There is a growing consensus in political science research that higher education systems are classifiable into stable distinct types that reflect dominant trends in government partisanship. There is also a large body of higher education research that argues that higher education systems are changing and converging upon a neoliberal type, which is…

Phases of an authority-interdependence sequence, which defines authority before defining interdependence, are presented. Then, three teaching strategies--self-awareness and group explanation, democratic process and responsibility, and relating process to substance--are described as utilizing the sequence. (ND)

During the 1990s, there has been an unprecedented global dissemination of information about the theory and practice of democracy and civic education for democracy. This digest identifies nine trends having broad potential for influencing civic education in the constitutional democracies of the world: (1) conceptualization of civic education in…

In order to educate students in state and local government and to create a better appreciation of the political process, the author contends that the traditional approach to teaching in Texas must be supplemented with innovative techniques. One successful technique is the use of the videotape as a teaching aid. Extension of the vote to the…

Traces the development of political science as an academic discipline in Nigeria. Examines the role and activities of professional associations as related to political science and political science's impact on the public policy process and society. Includes sample course outlines and syllabi to further describe the growth and development of the…

A field experiment is described on the use of computer-related instruction at the college level in political science. The program modules are designed to: (1) teach a substantive body of knowledge in an introductory American government course; (2) introduce students to the basic methods of data analysis; and (3) teach elementary techniques of…

Extrapolates some of the basic epistemological and philosophical arguments of area studies supporters and their detractors within political science. Discusses a possible study of traditional political science "culture" by the area studies proponents. Concludes with a call for both disciplines to work together. (MJP)

There are more than 100 democracies in the world today. All but three of them--Great Britain, Israel, and New Zealand --have written constitutions. This digest examines the importance of constitutions and constitutionalism and the teaching of these concepts through the use of comparisons. The primary objectives of civic education for democratic…

This volume is a companion to "Adult Education: Outlines of an Emerging Field of University Study" (more commonly known as "the black book"), a classic work published in 1964. It explores the developments, accomplishments, and changes in the field since 1964 and charts new directions for research, theory, and practice in the study of adult…

Many cooperative civic education projects among U.S. and Central/Eastern European educators have emerged since the end of Communist Party Rule in the former Czechoslovakia. This digest describes a collaborative curriculum development project, Civic Education for the Czech Republic (CECR). The objective of CECR is to revise the existing social…

The impact of international social change is having a marked effect on developing nations' internal policies, budgets, and development programs. This collection of articles addresses the importance of education in the creation of social policies and development policies; the effect of international changes on education; the investment of limited…

Argues that while gender and political research are not necessarily done by individuals with feminist goals, their application in the classroom potentially helps answer the question of how to make democracy more accessible and "safe" for women. Places the specific act of mainstreaming gender into the broader perspective of theory. (MJP)

A five-year project that used evidence from a variety of disciplines and cultures to develop a framework to help educational policymakers identify ways of achieving the full range of human potential in a given population is described. The project sponsor is an international non-profit institution dedicated to the cause of disadvantaged children…

Part of a series which provides overviews of social science research and teaching in UNESCO member nations, the document focuses on Burma, Mongolia, New Zealand, Philippines, and Singapore. One chapter is devoted to each of the five nations. For each country, the following information is presented: history of social science activity, institutional…

Part of a series which provides overviews of social science research and teaching in UNESCO member nations, the document focuses on Bangladesh, Iran, Malaysia, Pakistan, and Thailand. One chapter is devoted to each of the five nations. Chapter I discusses social science teaching at major universities in Bangladesh and recommends that research…