This paper contends that the issues of constitutional government debated during the founding of the United States should be in the core curriculum of any school that seeks to educate students to become responsible citizens of a constitutional democracy. For purposes of teaching students, the issues debated by founding-era political thinkers can be…

A biographical sketch of Robert Michels (1876-1936), a political sociologist and economist who taught in Germany, Switzerland, Italy, and the United States is presented. In his best known work, "Political Parties: A Sociological Study of Oligarchical Tendencies of Modern Democracy," he put forth his "iron law of oligarchy"…

Contains a discussion of: comparison of the concept of political literacy developed by Crick and Lister, role of a psychology of political education, outline and comparison of cognitive developmental approaches, and implications for political education and research suggestions. (ND)

The political science and sociology conceptual foundations of Stanley Elkin's "Slavery" and John Blassingame's "The Slave Community" are analyzed and compared. (DE)

Discussion of political science games and their use at the college level is intended to present a case for the feasibility and desirability to expand the role of simulation in Soviet studies. (Author/ND)

This paper analyzes what is involved in patterning part of an introduction to politics along the lines of physical sciences, and it presents contents and results of a course in which the author did this. (Author/ND)

Topics under examination in this article are: what we evaluate and why, humane and scientific evaluation, a plan for classroom visits, and the department as a medley of teaching excellence. (ND)

Most of what may be construed as political science has always proceeded through induction, which depends heavily on the insight, intuition, and personal brilliance of the particular author. Another approach that is closely associated with the early induction through examples is the expert system. The outcomes of this approach are not measures of…

A challenge on the survival of capitalism and its future is set forth in this document. Although industrial capitalism is strong, five dangers that threaten its survival are cited: (1) the collectivist bias of Western intellectuals; (2) the influence of the ecological apocalyptics; (3) the assault on the market by big government; (4) the…

Knowledge of the external world is said to be secured in an objective fashion according to the principles of proof, refutability, and those canons of science which can be traced to Newton's four published Rules of Reasoning in Natural Philosophy. Much of scientific reasoning, however, especially in the human sciences, involves propositions…

This executive report describes the Commission's purpose, plans, and activities to commemorate the Bicentennial of the Constitution in 1987, emphasizing educational opportunities and the enlargement of public understanding and appreciation of the Constitution. The parts of the report include: the Commission (establishment, membership,…

The principle of cognitive consistency, formulated by Jack Snyder, explains decision-making under stressful conditions. Snyder contends that decision-making under stressful conditions creates a drive toward cognitive consistency and brings into operation tendencies: (1) toward a perception of certainty about an opponent's intention and the…

The programmatic structure and modes of implementation of U.S. social provisions must be understood in order to gain insight into social programs in the United States. National standards have not been established for public benefits and "social security" has remained firmly separated, both institutionally and symbolically, from…

The extent to which the professional association and the journal of political scientists are representative of members of the discipline was studied. Articles in the "American Political Science Review" (APSR) from 1958 to 1979 and presidential speeches of the American Political Science Association (APSA) were classified according to…

This chapter discusses the importance of political power in educational decision-making and examines in turn methods of gathering data for political analyses and types of conceptual models that are useful in studying the politics of education. Five methods for gathering political data are reviewed, including survey analysis, reputational analysis,…