This 42-item Student Attitude Inventory (SAI) was administered to entering college freshmen at the University of Illinois (see TM 001 015). The SAI items are divided into nine categories on the basis of content as follows: voting behavior, drug usage, financial, Viet Nam war, education, religious behavior, pollution, housing, and alienation. A…

This special issue opens with an article by Franklyn S. Haiman, "The Fighting Word Doctrine: From Chaplinsky to Brown," in which he reviews the problem of the use of "fighting words" in public situations. He discusses this type of communication as one that borders individual and collective rights, and provides background information on significant…

This report examines the relative merits of three types of bonds available in Pennsylvania for financing school buildings. These types are: (1) general obligation (GO) -- issued by the school board with or without the assent of electors, (2) municipal authorities created by local municipalities -- authorized to issue bonds to finance building…

Analysis of the voting patterns in six states on the 1976 initiatives for a moratorium on nuclear power plants. Demographic characteristics were found to be unimportant variables, while percentage of people enrolled in colleges and universities, percentage of land in farms, and relative cost of electricity were found to be important. Stresses…

Describes a statistical analysis of historical and recent presidential elections revealing enduring geographic patterns of partisan support and volatility. Discusses how they affect the Electoral College system and demand that a candidate build a geographic coalition. (CW)

The relationship between voting habits and parental status on the need for evaluative data before supporting a controversial school program was examined. Parents who voted most frequently wanted the most information and less immediately gave support. Nonvoting nonparents were similar. Voting nonparents were more likely to provide immediate…

Presents part of the Aspen High School curriculum about the United States civil rights movement. Focuses on why Blacks were segregated and disenfranchised prior to the movement, why the movement took place, what were the results of the movement, and what is the present condition of Blacks in American society. (JDH)

Every year, the families of more than half a million students in America choose independent schools (private, nonprofit schools that are governed by boards of trustees). There are more than 1,200 independent schools in the US that belong to the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), and each is unique in terms of its mission and…

For many young people, adult education offers a "second chance" to obtain a high school credential, to develop literacy skills, or to succeed in a new country and a new language. With more support, it can also represent a second chance for youth to develop civic knowledge and skills and lifelong patterns of civic engagement. The aim of…

Electing the U.S. President and Vice President is a basic right and responsibility of every citizen of voting age. Even though it occurs every 4 years, the complexities of electing the president is not a concept that every person understands. This resource book aims to fill the gap in understanding by providing students with a learning-by-doing…

This issue, the fourth in a series on demographic forces shaping U.S. public education, discusses how the aging of the population affects education. The first section, "Shades of Gray," discusses how as the population ages, schools may face tougher competition for public resources, noting how tensions have surfaced in one Florida county.…

Every year on May 1st, Law Day celebrates this country's freedoms and the role of law in protecting and preserving them. Noting that 2000 is the first year of a new millennium, this guide urges planners all over the country to pay special attention to the role of citizens in a diverse democracy. Since the year 2000 is also an election year, the…

In February 2001 the Center for Civic Education conducted the first survey of alumni from the "We the People... The Citizen and the Constitution" program. Three Hundred forty-one alumni, who were eligible to vote in November 2000, participated. Voting and other forms of political engagement formed the core of the study. Since respondents…

To meet the needs of our highly mobile, spatially divided society, a social studies program of mobility citizenship'' should be part of the curriculum. (Author)

Examines how mass media exposure to election campaigns influences beliefs about the closeness of the election race, as well as how these beliefs influence the degree of involvement in the election. Data from the 1968 and 1972 presidential elections are analyzed and indicate that no such relationships exist. (JMF)