  Measurements of the tau lepton polarization and forward-backward polarization
asymmetry near the Z resonance using the OPAL detector are described. The
measurements are based on analyses of tau -> e nu_e nu_tau, tau -> mu nu_mu
nu_tau, tau -> pi nu_tau, tau -> rho nu_tau and tau -> a1 nu_tau decays from a
sample of 144810 e+e- -> tau+ tau- candidates corresponding to an integrated
luminosity of 151 pb-1. Assuming that the tau lepton decays according to V-A
theory, we measure the average tau polarization near Ecm = MZ to be <Ptau> =
(-14.10 +/- 0.73 +/- 0.55)% and the tau polarization forward-backward asymmetry
to be Afb = (-10.55 +/- 0.76 +/- 0.25)%, where the first error is statistical
and the second systematic. Taking into account the small effects of the photon
propagator, photon-Z interference and photonic radiative corrections, these
results can be expressed in terms of the lepton neutral current asymmetry
parameters:
  Atau = 0.1456 +/- 0.0076 +/- 0.0057,
  Ae = 0.1454 +/- 0.0108 +/- 0.0036.
  These measurements are consistent with the hypothesis of lepton universality
and combine to give Al = 0.1455 +/- 0.0073. Within the context of the Standard
Model this combined result corresponds to sin^2(theta)(lept,effective) =
0.23172 +/- 0.00092. Combing these results with those from the other OPAL
neutral current measurements yields a value of sin^2(theta)(lept,effective) =
0.23211 +/- 0.00068.
