Increasing Understanding of Public Problems and Policies, 1995.

This document contains abstracts and the complete texts of 19 papers that were presented at a conference held to improve the policy education efforts of extension workers responsible for public affairs programs. The following papers are included: "Microwave Society and Crock-Pot Government" (Bill Graves); "Citizen Participation, Social Capital and Social Learning in the United States, 1960-1995" (Carmen Sirianni); "Citizen Involvement--Federal Level" (Sam Brownback); "Citizen Involvement in Public Policy Formation from the Perspective of a Rural Kansas Senatorial District" (Janis Lee); "Johnson County Citizens Are Involved with Local Government" (Johnna Lingle); "The Past and Future: Social Contract, Social Policy, and Social Capital" (Cornelia Butler Flora, Jan L. Flora);"Asset-Based Alternatives in Social Policy" (Michael Sherraden, Deborah Page-Adams); "Application Opportunities in Public Issues Education" (Alan J. Hahn); "National Policy Trends: Implications for Resource Conservation" (Jeffrey A. Zinn); "Civic Environmentalism and National Environmental Policy: Reform or Rollback?" (DeWitt John); "Whose Land Is It Anyway? Endangered Species, Private Property, and the Fight for the Environment" (Jon H. Goldstein); "Consumer Perceptions of Risk: Implications for Food Safety Policy" (Margy Woodburn); "Economic Issues Associated with Food Safety" (Stephen R. Crutchfield); "1995 Farm Bill; Will We Decouple?" (Barry L. Flinchbaugh); "1995 Farm Bill" (Ronald D. Knutson); "Industrialization of Agriculture: What Are the Policy Implications?" (Michael Boehlje);"Sustainability: Observations, Expectations and Policy Implications" (Dana L. Hoag, Melvin D. Skold); "Understanding the Changing Structure of American Agriculture" (Don Paarlberg); and "Understanding the Changing Structure of American Agriculture" (Harold F. Breimyer). Also included are lists of the conference's invited poster/display session topics and conference participants. Some papers contain substantial bibliographies. (MN)