Author emphasizes that schools must examine their response to the 18-year-old vote phenomenon and guard against serving as an unwitting social tool for wrong ends. (Author/MB)

The author suggests ways to overcome the conceptual and methodological limitations of studies involving campaign speaking and voting behavior. (Author/MF)

Discusses a recent Supreme Court case that upheld State supermajority requirements for such items as bond elections and levies. (JF)

A comparative study of ethnic minority cohesiveness and distinctiveness in southern state legislatures found that the addition of minority ethnic members to the lower legislative bodies of Texas, South Carolina, and Louisiana has resulted in the formation of the relatively (but not completely) cohesive voting group of minority members. (Author/RM)

Reports data that link media use to knowledge of public affairs and this knowledge to voter behavior in local elections. (FL)

Presents an activities package designed for teachers to use in teaching elementary or secondary students about political processes in an election year. Includes topics such as voting procedures, political parties, political campaigns, issues, and rating the candidates. (CK)

Examines the effect of mass media use on political party loyalty. Invalidates the floating-voter hypothesis which suggests that heavy consumption of political information through the media should be associated with higher levels of party loyalty. (JMF)

Offers advice on how high school and college yearbook staffs can cover elections. Lists 18 coverage ideas. (RL)

Questions whether defeat of propositions to establish paid Martin Luther King holiday in Arizona was example of racism among primarily White senior adult voters of the state. Proposes three models to account for general pattern of election-related behavior and for vote itself: proactive racist; pragmatic self-interest; and fortress mentality.…

Defines and gives examples of consumer ballot initiatives; provides an overview of recent scholarship on ballot propositions; and identifies issues that should be of interest to consumer activists and researchers. (Author/JOW)

Voter apathy is at an all-time high in the United States. Important decisions and policies are being determined through disappointing turnouts at the voting polls. In a democratic society, this is unconscionable! Voter turnout needs to improve, but what part can teachers play, besides voting, in helping to change voter apathy? Today's students…

Over 5.9 million Hispanic citizens voted in the 2000 US presidential election. Numbers like these make candidates take notice. As such, candidates and political parties are doing everything they could to sought the attention of Hispanic voters. In this article, the authors present some of the bills that were introduced by legislatures which…

Policies governing the organization and timing of school elections affect democratic representation in school decision making. Some argue that school board elections should be consolidated with general municipal elections on the grounds that this will increase participation and representation, but little empirical work addresses the consequences…

This study investigates the relationship between parents and politics. In part one, the effect of having school-aged children on parents' political outcomes is examined. Do the resource constraints associated with child-rearing depress participation, or does the presence of children increase activity? One finds that parents are more active in…

Bound to the notion of teenage apathy is the concern that young people are increasingly disengaged from political and community issues and lacking in social capital. Voting is often regarded as the ultimate form of civic engagement, which implicitly excludes young teenagers from consideration through their status as non-voters. Teenagers'…