence in a fair, just and egalitarian society where people's voices and inputs are significant. The…

Much is expected of higher education in addressing the challenges facing policy makers in the countries of the European higher education Area. Higher education institutions are expected to equip their graduates with the competencies needed to successfully enter a volatile labour market, and more importantly to maintain their employability…

Much is expected from higher education in regard to addressing the challenges that policy makers in the countries of the European Higher Education Area face. Higher education institutions should equip their graduates with the skills and competencies necessary for the successful entry into a volatile labour market, and more importantly, maintain…

This article presents detailed instructional plans for a two-day, high school-level lesson on wealth distribution in society. The terms "income" and "wealth" are defined and compared, and the significance of studying wealth is discussed. Resources for the lesson are identified, and a pedagogical mode is outlined in relation to…

The "American Dream" is under duress as the economy slows, incomes stagnate, and upward mobility is more limited than at any time in recent history. Despite a steady increase in per-pupil spending on public schooling over the last decades, not enough students graduate with proficiency in reading and math. And despite some progress over the past…

Using micro-level public opinion data from the "Pew Global Attitudes Project" 2005, this study investigates the effect of educational attainment and income on support for democracy in five predominantly Muslim countries: Indonesia, Jordan, Lebanon, Pakistan, and Turkey. Holding all else constant and compared to not finishing primary…

This study reviewed three philosophical accounts of happiness, and then tested those accounts with the Asiabarometer surveys conducted in six Confucian societies during the summer of 2006. Statistical analyses of these surveys reveal that East Asians tend to experience happiness to a greater extent when they experience enjoyment together with…

We analyze the relation between democracy and perceived subjective well-being while controlling for other relevant determinants such as culture measured by languages. We conduct a cross-national analysis covering 28 countries using data from the 1998 International Social Survey Programme. Contrasting existing empirical evidence, we observe a…

Student fees are a growing source of private funding for public education in revenue-limitation states like Wisconsin. Escalating public-school fees jeopardizes two principles: access to a free education and responsibility for publicly funding an enterprise to which all children are guaranteed access. (Contains 40 references.) (MLH)

Education, ingenuity, and perseverance have always been important components of the American dream. Today, a college degree is an increasingly critical milestone on the road to personal independence and career success. The individual gains from education are more obvious, but society also benefits substantially from the skills and knowledge of…

This volume is the second in a set of two published as the 2008 Yearbook of the National Society for the Study of Education. Planning for the volumes began more than five years ago, when the Society's Board of Directors expressed an interest in taking steps to encourage a more expansive, penetrating dialogue about education in democratic…

Enhanced autonomy of sub-national governments has spurred innovative management. Spending assignments across levels of government, however, often overlap and/or are not yet fully understood by most citizens. Sub-national governments' accountability is further reduced by the heavy reliance on federal transfers, as opposed to own-revenues (taxes and…