Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

school vouchers

(Encyclopedia)school vouchers, government grants aimed at improving education for the children of low-income families by providing school tuition that can be used at public or private schools. The idea behind schoo...

New York, University of the State of

(Encyclopedia)New York, University of the State of, chartered 1784. It consists of all secondary and higher educational institutions incorporated in the state and other institutions, organizations, and agencies for...

Romulo, Carlos Peña

(Encyclopedia)Romulo, Carlos Peña kärˈlōs pāˈnä rōˈmo͞olō [key], 1899–1986, Philippine statesman and writer. With war between the United States and Japan approaching, Romulo toured (1941) East Asia and...

Pledge of Allegiance

(Encyclopedia)Pledge of Allegiance, in full, Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, oath that proclaims loyalty to the United States. and its national symbol. It reads: “I pledge allegi...

Richardson, Elliot Lee

(Encyclopedia)Richardson, Elliot Lee, 1920–99, U.S. government official, b. Boston. Admitted to the bar in 1949, he was (1957–59) assistant secretary of health, education and welfare under President Dwight D. E...

colleges and universities

(Encyclopedia)colleges and universities, institutions of higher education. Universities differ from colleges in that they are larger, have wider curricula, are involved in research activities, and grant graduate an...

Shan State

(Encyclopedia)Shan State shän [key], state (1983 pop. 3,718,706), c.60,000 sq mi (155,400 sq km), E central Myanmar. Taunggyi, the capital, and Lashio are its principal cities. It borders on China in the north, La...

convict labor

(Encyclopedia)convict labor, work of prison inmates. Until the 19th cent., labor was introduced in prisons chiefly as punishment. Such work is now considered a necessary part of the rehabilitation of the criminal; ...

Otunbayeva, Roza

(Encyclopedia)Otunbayeva, Roza, 1950–, Kyrgyz political leader and diplomat, b. Osh. After graduating (1972) from Moscow State Univ. she taught philosophy (1972–78) at Kyrgyz State National Univ. She entered po...

franchise

(Encyclopedia)franchise, in government, a right specifically conferred on a group or individual by a government, especially the privilege conferred by a municipality on a corporation of operating public utilities, ...
 

Browse by Subject