In this study, academic freedom was defined by 17 foreign-born professors: 12 Arab-born and five non-Arab professors from nine different higher education institutions, as the ability to express different ideas, research any topic, and publish the results without fear of intimidation. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to examine how…

The call to promote social justice sets the social work profession in a political context. In an effort to enhance social workers' preparedness to engage in political advocacy, this article calls on educators to integrate a broad theoretical understanding of power into social policy curricula. We suggest the use of a multidimensional…

The National Issues Forums Institute (NIFI), launched by the Kettering Foundation in 1980, provides an opportunity for the engaged university to foster public deliberation with its students and alumni, as well as leaders in the communities where it operates. NIFI publishes three issue books per year on topics of national importance. These…

The executive director of the Public Agenda Foundation tells how to spot emerging issues for public discussion and characteristics of such issues. (PD)

Describes major events and conferences leading to the formation of a national association that would identify critical issues facing the nation and, through its National Issues Forum, would create a new kind of citizens' dialogue based on informed public discussion of national issues. (PD)

Students can develop valuable research skills and learn about our political process by obtaining campaign finance reports filed by all candidates in federal elections. Other statistics and information available from the Federal Election Commission are also valuable learning tools. (Author/GC)

This article is a report of a campaign game that was formulated in order to introduce the student to the realities of political campaigning. Post-game tests indicated that the game generally increased political interest and had little effect on measured political attitudes such as efficacy, saliency and alienation. (Author)

The author is concerned with certain principles and devices built into the constitutional system, their current status, the role of the citizen, qualities of the competent citizen, and the role of the university in citizenship education. (SK)

Advocates a schoolwide, mock nominating convention as an effective learning experience for high school students, particularly in election years. Presents step-by-step plans for organizing and carrying out such a convention. (SR)

The formation of authentic public opinion requires confrontation with political realities and open discussion. This report presents findings of a study, conducted by The Harwood Group, that sought to describe the nature of the process through which citizens learn about public concerns and engage in them. The report argues that the seemingly…

Public affairs instructors must routinely contend with the reality that stressing the importance of political knowledge is challenging in an era of declining student interest in politics and political institutions. Yet enhancing students' knowledge about public affairs can stimulate more interest and engagement in public affairs, particularly if…

This booklet provides an introduction to the study circle, which features informal, face-to-face, sustained small-group discussion of social and political issues. Section 2 discusses how study circles integrate life and learning. Section 3 focuses on the significance of the study circle idea--bringing citizens back to political life. Study circle…

This paper identifies project-based curriculum elements to increase postsecondary students' sense of political efficacy and their political interest, knowledge, and participation. It evaluates factors correlated with low levels of voting and the implementation of registration activities as remedies; it then introduces curriculum elements based on…

This study guide is designed to be used by any group of people interested in examining and strengthening the ways in which politics works tody. An argument is made that politics suffers because U.S. society largely has lost a strong sense of public life--a challenging, diverse, and dynamic arena beyond one's immediate family and friendship…

Ties between the Hoover Institution on War, Revolution and Peace and the Reagan administration are discussed. Although established as a research library, the institution became increasingly political after World War II, and is known for its political publications. It is also one of the world's great depositories of historical materials and…