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This volume reports on a study undertaken to determine views of college students themselves on civic life and politics and also follows four related studies and action research projects on the relationship between citizens and the political process. The central study was a series of 10 campus discussions in the focus group format, with college students in campuses across the nation. Those groups explored what college students believe it means to be a citizen, how students view politics today, how college students have learned what they know about politics and citizenship, how students would like politics practiced, and what opportunities students have for learning politics at the university. Key findings were that many students have concluded that politics is irrelevant holding a narrow view of politics; that students can imagine a different politics based on people coming together to find ways to talk and act on problems; and that students say they are not learning to practice politics as the political education they receive only reinforces everything they believe is wrong with politics. The volume closes by offering an agenda for changing how students view and participate in politics. An appendix describes the study methodology. (JB)

Presents an overview of selected literature about employee compensation. Highlights include the foundations of reward and recognition systems, incentive plans, problems with merit pay, a historical perspective on performance pay, evaluation criteria and processes, self-rating, job motivation and satisfaction, employee attitudes, collective bargaining, and merit pay in the college environment. (AEF)

The formation of authentic public opinion requires confrontation with political realities and open discussion. This report presents findings of a study, conducted by The Harwood Group, that sought to describe the nature of the process through which citizens learn about public concerns and engage in them. The report argues that the seemingly chaotic process of forming opinions is actually one composed of meaningful patterns and principles. Data were derived from focus-group discussions with 6 groups representing a cross-section of American citizens, interviews with 13 experts, and a literature review. The study identified nine factors that play a pivotal role in citizens' involvement in public affairs: (1) a desire to make connections between public concerns; (2) personal context; (3) a desire for coherence; (4) a need for areas of ambivalence in the public arena; (5) emotion; (6) a desire for authenticity; (7) a desire to play a role in facilitating change; (8) individual catalysts in everyday life; and (9) mediating institutions that bring people together. (LMI)