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Across the country and throughout the world the demand for effective leadership is soaring. As a result, academic programs in leadership studies, courses in leadership, and leadership institutes or centers are being integrated into academic curricula of various disciplines and at all levels. As a result of such rapid growth, a wide range of approaches to the study of leadership are utilized in the training of undergraduate students, graduate students, managers, and senior executives. The purpose of this study is to survey academic institutions in the upper Midwest region (e.g. within 250 miles of our home institution) to ascertain how leadership is taught at the university level. That is, what resources for leadership training exist and what approaches do they utilize? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A central task of local governments is to encourage economic development. This task has led to the proliferation of a variety of quasi-governmental institutions, such as business improvement districts, tax increment districts, and dependent special districts. One of the most prevalent of these institutions is the economic development corporation (EDC). An EDC is a non-profit corporation overseen by representatives of business, government, and the public. It pursues such strategies as the enhancement of a central business district, provision of business loans, and planning. EDCs are funded through private and public contributions, loan and service fees, and sale taxes..x000d..x000d.While it would seem that the creation of EDCs should be driven by economic need, the literature suggests otherwise. Nancy Burns (1994) asserts that the formation of governmental units is often intended to benefit public and private entrepreneurs. Her findings serve as a basis for subsequent research on local boundary change..x000d..x000d.This study uses statistical analysis to examine the ability of boundary change theory to account for variations in the use of EDCs across six Midwest states: Kansas, Indiana, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When attorneys question and ultimately select a 'representative' jury for trial, many factors (such as age, sex, and education) may influence the attorneys' decision. One factor that has not been studied thus far is whether partisanship plays a role in the selection process. Present discussions focus on the attributes previously mentioned and whether the age, sex, or education of jurors relate to being selected for jury service. In this paper I survey jury pools in order to discover whether partisanship influenced the attorneys' decision to select or dismiss a potential juror. I consider whether there is a relationship between those selected to serve on a jury and those dismissed. This study took place in an rural Midwest county, also near a university. Surveys were administered to all veniremen and women called for jury duty in a one month period. The surveys, which yielded approximately 100 responses, asked the potential jurors to state the party they most identify with, their feelings on issues that appear most often in voir dire, and whether they had ever previously been chosen to serve on a jury. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper seeks to understand the impact of celebrity statements regarding foreign policy on public opinion, specifically on college-age voters. Various actors and institutions may prime opinions in the public--in the realm of foreign policy and elsewhere. However, the ability of celebrities to prime public opinion is woefully understudied. While political pundits endlessly debate the effects of outspoken, politically-minded celebrities on public opinion, scholars have not attempted to empirically measure the effects using real-world data. Survey data and traditional regression analysis are impractical methods to estimate such a relationship, because even if the data existed, at best the data could show a correlation, but could not establish causation. As such, an experimental study is thus the best method to directly establish a link between celebrity pronouncements and changes in public opinion. A sample will be drawn of college students on a large, Midwestern campus. The experiment will expose the students to a hypothetical international scenario. The scenario asks the student to choose from a range of policy options that the US should adopt with regard to a hypothetical nation - Bandle. The majority ethnic group of that nation, the Lanecs, has recently begun eliminating the minority ethnic group, the Criels, under a policy of what amounts to genocide. Subjects will voice their opinion on different foreign policy options based on the information provided in the scenario. In the control groups, the scenario will include an anonymous State Department representative calling upon the world community to stop the crisis. In the experimental group, rock singer Bono will make the same statement. It is expected that the experimental group will be more likely to favor the policy option when a celebrity also favors it. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Latino population in the Midwest showed its political potential in spring 2006 with protests responding to HR 4437. I argue that immigrants' rights organizations increasingly spur the transition from political interest to voting among Latino/as. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]