Many studies of the United States voting have sought to explain why voter participation is declining. Recent research by Michael P. McDonald suggests that the much lamented "decline in voter participation" is an artifact of the way in which turnout rates have been measured. McDonald is an assistant professor of government and politics in…

Seniors' writing skills were assessed in 1998 at a medium-sized public university. Blind scoring, a standard scoring guide, and trained graders were used. Curricular writing emphasis was assessed through a syllabus study, yielding a Curricular Emphasis Score. Controlling for entry-level skill in writing, Writing Score and Curricular Emphasis were…