Since the classic Columbia University studies conducted in the 1940s, the role of the mass media in modern U.S. politics has been the subject of debate among political scientists. This paper contributes to that debate by examining news media coverage of American national political institutions: the presidency, Congress, and the Supreme Court. A…

This paper examines two fundamental and related issues in the preparation of educational administrators in developing nations, and particularly in the Commonwealth Caribbean. These two issues are educational administration's relationship to regional development and its relationship to the unequal distribution of power. The first section of the…

Two clashing positions about the social responsibility of educators and the main purpose of public schools are presented. According to the traditional position, the main purpose of public schools is transmission of a society's essential knowledge, skills, and values, which enables students to develop their capabilities to the fullest and to…

A study examined whether type of ownership affected editorial endorsement patterns and the impact of endorsements on voters. The endorsements of 51 California daily newspapers were tabulated for 25 statewide candidate races and 158 ballot propositions during elections of 1970, 1972, 1974, 1976, 1978, and 1980. Each endorsement was judged to…

A study of 188 superintendents and 379 school board members in districts with student enrollments above 25,000 sheds light on several factors affecting the working relationships between superintendents and their local boards. Board members tended to follow personal judgment rather than constituent preferences when making decisions, and received…

With the rise of absolutism and determinism, conformity--the conformity generated by bureaucratized social institutions, entrenched economic and political interests, monopolized sources of information, and moral majoritarianism--has begun to pose a major threat to democratic community in America. This paper focuses on the conceptual relationships…

Too many people become disillusioned by political language because they start with illusions about it--erroneous ideas and unrealistic expectations. It is better to start with realistic attitudes, practical information, and not-so-great expectations. When dealing with political language, expect (1) conflict, arguments and disagreements, and…

Raymond Callahan's superintendent vulnerability thesis suggests that school superintendent behavior is subject to the political winds of local school boards, in turn dominated by the economic values of American businessmen. This thesis inspired a body of research termed "dissatisfaction theory," which describes the sequence of events…

The Federal Republic of Germany has begun an experiment in industrial democracy giving workers federally guaranteed rights and authority in industrial decision making. All workers in companies with five or more employees are entitled to elect a works council with which management must consult concerning all employment policies and conditions. All…

A secondary analysis of data from two Indiana Polls, the first carried out in January 1983 and the second in November and December 1983, was conducted to compare respondents' reports of their viewing of network television news and local television news, and their reading of local newspapers. The intent was to use respondents' preferred source for…

This colloquium report contains two papers that present perspectives on the book, "The Closing of the American Mind," by Allan Bloom. The first paper, by Maxine Greene, covers the book's philosophy. It asserts that the book deals with issues of American literacy on a superficial level, and actually is more concerned with refuting points…

Journalistic practice in the United States has gone through a number of changes in recent history, much of it because of television. The significance of these changes might be better understood with a theory on the social function of news and its relationship to the postmodern culture. News is considered in some way as the ground material of…

France has responded well to the social, economic, and political challenges which began when that nation was defeated by Germany in 1940. Two major challenges have been to limit internal quarrels which reduce the nation's ability to handle current issues and to accept the fact that France is no longer the greatest power in Europe. Chapter 1…

This bulletin focuses on the views of four authors. The first, Daniel R. Davies, describes the rise and fall of local control and local school board policies and predicts how the vacuum will be filled. Specifically, he analyzes the concomitant waning of local control and school board policymaking power and forecasts stages in the transition from…

This bibliography focuses on various aspects of the role and status of women throughout the world provides approximately 300 entries covering the time span from 1980-87 and listed alphabetically within topics. Topics included are: (1) women in the developing world; (2) legal status; (3) history, psychology, and sexuality; (4) women in the…