Most research efforts concerning minority politics have focused on descriptive representation, which emphasizes (1) counting the minority or female persons in office, and (2) explaining representative levels on the basis of political, social and economic determinants. Descriptive representation, however, is passive and focuses on "being something"…

A discussion guide, one in a series on constitutional reform issues developed by The Jefferson Foundation as part of The Jefferson Meeting on the Constitution project, examines the implications for calling a National Constitutional Convention. The controversy over the power of the amending convention is explained through tracing its development in…

Free-form games are applicable to a range of problem-solving situations. This document discusses gaming as a procedure for organized study of the complex problems entailed in confrontations and crises. The major focus of the booklet is on the various forms of this game type, the kinds of problems to which it is best adapted, and some approaches to…

This document includes an introduction to the role of government in the production of public goods and services and 3 brief teaching units. The introduction describes the nature of a mixed economy and points out why most people identify the production of goods and services with private enterprise rather than government. It develops a rationale for…

General information utilities and specialized networks, such as PoliNet, provide educators and researchers in public administration and allied fields with a diversity of new tools which include: (1) bibliographic searching; (2) international teleconferencing; (3) electronic news clipping services; (4) electronic mail; and (5) free public domain…

This guide illustrates a way to organize the 12th grade social studies course according to the "1981 California History/Social Science Framework." The guide is introduced with a listing of the model curriculum standards for teaching United States government, civics, and economics. Also provided are the basic concepts from the…

A comparison of public opinion about state and national political issues focuses on the degree of constraint expressed by individuals. Constraint is the individual's tendency to coherently cluster issues. It is manifested when, for example, one favors tax cuts and decreased spending; lack of constraint is illustrated when an individual…

Procedures for establishing a student-run election information and issue analysis center at the high school level are presented. The purpose of the election information center is to provide the student population with an awareness of candidate's views and to coordinate volunteer activities of students in a campaign. Student personnel include a…

High school students are introduced to concepts and practices of pressure groups and lobbying through role playing and through participating in lobbying efforts at the state level. Information on effective lobbying, regulation of lobbyists, and the legislative process is provided. Students are encouraged to learn lobbying techniques by engaging in…

Methods for conducting peer voter registration of high school students cover establishing a permanent voter registration committee and identifying and registering eligible students. The permanent voter registration committee, made up of student body representatives, class representatives, and selected teachers, guarantees comprehensive…

Described and critiqued are studies that attempt to describe how personality factors affect foreign policy decision making. Political behavior cannot be explained in terms of personality alone. Such an attempt is a psychological reductionism that ignores the chains of causation that run from underlying personality construct to social and political…

This paper discusses one of the major global problems facing humanity today, human rights. It is one of a series of working papers commissioned by the World Order Models Project in its effort to stimulate research, education, dialogue, and political action which will contribute to a movement for a just world order. Human rights have recently…

TO ENCOURAGE POLITICAL SCIENCE STUDENTS TO READ PROPERLY AND CONTINUOUSLY, THE AUTHOR GIVES FREQUENT SHORT QUIZZES BASED ON THE ASSIGNED READINGS. FOR EASE IN ADMINISTRATION AND SCORING, HE USES MARK-SENSE CARDS, ON WHICH THE STUDENT MARKS DESIGNATED AREAS TO INDICATE HIS NUMBER AND HIS CHOICE OF ANSWERS. TO EMPHASIZE THE VALUE OF CONTINUED HIGH…

The political economy program at Williams College is described. This program is a joint major drawing upon the political science and economics departments and is designed to give those who enter public service, business or law a grasp of the governmental and economic environment within which they will have to operate. It also may give those who…