Presents Clarence Earl Gideon's petition for counsel as a primary source document to be used in social studies units on the Bill of Right's Sixth Amendment. Examines the constitutional issues of due process and right to counsel. Outlines teaching activities that develop vocabulary and analyzes Gideon v. Wainwright as a case study. (CH)

Presents facts and figures about the U.S. Constitutional Convention from the original proposal at the 1786 Annapolis Convention through the ratification process. Lists the rules adopted for the Convention, provides demographic data about the delegates, and includes a selected bibliography of books and articles. (GEA)

Questions concerning the relative protection afforded by the speech and press clauses of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, the law of libel, and protection for the editorial process are the focus of this paper. The first section summarizes arguments for First Amendment press protection, focusing on the question of whether…

Public school principals and teachers have a compelling need to understand student rights when teaching constitutional principles that apply to students. This book seeks to help both students and educators understand those rights. The work concerns itself with the fundamental federal constitutional rights of public school students. A study of the…

The Reverend Moses Drury Hoge, one-time personal minister to Stonewall Jackson, defended secession as the South's attempt to preserve the Constitution in its original mission while eulogizing Jackson at a ceremony in 1875. Hoge drew upon the historical legacy of the American Revolution to suggest that the colonies had also formed a separate…

Given the role that initiatives and referenda have played in state and local governance, it is interesting that there has never been a national initiative or referendum in the United States. The reason for this is that the Constitution of the United States does not provide for direct citizen initiation of, or direct popular votes on, either…

A U.S. Court of Appeals has upheld significant portions of an arrangement allowing Rutgers University faculty to pay agency fees in lieu of union dues and still be covered by a collective bargaining contract, despite contention that aspects of the agreement violated their constitutional rights to free speech. (MSE)

The Department of the Army has been chosen to be the executive agent for the Department of Defense (DOD) programs celebrating the Bicentennial of the United States Constitution. The DOD commemorative focus is fourfold: (1) to demonstrate the role and relationships of the military in national government; (2) to provide educational and historical…

After 38 of the 41 delegates signed it on September 17, 1787, the U.S. Constitution was sent to the Continental Congress in New York where a vote was taken to pass the document to the 13 states for ratification. The process began with a struggle in Congress between those who favored the document, or the Federalists, and those who opposed it, or…

Because Native American societies are held by United States courts to possess rights of self-government where these rights have not been explicitly withdrawn, the constitutions of 280 Native American governments in the United States (exclusive of 219 in Alaska) were examined as they existed in September 1981 to determine the extent and character…

The driving force in federal licensing has been the combined political interests of legislators desirous of obtaining valuable prerogatives over the assignment of frequencies; incumbent broadcasters, ever vigilant in restricting new entry into broadcasting; and "public interest" lobbyists, whose self-interests lay in politicizing the…

This paper examines issues concerning educational finance in the Washington, D.C. public schools according to three measures of adequacy: city budget, per pupil expenditures, and teacher-student ratio. The issues are discussed in the context of historical, social, and political developments (the change from Federal control over the school district…

The American system of higher education governance is examined by exploring the corporate authority of governing boards at the turn of the century, from the 1880s to World War I, to establish a baseline from which to evaluate changes in this authority resulting from the changing role of federal and state governments in higher education since World…

Seven articles by members of the Bureau of the Census discuss various aspects of the census process and uses of census figures. Areas which are discussed include the historical basis of the census; automation of the census process; access to census information and confidentiality; and census taking in developing nations. (CLB)

Examines the impact of race on 19th century politics and social order. Discusses the denial of voting rights and due process to free Blacks prior to the Civil War and the "unkept promises" of the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments to the U.S. Constitution. Lists books on the 19th century Black experience and identifies significant…