Asserts the importance of studying legal systems and traditions of other nations. Provides five rationale statements for including comparative legal studies in law-related education. Features the articles in this special theme issue on law in world cultures. (CFR)

Endorses U.S. political history as a colorful and interesting resource for teaching important historical and social science concepts: order and change, elitism and pluralism, creating structures, the Constitution, and the formation of political parties. Discusses these concepts and gives examples of each. (MJP)

Students of the pedagogy of teaching have found that cooperative/problem-based learning activities engage the learner, promote ownership of the material, advance the development of higher-level cognitive skills and increase retention better than more passive learning activities. Despite broad recognition within the political science discipline…

This brief issues booklet provides basic information about the role of the Catholic Church in Poland, the erosion of Communist party leadership over the past year (as of 1981), the rise of the Solidarity Union and the economic problems plaguing the Polish people. An introduction is followed by the following sections: (1) "History of a…

As part of a review of the Geography, History, and Political Science department, William Rainey Harper College (WRHC), in Illinois, conducted a study of students who had enrolled in three or more courses in the department from 1990 to 1995 and who were not enrolled in fall 1995. Questionnaires were sent to a random sample of 300 students,…

This booklet examines the issue of humanitarian aid in times of crises and how the political and military conditions that generate the need for humanitarian action have changed in the post-cold-war era. There are different faces of civil war, changes in international assistance, and complex emergencies that demand new world responses to help those…

Recent analyses of the linkages between policy analysis and politics suggests that contemporary focus on the first had been poorly attenuated to the theoretical needs of the second. This paper specifies the kinds of research in educational politics that should ensue if the politics-of-education field is to become less oriented to specific policies…

There are more than 100 democracies in the world today. All but three of them--Great Britain, Israel, and New Zealand --have written constitutions. This digest examines the importance of constitutions and constitutionalism and the teaching of these concepts through the use of comparisons. The primary objectives of civic education for democratic…

This annotated bibliography introduces students to the reference resources of political science, including international relations, and suggests bibliographic tools to facilitate literature searches. The list is limited to general reference works. The bibliography is divided into the following categories: (1) Guides to the Literature; (2)…

The teacher's guide and a students' guide focus on basic constitutional issues dealing with the media and free press. Students examine case studies, tabloid headlines, and various policy issues relating to information dissemination in society. The guide provides recommended lesson sequences incorporating readings, directed discussions, and…

This unit is part of a continuing series on current foreign policy issues. The first section asks students to consider Russia's future as if they were Russian. Background readings provide information to help students address policy issues and include: (1) "Lessons from Russia's Past"; and (2) "Exploring the New Russia." Once…

This paper, on the relationship between political socialization, the educational process, and what is taught in schools, is organized into three chapters, each of which is largely devoted to reviewing the literature of a particular area. Chapter 1 focuses on the process of political socialization in general and seeks to convey the variety of…

This study compared reading and writing demands at a city high school and an urban university across the following disciplines: biology, English, history, and political science. Analysis revealed five generalizations concerning high school disciplines: (1) in-class activities and student requirements for courses are tied to the course text which…

This document reports the results of a survey of immigrant political science faculty of non-European origin during the fall of 1992. There were five purposes for conducting the survey: (1) to collect data on the characteristics of faculty in the United States who migrated from non-European countries, particularly the less developed countries; (2)…

In the United States, educators have had difficulty teaching about the Soviet Union. Students are often ignorant of the historical circumstances that have affected the U.S./Soviet relationship, and they are often miseducated by stereotypes they encounter in popular culture. This curriculum explores the government and economy of the Soviet Union,…