Used data from Aging in the Eighties national survey to examine impact of health rating and life satisfaction as well as other socio-psychological characteristics on voting turnout among elderly Caucasian and African Americans. For Caucasians, self-assessment of health was significantly related to voting behavior; whereas among African Americans,…

Reports on a voting project in an interdisciplinary humanities class to help students think carefully about the qualities and qualifications of political leaders. Describes how the students integrated research, reading, and writing skills to engage in campaigning and other election-related activities for political candidates whose characters they…

Asserts that majority rule in a democratic society follows a cyclical pattern. Discusses the paradox between the concept of majority rule and protection of the rights of voting minorities. Compares the difficulty of achieving democracy to that of achieving justice through jury trials. (CFR)

"Promised" by the Dawes Act of 1887, U.S. citizenship was finally granted to all Native Americans in 1924 and reaffirmed in 1940 as World War II and military service loomed. Nevertheless, six states prevented Indians from voting until the 1950s. Since then, Indian political participation and voting power have grown, particularly in some western…

This article describes adulthood in general and that of individuals with severe cognitive impairments. It examines traditional roles, rites, and rituals of adulthood, including: voting, marriage, consensual sex, and moving out. How one parent intends to assist her daughter in accessing these markers of adulthood is discussed. (Contains…

The 1996 presidential elections will be, in part, a referendum on affirmative action, with partisan battle lines drawn. When the issue is framed for the voter as a choice between group equality or individual merit, affirmative action loses. Recent history suggests that a majority of Americans reject explicit group preferences. (SLD)

A homemade video graphically displayed a rural Wisconsin school district's cramped and deteriorating condition. Voters approved a 5.5 million dollar plan to expand and modernize the existing 3-story building that links the elementary school and high school. School officials believe the grassroots video helped convince voters in favor of the…

Discusses the inspiration for a school program on voter education called "Kids Voting USA." Describes Kids Voting, launched in the general election of 1988 when children in Phoenix, Arizona, cast their own ballots. Includes ideas for activities and features a lesson called "Debate Bingo." (CMK)

Discusses the issues of the initiative and referenda process focusing on the arguments for and against referendum and voter initiatives. Includes research pointers on ballot initiatives, a brief quiz, and activity ideas, such as "Match States with Initiatives." (CMK)

Examines the effect that the presence of national elections has on government respect for a category of human rights known as physical integrity rights. Analyzes 74 countries at three points in time (1981, 1984, and 1987). Finds that the presence of national elections has no effect on government respect for physical integrity rights. (CMK)

This paper reports the introduction of electronic handsets, like those used on the television show Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? into the teaching of philosophical logic. Logic lectures can provide quite a formidable challenge for many students, occasionally to the point of making them ill. Our rationale for introducing handsets was threefold:…

This paper explores the position of a group of immigrant youths from the European republics of the former USSR on participation in public life in Israel, as expressed in their attitudes toward voting in the 1996 national elections, the first in which the youths were eligible to take part. The study group consisted of 30 18-year-old high school…

The educators who have the most visible position in the school community are principals. Superintendents and school board members stand out in the crowd, but the public tends to see principals as the credible source of how budgets will filter to the classroom level and ultimately benefit children for life. In other words, the public believes that…

Despite a growing consensus that civic education is an important aspect of political socialization, little research has prospectively examined how gains made during civics courses are maintained after high school. This study used a quasi-experimental design to examine longer-term effects of the Student Voices program, which was originally…

This study incorporates the perspective of deliberative democracy in proposing a framework for evaluating relationships between civic education and political development. Findings support a conception of deliberative learning as a process in which interactive curricula result in the diffusion of discursive inclinations to families and peer groups.…