Preface | p. x |
About the Authors | p. xv |
The Context of Texas Politics | p. 2 |
Introduction | p. 3 |
Texas History: A Chronology | p. 4 |
The Earliest Days | p. 4 |
Anglo-American Colonization | p. 4 |
Revolution | p. 6 |
Early Statehood | p. 7 |
Post-Civil War Texas | p. 8 |
The Late Nineteenth Century | p. 9 |
The Early Twentieth Century | p. 11 |
Wars and Depression | p. 12 |
Post-World War II Texas | p. 15 |
Gradual Political Change | p. 15 |
Late-Twentieth-Century Texas | p. 16 |
Modern Times | p. 18 |
Texas as a Democracy | p. 19 |
Texas and American Federalism | p. 21 |
Texas in the International Arena | p. 23 |
The Texas Political Culture | p. 26 |
Economy, Taxes, and Services | p. 30 |
The People of Texas | p. 33 |
The Census | p. 33 |
The Political Relevance of Population | p. 34 |
The Plan of This Book | p. 35 |
Summary | p. 35 |
Glossary Terms | p. 36 |
The Constitutional Setting | p. 38 |
Introduction | p. 39 |
Purposes of Constitutions | p. 40 |
Legitimacy | p. 40 |
Organizing Government | p. 41 |
Providing Power | p. 41 |
Limiting Governmental Power | p. 42 |
Texas Constitutions | p. 42 |
The Present Texas Constitution | p. 45 |
General Features | p. 46 |
Specific Features | p. 47 |
Constitutional Revision | p. 55 |
Overview of the Need for Reform | p. 55 |
Recent Reform Efforts | p. 57 |
Constitutional Politics | p. 61 |
Something for Everyone | p. 61 |
The Political Process | p. 62 |
Summary | p. 65 |
Glossary Terms | p. 66 |
Interest Groups | p. 68 |
Introduction | p. 69 |
Interest Groups | p. 70 |
Definition | p. 70 |
Classification | p. 70 |
Interest Groups in the Political Process | p. 71 |
Lobbying | p. 82 |
Who Are the Lobbyists? | p. 82 |
What Lobbyists Do and How They Do It | p. 85 |
Regulation of Lobbying | p. 87 |
Major Interest Groups in Texas | p. 89 |
Texans for Lawsuit Reform | p. 89 |
Doctors | p. 91 |
Lawyers | p. 93 |
The Christian Right | p. 94 |
Organized Labor | p. 97 |
League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) | p. 98 |
Teachers | p. 100 |
Conclusion | p. 102 |
Summary | p. 102 |
Glossary Terms | p. 102 |
Political Parties | p. 104 |
Introduction | p. 105 |
Ideology | p. 106 |
Conservatism | p. 106 |
Liberalism | p. 106 |
Ideology in Texas | p. 107 |
Political Socialization | p. 109 |
Family | p. 109 |
Schools and Churches | p. 109 |
Media | p. 111 |
Evaluation | p. 113 |
Interests | p. 113 |
Texas Political Parties: A Brief History | p. 114 |
Functions of Political Parties | p. 119 |
Party Organization | p. 119 |
The Temporary Party Organization | p. 120 |
Permanent Party Organization | p. 124 |
The (Un)Importance of Party Organization | p. 125 |
Two Parties, Three Factions (or Perhaps Four) | p. 127 |
Republicans | p. 127 |
Conservative Democrats | p. 129 |
Liberal Democrats | p. 130 |
The Uncertain Future of the Democratic Party | p. 131 |
Third Parties in Texas | p. 132 |
Summary | p. 135 |
Glossary Terms | p. 135 |
Voting, Campaigns, and Elections | p. 136 |
Introduction | p. 137 |
Voting | p. 138 |
Why Vote? | p. 138 |
Suffrage | p. 139 |
Registration | p. 140 |
Texas Turnout | p. 142 |
Government by the People? | p. 142 |
Why Don t Texans Vote? | p. 143 |
The Consequences of Nonvoting | p. 144 |
Election Campaigns | p. 146 |
Campaign Resources | p. 146 |
Negative Campaigning | p. 153 |
Public Elections | p. 155 |
Primary Elections | p. 155 |
General Elections | p. 157 |
Special Elections | p. 158 |
Absentee or Early Voting | p. 158 |
Recent Elections in Texas | p. 159 |
Elections of 1994 through 2004 | p. 159 |
Election of 2006 | p. 161 |
Election of 2008 | p. 162 |
Election of 2010 | p. 163 |
Conclusion | p. 164 |
Summary | p. 165 |
Glossary Terms | p. 165 |
The Texas Legislature | p. 166 |
Introduction | p. 167 |
Functions of Legislative Bodies | p. 168 |
Structure of the Legislature | p. 168 |
Size, Elections, and Terms | p. 169 |
Sessions | p. 170 |
Legislative Districts | p. 171 |
Party and Factional Organization | p. 174 |
Compensation | p. 177 |
Membership Characteristics | p. 178 |
Formal Qualifications | p. 178 |
Personal Characteristics | p. 178 |
Experience and Turnover | p. 181 |
Legislative Officers and Committees | p. 182 |
Presiding Officers | p. 182 |
Legislative Committees | p. 184 |
Legislative Staff | p. 187 |
Powers of the Presiding Officers | p. 189 |
Procedural Powers | p. 190 |
Institutional Powers | p. 196 |
Limits on Presiding Officers | p. 198 |
How a Bill Becomes a Law in Texas | p. 201 |
Step One: Introduction and Referral | p. 203 |
Step Two: Committee Action | p. 204 |
Step Three: Floor Action | p. 204 |
In the House: Steps One through Three Repeated | p. 205 |
Step Four: Conference Committee | p. 205 |
Step Five: The Governor | p. 206 |
Legislative Dynamics | p. 207 |
Handicaps | p. 207 |
Changing Alignments | p. 208 |
Nonlegislative Lawmaking | p. 209 |
Evaluation and Suggested Reforms | p. 211 |
Legislative Structure | p. 211 |
Legislative Process | p. 213 |
Conclusion | p. 219 |
Summary | p. 219 |
Glossary Terms | p. 221 |
The Governor | p. 222 |
Introduction | p. 223 |
Basic Structure of the Governor's Office | p. 224 |
Election | p. 224 |
Term of Office | p. 225 |
Tenure | p. 225 |
Impeachment and Succession | p. 227 |
Compensation | p. 228 |
Staff and Organization | p. 228 |
Qualifications for Governor | p. 230 |
Formal Qualifications | p. 230 |
Personal Characteristics | p. 231 |
Roles of the Governor and Limits on Those Roles | p. 235 |
Formal Roles and Limitations | p. 238 |
Chief Executive | p. 238 |
Chief Legislator | p. 242 |
Commander in Chief/Top Cop | p. 245 |
Chief of State | p. 246 |
Chief Intergovernmental Diplomat | p. 247 |
Informal Roles and Limitations | p. 248 |
Chief of Party | p. 248 |
Leader of the People | p. 249 |
Summary | p. 251 |
Glossary Terms | p. 252 |
The Administrative State | p. 254 |
Introduction | p. 255 |
State Administrative Agencies | p. 256 |
Agencies with Elected Executives | p. 258 |
Agencies with Appointed Executives | p. 261 |
Boards and Commissions | p. 262 |
Big Government: How Did It Happen? | p. 264 |
Postwar Growth | p. 265 |
1980 On | p. 266 |
Characteristics of Bureaucracy | p. 268 |
Traditional Characteristics | p. 268 |
Modern Characteristics | p. 269 |
Bureaucratic Survival Techniques | p. 272 |
Sources of Bureaucratic Power | p. 272 |
Bureaucratic Involvement in the Policymaking Process | p. 276 |
What Happens to the Public Interest? | p. 278 |
Bureaucratic Orientation | p. 278 |
Overstepping the Law | p. 279 |
Harnessing the Administrative State | p. 280 |
How Much Accountability to the Chief Executive? | p. 280 |
How Much Accountability to the Legislature? | p. 281 |
How Much Accountability to the Public? | p. 284 |
Is There Accountability? | p. 285 |
Suggested Reforms | p. 286 |
Summary | p. 287 |
Glossary Terms | p. 287 |
The Judiciary | p. 288 |
Introduction | p. 289 |
The Myth of the Nonpolitical Judiciary | p. 290 |
The Players in the System of Justice | p. 292 |
The Attorney General (AG) | p. 292 |
Lawyers | p. 293 |
The State Bar of Texas | p. 294 |
The Court System | p. 294 |
Municipal Courts | p. 294 |
Justice Courts | p. 296 |
County Courts | p. 296 |
State Trial Courts: The District Courts | p. 297 |
Intermediate State Appellate Courts: The Courts of Appeals | p. 297 |
Highest State Appellate Courts | p. 298 |
Juries | p. 299 |
Grand Juries | p. 299 |
Trial Juries | p. 300 |
Police | p. 300 |
Removal and Reprimand of Lawyers and Judges | p. 300 |
Issues Facing the Texas Judiciary | p. 301 |
Too Much Crime, Too Many Criminals | p. 301 |
Judicial Selection | p. 303 |
Equal Justice? | p. 308 |
Summary | p. 315 |
Glossary Terms | p. 316 |
The Substance of Justice | p. 318 |
Introduction | p. 319 |
Civil Liberties | p. 320 |
Freedom of Expression | p. 320 |
Freedom of Religion | p. 322 |
A Right to Keep and Bear Arms? | p. 326 |
Abortion | p. 328 |
Civil Rights | p. 330 |
School Segregation | p. 331 |
Education: A Basic Right? | p. 331 |
Civil Rights in Modern Texas: Jasper and Tulia | p. 333 |
Civil Rights for Convicted Criminals | p. 337 |
Capital Punishment | p. 339 |
Torts and Tort Reform | p. 343 |
Conclusion | p. 346 |
Summary | p. 346 |
Glossary Terms | p. 347 |
Local Government | p. 348 |
Introduction | p. 349 |
Counties: One Size Fits All? | p. 350 |
Historical and Legal Background | p. 350 |
Organization and Operation of County Government | p. 351 |
County Politics | p. 356 |
An Evaluation of County Government | p. 356 |
Cities: Managed Environments | p. 361 |
Organization of City Government | p. 364 |
City Politics | p. 373 |
Special Districts: Our Hidden Governments | p. 375 |
What Is a Special District? | p. 376 |
Why Special Districts? | p. 377 |
Assessment of Special Districts | p. 378 |
School Districts | p. 379 |
Local Government: Prospects for the Future | p. 381 |
Finance | p. 381 |
Other Issues | p. 383 |
Leadership in Local Government | p. 385 |
Summary | p. 385 |
Glossary Terms | p. 386 |
The State Economy and the Financing of State Government | p. 388 |
Introduction | p. 389 |
The Texas Economy | p. 391 |
Heart of the Economy | p. 391 |
Boom and Bust | p. 392 |
Creating a Favorable Business Climate | p. 393 |
Where Does the Money Come From? | p. 394 |
Collection and Administration | p. 396 |
Nontax Sources of Revenue | p. 397 |
Taxation | p. 400 |
The Tax Burden in Texas | p. 402 |
Who Benefits? | p. 405 |
Contemporary Issues | p. 407 |
Where Does the Money Go? | p. 409 |
Planning and Preparation | p. 411 |
Authorization and Appropriations | p. 414 |
Execution/Spending | p. 415 |
Summary | p. 419 |
Glossary Terms | p. 420 |
Public Policy-People | p. 422 |
Introduction | p. 423 |
Poverty, Welfare, and Health Care | p. 426 |
Poverty in Texas | p. 426 |
The Players and the Major Programs | p. 427 |
Recent Policy Developments | p. 432 |
Analysis | p. 435 |
Education Policy | p. 436 |
Education Reform | p. 438 |
Nontraditional Education Proposals | p. 439 |
Texas Textbooks and Curricula | p. 441 |
Texas Higher Education | p. 442 |
Analysis | p. 444 |
Conclusion | p. 444 |
Summary | p. 444 |
Glossary Terms | p. 445 |
Public Policy-Resources | p. 446 |
Introduction | p. 447 |
Water Supply | p. 448 |
Urban Dwellers versus Farmers | p. 449 |
Private Property Rights versus State Regulation | p. 450 |
Economic Development versus Environment | p. 451 |
Interbasin Transfers and Dam-Building | p. 453 |
Energy Supply | p. 455 |
Sources of Energy | p. 455 |
The Politics of Energy in Texas | p. 470 |
Protecting the Environment | p. 472 |
NIMBY and YBNIIMP | p. 472 |
Texas and Environmental Protection | p. 474 |
Public Policy and Private Interests | p. 475 |
The Problems Continue | p. 479 |
Transportation | p. 483 |
The Costs of the Internal Combustion Engine | p. 483 |
Which Way Transportation Policy? | p. 485 |
Summary | p. 491 |
Glossary Terms | p. 492 |
Notes | p. 493 |
Glossary | p. 523 |
Index | p. 533 |
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