Political Science Commons^™

Integrating Women's Voices Into Public Policy, Mollie Hoben

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

Women are Minnesota's greatest untapped resource. Despite significant growth in the visibility of women in public life, the talents and contributions of Minnesota's female citizens are not yet being fully utilized. In this last decade of the century, the state faces policy challenges in human services, the environment, the economy. To most effectively meet these challenges, we need to find ways to integrate women's voices more fully into public policy.

Meeting this challenge is in everyone's interest for several reasons. For one thing, it will make our public endeavors more equitable. Any society that makes decisions for all based on …

Minnesota's 1990 Environmental Education Act, Mark A. Davis

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

The development of new technologies and effective environmental management by communities, states, and nations will not be enough to arrest and repair the environmental degradation that exists in the world today. Nor will technology and management alone be able to prevent significant environmental degradation in the future. Extensive pollution and other types of environmental degradation have occurred because societies have not sufficiently understood and valued their environments. The development of environmentally sound societies will require changed attitudes and a citizenry which is informed about the environment. Thus, it is essential that environmental education be a part of the long range …

Global Agricultural Trade Negotiations And Their Potential Impact On Minnesota, Mark Ritchie

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

The two main factors determining the financial well-being of our family farmers, market prices and government payments, are primarily established by Congress through federal legislation, commonly called the Farm Bill. Although these two factors are likely to remain the main economic ingredients in Minnesota's farm economy for the foreseeable future, the political control over these issues appears to be shifting out of the hands of Congress and into the hands of our international trade negotiators. For the very first time, all price support, income subsidy, and supply management programs are on the table for alteration or elimination in this new …

The Legislative Commission On Minnesota Resources Involvement In Water Resource Programs, John Velin, George Orning

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

ABSTRACT :--The Legislative Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCMR) has funded over $32 million worth of projects m three water-related areas since 1963. The authors describe the process the Commission uses to allocate money and summarize the general nature and accomplishments of many of the water projects.

Interbasin Water Transfers: An Economic Panacea Or A Political Ploy?, K. William Easter, Nir Becker

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

ABSTRACT-New concern about the open access nature of the Great Lakes was sparked by the 1982 Sporhase Supreme Court Decision which limited states' power to prevent interbasin water transfers and was intensified by the 1988 drought in the Midwest. In response to the court decision, the Great Lakes Charter was adopted which established a set of management rules for new interbasin water transfers and other consumptive water uses. However, not all Great Lakes states have implemented the Charter provisions and, even if they did, it is not clear that the Charter objectives could be reached. The big losers from a …

Right To Know Legislation In Minnesota, Leo Uzych

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

In June 1983, Minnesota approved a right to know law pertaining to the disclosure of information to workers about chemical hazards emanating from the workplace. A federal hazard communication disseminated in November 1983 may affect Minnesota's right to know law.

The Impact Of Judicial Reform On The Minnesota Supreme Court, Steven H. Hatting, Joseph F. Keller

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

On November 2, 1982, a majority of Minnesota voters approved a constitutional amendment that transformed the state's appellate judiciary. A newly created Court of Appeals, currently consisting of 12 judges, began accepting cases on August 1, 1983, and deciding them on November 1, 1983. To assess the consequences of this change, ·the authors explored the rationale underlying the amendment, examined the anticipated costs and benefits of implementation, and analyzed case load data. Questionnaire responses from members of the Supreme Court are discussed, jurisdictional relationships between the two courts are explained, and decision· making practices are compared (including oral argument and …

The Development Of Elementary And Secondary Education Policy In The Minnesota Legislature, Joyce Krupey, Gene Mammenga

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

This discussion of the political climate in which elementary and secondary education is funded in Minnesota begins with the Minnesota Miracle of 1971. In each successive legislative session some adjustments have been made in this formula. In this paper we describe the various lobbying groups that try to affect education legislation. We also discuss the role played by the governor, key legislators, legislative and Department of Education staff, the State Board of Education, and the commissioner of education in educational policy formation. In conclusion, we summarize major formula changes since 1971 and review the many education-related issues before the legislature …

Acid Rain: A Complex Issue For Minnesota

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

The Minnesota Budget And Inflation, James Cecil

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

The Minnesota state budget is a policy document which reflects programmatic priorities of the state in terms of size, direction and rank order. Major causes for budget increase are inflation and increased state conversion of what were once local government programs into joint programs. Accompanying greater state support is more state regulation through the use of uniform statewide standards. The two most important Minnesota services are education and welfare. Concern for property tax burden by the legislature has resulted in a comprehensive property tax relief program. Because these programs are very costly, Minnesota, except for property and sales, is a …

The Politics Of Pollution, Another Fallout Of Acid Rain, Cynthia L. Anderson

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

The threat of acid rain is a side effect of the switch to coal as a major fuel for producing energy in the United States. Despite the existence of technology to reduce the pollutants that cause acid rain, the emissions of sulfur and nitric oxides are likely to increase because among several factors of political resistance to regulatory controls. The politics of pollution pit energy production and economic growth against environmental quality. Developing a regulatory policy is further complicated by the difficulty of isolating specific environmental effects attributable to acid rain apart from natural causes within the ecosystem. The question …

Education As A Strategy In Foreign Policy Of The United States, Ghulam M. Haniff

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

The role of international education as an element in the foreign policy strategy of the United States is examined from the end of World War II until the late sixties. It is hypothesized that education was used as a convenient device during the period of the Cold War for conducting international relations when the battle for men's minds was being fought by the superpowers. Data presented indicates that with the intensification of the Cold War, a greater interest was expressed in international educational projects. As an instrument of the United States foreign policy, education was conceived as a convenient format …

Contemporary Peace Research: From Utopia To Feasibility, William O. Peterfi

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

This paper proposes to bring into focus some major problems confronting the discipline of peace politics. There appears to be an urgent need for systematic analysis of the many diverse areas and approaches currently lumped together in the general scope of so-called peace research.

New Towns As Laboratories Of Democracy: Early American And British Experience, Robert A. Barrett

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

New Towns have received attention as significant fields for study of urban systems and urban problems. Their early development in Great Britain and more recent development in the United States is a subject of public and private interest, yet little attention has been directed to their potential for improving the urban democratic process as well as dealing with housing, transportation, employment, planning, recreation, and other urban systems. This paper examines the potential of New Towns with reference to British experiences in improving urban democratic systems.

The Social Basis Of Trust In Government, Ghulam M. Haniff

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

The relationship between the attitude of trust in government and socio-economic characteristics of the respondents is examined . Survey research data permit an empirical assessment of political trust as the dependent variable . The concept of political trust is operationalized through an interview question, and the independent variable is given empirical reference by the use of demographic data. The evidence suggests that a low level of political trust is pervasive throughout all the segments of the American society and that trust in government is not highly correlated with any social group.

The Challenge, Gerald Christenson

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Minnesota Government In The Future Society, Arthur Naftalin, Frances Naftalin

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Utopian Communalism: A Comparison Of 19th And 20th Century Phenomena In The United States, Truman David Wood

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

The utopian communal phenomenon has been present in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The longevity of various religious and secular utopian communal experiments is examined in terms of four organizational factors and the twentieth century communes are considered in terms of four ideals. The main stream of American society has assimilated nothing from these utopian communal experiments.

A Computer Simulation Model For Prediction Of Voting In The U.N., Dorothy Dodge

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

This paper discusses an attempt to design a computer based simulation model that would be predictive of voting behavior of the 127 members of the United Nations.

The Impact Of Religion On Political Development, Jooinn Lee

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

The author attempts to formulate a broad-gauge theory, the conceptual framework designed to discover the influence of religion upon the development of the political system and politics. By systematically examining both the social effects of religion and the place of religious institutions in society, the author seeks to determine whether religion is a causal factor of political development, thus supporting his thesis that there is a kind of dialectical relationship between religion and political development.

Influence--A Comparative Study In Three Rural Communities, David M. Slipy, Dennis Kleinsasser

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

Community influentials have long been of interest to researcher and practioner alike. This paper deals with both the theoretical and methodological problems of identifying informal leaders. The influentials of the three communities are identified, and their social demographic, community participation and attitudinal characteristics are scrutinized. Finally, the value of these comparisons, especially for the community development specialist, are examined.

Demand And Supply In White Collar Unionism, 1950 To 1968, Joseph Lee

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

ABSTRACT - Data of union representation elections held by the National Labor Relations Board were used in this study to investigate demand by white collar workers for union services, and union efforts to organize white collar workers between 1950 and 1969. Findings indicate that slow growth of white collar unionism prior to the 50's was due to a lack of demand for union services among white collar workers and a lack of interest among unions to organize white collar workers, but in the late 60's it was mainly because of the lack of .union efforts to organize the white collar …

Michels' Law Of Oligarchy And Minnesota Republican Nucleons And Cadres, Thomas L. Pahl

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

ABSTRACT - In an attempt to evaluate Michels' assertions about an "iron law of oligarchy,'' the top two levels of leadership in a state political party have been compared. An attempt to flnd significant differences which would support Michels' elitist theories has been made by comparing demographic factors, work approval and disapproval, political factors, and career aspirations of nucleons and cadres. No great support for the theories has been found, and some contrary evidence has been unearthed. In a further attempt to test Michels' theory, the leadership is divided along career aspirations into careerists and terminals; the support for an …

Utilization Of County Boundaries In Drawing Legislative Districts, Robert A. Barrett

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

Analysis of the traditional and contemporary arguments on county lines as a basis of drawing state legislative districts appears to indicate that in a state such as Minnesota, with large number of counties and extreme variations between them, county boundary lines should not be accorded primary consideration in drawing legislative districts if compliance is sought with the "one - man, one - vote" constitutional principle. Minnesota government officials faced with reapportioning the state's legislative districts need to determine the role that county boundary lines should fulfill in their decision. This paper was prepared originally al the request of the Minnesota …

United Nations Techniques In The Middle East, W. Hartley Clark

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

The Science Of Politics And The Politics Of Science, G. Theodore Mitau

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

The Politics Of Selecting Convention Delegates, Frank J. Kendrick

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

This is a case study of a recent political contest in Clay County, Minnesota, over selection of delegates to the Stale Democratic Farmer-Labor convention. The study indicates that the process of delegate selection in Minnesota is, at best, often a controlled and largely unrepresentative process.

The Future Of Coexistence: U.S.-Soviet Relations, Nicolas Protyniak

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

Basic trends that may develop in American-Soviet relations in the foreseeable future may be analyzed against the background styles of the two countries which constitute a model of the main determinants in continuity and change. Such analysis seems to indicate that competition rather than cooperation will continue to mark the relations between the United States and the Soviet Union, though with a gradual decrease in hostile intensity. Within a broader view, this relationship may offer to the United Stales not only failures and disappointments, but also a creative challenge to contribute to world peace and progress if the challenge is …

Urban-Suburban Clash In Minnesota, Edward L. Henry

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

Minnesota has the largest number of townships in the nation, When rural townships experience urbanization and flank existing, older municipalities, problems of externalities arise. That is, action or inaction of the township government affects adjoining municipalities. Attempt to consolidate suburban sprawl in such areas by annexation to mother cities arouses bitter controversy in almost all instances. Minnesota's annexation lows, while in most respects are models, do have a serious defect. This is a referendum provision which subjects the decision of a quasi-judicial boundary commission to veto of the citizens in the annexable area only. As a result, consolidation of sprawl …

The U.N. In East-West Confrontation, Robert E. Riggs

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

As an instrument of foreign policy, the United Nations performs three functions: it legitimizes particular national policies, it facilitates international negotiations, and it provides material support for policy by allocating manpower and other resources. In dealings with the Soviet bloc during the past two decades, the United States has used the United Nations primarily to confer legitimacy on anti-communist policies. Since the mid- l 950's, however, the increasing unreliability of U.N. majorities and improved Soviet-American relations have brought a relative de-emphasis of the legitimization function. Correspondingly, a somewhat enlarged U.N. role as a forum for East-West negotiations has emerged. Except …