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A conference paper about investigating the effects of political science education on the feelings of the students for the U.S. and its political system is presented. It discusses impact of political scientists' curricular practices and pedagogical approaches on students. It examines the political courses introduced by political sociologist Seymour Martin Lipset, and explores how learning about American politics in comparative perspective affected students' attitudes towards the U.S.

This paper uses state public opinion data to explore if and how attitudes about localism affects people’s evaluations of equity-minded school finance reform. The results show that people value localism for its ability to isolate their resources from the problems of poor school districts. Measured in this way, localism is a significant predictor of opposition to finance reform. Commitment to the democratic goods local government provides is not a significant predictor of such opposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tensions between two rather contradictory views of higher education in the United States have increased over the past 30 years. The first emphasizes the traditional notion that the American academy consists of a community of scholars, who, supported by public and private endowments and shielded from severe economic vicissitudes, endeavor to order, expand and pass on knowledge that ultimately will benefit society. In this view, most American universities center upon their colleges of liberal arts and sciences, places where students and faculty not only learn together but also reflect philosophically upon how their knowledge affects the broader society. The second emphasizes practical aspects of higher education. It views these institutions as profitable markets for private suppliers of goods and services and as efficient training grounds for supplying intelligent malleable workers to private and public employers. American universities sell knowledge and credentials to diverse customers: not only students, but also private and public institutions that expect to profit from their investments of tuition, contracts or grants. This paper argues that the practical view has risen to prominence, and that in combination with new instructional technologies, it threatens to overwhelm the traditional view. If this argument proves correct, profound changes will occur. Faculties will be downsized as universities outsource instructional services; well-trained graduate students and part-time instructors will administer prepackaged courses; and considerably more instruction will take place from distant locations in real time, and also asynchronously. Tenured faculty as we know them will become rarities as universities adopt more flexible labor practices in a businesslike response to worldwide market forces. On a broader scale democracy will suffer if the idea of university graduates becoming responsible civic leaders is lost. If higher education?s central mission is to provide citizens with the skills to thrive in the market economy, then why should the university graduates concern themselves with public policy and civic affairs? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The traditional survey course in Western policy theory remains generally popular with students, nonetheless students often fail to appreciate the relevance of political theory to the rest of their curriculum and to contemporary politics. This paper discusses how the instructor enhances the teaching of Western political theory by incorporating brief examples from the education and political thought of the American Founding Fathers. Among the examples used are Benjamin Franklin on Xenophon's Socrates, Alexander Hamilton on the justification of for independence in natural law, George Washington's use of the inspiration of Cato, Classical references in the Federalist Papers, and Thomas Jefferson on Aristotle's moderate democracy and Epicureanism, as well as the widespread influence of the writings and orations of Cicero. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the equity issues of funding in the state of Mississippi. It is discussed that focusing on standards of providing adequate funding alone, the measures fail to account for some education funding discrepancies. It is concluded that discrepancy issues of equity exist and therefore, the overall quality of life for all citizens on national level can be improved by sticking to provide equity funding for all students in the U.S.

Presents an insight into teenage girlhood by analyzing the reproduction of patriarchal gender norms within the walls of public high school system in the U.S. Relation of traditional gender norms with social and political processes occurring among young women; Role of internalization of dominant norms of young womanhood in determining school popularity; Images of a popular school girl; Sexual behavior of young women; Function of drugs and sex in the lives of popular girls.

What kind of education does a full engagement with the thought of the Founders presuppose? ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While only receiving one year's worth of formal education, Abraham Lincoln's passion for learning is often cited by historians and biographers as one of the key elements of his character. Among the most influential thinkers in Lincoln's life was Sir William Blackstone, whose Commentaries, especially his first book on the rights of persons, helped shape his legal and political thinking as it did for many Americans in the 18th and 19th centuries. This work aims to highlight, through his political actions and speeches, how Blackstone's ideas which sought to explain and clarify English common law influenced our nation's 16th president. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]