Young people?s interest in the 2004 presidential election is at its highest since 1992. According to a September MTV/The Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning & Engagement (CIRCLE) poll conducted by CBS News, 81 percent of young registered voters are paying close attention to the campaign, compared to 85 percent in 1992, the last…

An Iowa architect reveals some surprising results of a study on how to secure voter approval. (Author)

Campaign workers paid significantly greater heed to both newspaper and television advertising of political candidates than did the voting public. (RB)

The vote-by-mail procedure is presently being tried in Oregon. Supporters claim it is good for democracy because it increases the number of persons involved in decision making. Opponents say it encourages participation by people who know little or nothing about issues on the ballot. (MLF)

Identifies the organizational and public contact strategies used successfully by school supporters in three school funding elections in the Clayton (Missouri) School District between 1975 and 1980. Notes the types of voters contacted by block workers prior to the 1980 election and analyzes their subsequent voting behavior. (PGD)

Presents method for determining basic party voting strength by analyzing voting units at the county level. The method considers the lowest Democratic or Republican vote ever cast in a contest, the number of voters who have switched support from time-to-time, and secondary voters (who only occasionally support their party). (Author/KC)

Discusses a national survey suggesting that college students could be a key demographic force in the 2004 elections. (EV)

For the first time in history, an educational bidding war between republicans and democrats will treat the American voter. The candidate will be called for a major increase in spending and redefined programs and usual purposes.

In September 1882, Nebraska was the setting for a significant moment in the history of the United States women's rights movement: the two rival suffrage organizations, the American Woman Suffrage Association (AWSA) and the National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA), both held their annual conventions in Omaha. The alliance of the AWSA and the NWSA…

It is possible that human capital produces positive externalities to the society indirectly, through non-market channels such as health or crime. Another such channel could be the effect of education on the functioning of democratic decision-making. Measures of the functioning of democracy are bound to be controversial, but one such measure--voter…

An analysis of Census Bureau data on registration and voting by black citizens over the past two decades shows the positive influence of the 1965 Voting Rights Act on electoral participation. After the passage of the act, there was more than a 50% increase in the number of black registered voters. Of black and white citizens participating in the…

The 12 lessons on practical politics have been designed to help high school classroom teachers in Ohio develop and implement educational programs on citizen participation and, specifically, on voting. Objectives are to familiarize students with Ohio voting and registration laws and procedures, to introduce them to voting equipment, to acquaint…

In the summer of 1975, the protective provisions of the 1965 Voting Rights Act were extended to parts of the Southwest. This marks a significant point in the history to secure for Chicanos a meaningful participation in the political process. The basic purpose of the Act assures that minorities can participate in the election process without any…