The traditional hypothesis that extreme attitudinal positions on controversial issues are likely to produce low understanding of messages on these issues--especially when the messages represent opposing views--is tested. Data for test of the hypothesis are from two field studies, each dealing with reader attitudes and decoding of one news article…

In the past, many family planning and population organizations have paid relatively little attention to black fears of birth control coercion and to the writings, speeches, and attitudes that have resulted. Nor have they considered the history and reasons for black sensitivity on the subject of planned family size. This bulletin puts some of these…

Both sides of the divestment controversy are presented by two trustees from Carleton College and actions that Carleton finally took are explained. Morgan calls for divestment, while Trow sees colleges as committed to the pursuit of truth, not the possessor. (MLW)

Deploring children's declining political leverage because of greed, adult self-interest, and mindless military pursuits, this article analyzes six circumstances confronting today's children. These include lack of political will, a negative view of government, changing demographics affecting social strategies, recent business interest in children,…

The annual ACE/UCLA Cooperative Institutional Research Program (CIRP) surveys of American freshmen show a major movement in certain generalized political self-identification labels. The direction has been from liberal to middle-of-the-road. (MLW)

Desegregation remains unconnected to the political, economic, and community dimensions of the locale. It alters the racial image and brings about organizational change. Its value as an instrument of organizational change is undervalued. If basic organizational effectiveness goals were considered in desegregation planning it would succeed much…

The U.S. political candidates for 1988 need to address educational issues. Three agendas are discussed: language training commencing by third grade, values education, educational opportunity for all. (MLW)

Reviews history of voting rights for Indians and discusses a 1986 decision calling for election reform in Big Horn County, Montana, to eliminate violations of the voting rights of the county's Indian citizens. Notes that positive effects--such as election of the county's first Indian commissioner--co-exist with enduring anti-Indian sentiment. (JHZ)

Economics education is a real necessity. Today, for example, when the United States is trying to maintain its position as a worldwide industrial power, students must be taught about the international nature of our economy. An educated citizenry will be less likely to automatically accept economic panaceas offered by politicians. (RM)

This teaching unit about George C. Marshall contains a teacher's guide, a resource packet, and a teacher's notebook. The teacher's guide includes ten introductory, overarching, and culminating activities: (1) About this Guide; (2) Getting to Know Him; (3) Marshal on Video; (4) Share a Space with a Hero; (5) On a Global Stage--Links; (6) A Picture…

This manual guides K-12 teachers through a two-week study of the election process in Indiana culminating in a school-based election. Election procedure is followed from voter registration through election returns. Indiana law mandates the study of elections during election years; this manual was created to facilitate the process. Grade levels and…

A loosely connected set of providers, clients, sponsors, and intermediaries make up the local markets referred to as the out-of-school-time (OST) field. This field and the actors in it have been evolving in response to shifts in the economy, the growing demand for services associated with increased numbers of working mothers in the labor force,…

This document, which is designed to assess the political realities for lifelong learning in Great Britain in the 1990s, contains five papers. The introductory papers, "Editor's Preface" (Nick Small) and "Foreword" (Richard Hoggart), set the stage for the remaining three papers and present a brief overview of their contents and…

This guide is a revised and adapted version of a previous monograph, "A New Public Perspective on Representative Democracy: A Guide for Legislative Interns." The guide focuses on civic perspective: how citizens view the political institutions, processes, and people that are fundamental to representative democracy in the United States. It…

This digest addresses teaching about the U.S. Congress. The digest addresses the constitutional foundations of the U.S. Congress, including the Virginia Plan, the New Jersey Plan, representation, bicameralism, and the balance of power between state and federal government and among the executive, judicial, and legislative branches of the federal…