Students are well served by course simulations that employ active learning styles and student-driven interaction. For debate on political issues, particular public policies are quite effective in stimulating that discussion. We developed an in-class simulation of political debate on the issue of Social Security. We describe the simulation itself,…

The commitment on the part of the national government to provide some assistance to the elderly began in the 1930s, but in the last decade or so, this commitment has substantially increased. (Author/AM)

Evaluation must take into account both executive and legislative politics and their interactions. A five-part continuum evaluation process is suggested for the development of a policy question and its translation into knowledge that is credible, timely, responsive, and usable. Evaluators have a major responsibility in this process. (Author/JAZ)

Evaluates two programs in the Johnsonian "war against poverty": one "macroeconomic," attempting to create an environment of greater job opportunities and higher employment; the other "microeconomic," investing in low-income workers to raise their relative earning power. (Author/JM)

Examines two goals of anti-poverty programs beyond reducing the number of people in income poverty and increasing public expenditures disproportionately benefiting the poor: that inequality of income should be substantially narrowed, and that benefits for the poor must meet their needs. (Author/JM)

Legislative evaluators can inform state policymakers who face policy and budget decisions related to large and complex federal programs such as Medicaid. Unlike lobbyists, advocates, and other stakeholders who support particular interests, legislative evaluators are uniquely positioned to provide independent and timely information to assist…

An analysis of the President's budget message to the Congress and the provisions of the budget itself which sees the policy therein expressed as the by-product of a view of society and of the proper role of government that is incompatible with the implementation of the precious rights won by minorities in recent years. (Author/JM)

Drawing attention to the important distinction between macro- and micro-employment policy, traces and analyzes the evolution of American employment public policy. (JM)

The 15 essays in this book discuss the success and failure of federal anti-poverty programs since the 1960s. Titles (and authors) are: (1) "Introduction" (Sheldon H. Danziger and Daniel H. Weinberg); (2) "Public Spending for the Poor: Trends, Prospects, and Economic Limits" (Gary Burtless); (3) "Antipoverty Policy: Effects on the Poor and the…

The Subcommittee on Human Resources was convened February 23, 1982 to review and discuss the Reagan administration's plans for Project Head Start, as presented in the controversial and widely disseminated policy paper entitled "Head Start: Directions for the Next Three Years." Informally known as the "Head Start Strategy…

Argues that the mood of today's racial climate, the ideological demands of many minority social scientists, and the governmental research and funding policies all come together and suggest a racial change in the search for knowledge, and in the methodology and values of social science research. (Author/JM)

Interest groups have historically contributed more to the maintenance of existing national educational policies and programs than to the creation or shaping of new ones. The uncertain political acceptance of the recently increased federal role in education complicates attempts to predict the degree of change in policy development to expect during…

A review of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), which originated 20 years ago, is presented; and the original political, ideological and social science assumptions for the design of NAEP are examined. The report criticizes the founding principle as hampering NAEP's maximum utility and exploratory power. In examining the form of…

Presents the results of surveys that use new technologies and procedures to provide a more accurate picture of how people feel about racially charged issues. The results suggest deep divisions and surprising agreement on many of these issues. Argues that, distrust and dislike of affirmative action is widespread even among liberals. (MJP)

This paper discusses moral, logistical, and other issues concerning phases of "Operation Babylift," the transportation of approximately 2,000 Vietnamese children to the United States for adoption by U.S. citizens at the end of the Vietnamese War. Inadequate health screening, improper selection methods, and crowded and unsafe aircraft are…