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9781111833060

Texas Politics

by ; ;
  • ISBN13:

    9781111833060

  • ISBN10:

    1111833060

  • Edition: 12th
  • Format: Paperback
  • Copyright: 2012-01-01
  • Publisher: Wadsworth Publishing
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List Price: $213.95

Summary

TEXAS POLITICS is a comprehensive text written by acclaimed Texas educators that critically compares Texas government and politics to the concepts of democratic theory by using three main themes: democratic ideals, conservatism, and conflict. Boxed features in every chapter make the text more engaging by providing human examples of more theoretical issues, including a "You Decide" box where readers can consider the pros and cons of important topics. Lively presentation of material encourages readers to consider controversial issues and debates. More policy coverage and new treatment of "Lone Star Media" keep this book cutting edge.

Table of Contents

Prefacep. x
About the Authorsp. xv
The Context of Texas Politicsp. 2
Introductionp. 3
Texas History: A Chronologyp. 4
The Earliest Daysp. 4
Anglo-American Colonizationp. 4
Revolutionp. 6
Early Statehoodp. 7
Post-Civil War Texasp. 8
The Late Nineteenth Centuryp. 9
The Early Twentieth Centuryp. 11
Wars and Depressionp. 12
Post-World War II Texasp. 15
Gradual Political Changep. 15
Late-Twentieth-Century Texasp. 16
Modern Timesp. 18
Texas as a Democracyp. 19
Texas and American Federalismp. 21
Texas in the International Arenap. 23
The Texas Political Culturep. 26
Economy, Taxes, and Servicesp. 30
The People of Texasp. 33
The Censusp. 33
The Political Relevance of Populationp. 34
The Plan of This Bookp. 35
Summaryp. 35
Glossary Termsp. 36
The Constitutional Settingp. 38
Introductionp. 39
Purposes of Constitutionsp. 40
Legitimacyp. 40
Organizing Governmentp. 41
Providing Powerp. 41
Limiting Governmental Powerp. 42
Texas Constitutionsp. 42
The Present Texas Constitutionp. 45
General Featuresp. 46
Specific Featuresp. 47
Constitutional Revisionp. 55
Overview of the Need for Reformp. 55
Recent Reform Effortsp. 57
Constitutional Politicsp. 61
Something for Everyonep. 61
The Political Processp. 62
Summaryp. 65
Glossary Termsp. 66
Interest Groupsp. 68
Introductionp. 69
Interest Groupsp. 70
Definitionp. 70
Classificationp. 70
Interest Groups in the Political Processp. 71
Lobbyingp. 82
Who Are the Lobbyists?p. 82
What Lobbyists Do and How They Do Itp. 85
Regulation of Lobbyingp. 87
Major Interest Groups in Texasp. 89
Texans for Lawsuit Reformp. 89
Doctorsp. 91
Lawyersp. 93
The Christian Rightp. 94
Organized Laborp. 97
League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC)p. 98
Teachersp. 100
Conclusionp. 102
Summaryp. 102
Glossary Termsp. 102
Political Partiesp. 104
Introductionp. 105
Ideologyp. 106
Conservatismp. 106
Liberalismp. 106
Ideology in Texasp. 107
Political Socializationp. 109
Familyp. 109
Schools and Churchesp. 109
Mediap. 111
Evaluationp. 113
Interestsp. 113
Texas Political Parties: A Brief Historyp. 114
Functions of Political Partiesp. 119
Party Organizationp. 119
The Temporary Party Organizationp. 120
Permanent Party Organizationp. 124
The (Un)Importance of Party Organizationp. 125
Two Parties, Three Factions (or Perhaps Four)p. 127
Republicansp. 127
Conservative Democratsp. 129
Liberal Democratsp. 130
The Uncertain Future of the Democratic Partyp. 131
Third Parties in Texasp. 132
Summaryp. 135
Glossary Termsp. 135
Voting, Campaigns, and Electionsp. 136
Introductionp. 137
Votingp. 138
Why Vote?p. 138
Suffragep. 139
Registrationp. 140
Texas Turnoutp. 142
Government by the People?p. 142
Why Don t Texans Vote?p. 143
The Consequences of Nonvotingp. 144
Election Campaignsp. 146
Campaign Resourcesp. 146
Negative Campaigningp. 153
Public Electionsp. 155
Primary Electionsp. 155
General Electionsp. 157
Special Electionsp. 158
Absentee or Early Votingp. 158
Recent Elections in Texasp. 159
Elections of 1994 through 2004p. 159
Election of 2006p. 161
Election of 2008p. 162
Election of 2010p. 163
Conclusionp. 164
Summaryp. 165
Glossary Termsp. 165
The Texas Legislaturep. 166
Introductionp. 167
Functions of Legislative Bodiesp. 168
Structure of the Legislaturep. 168
Size, Elections, and Termsp. 169
Sessionsp. 170
Legislative Districtsp. 171
Party and Factional Organizationp. 174
Compensationp. 177
Membership Characteristicsp. 178
Formal Qualificationsp. 178
Personal Characteristicsp. 178
Experience and Turnoverp. 181
Legislative Officers and Committeesp. 182
Presiding Officersp. 182
Legislative Committeesp. 184
Legislative Staffp. 187
Powers of the Presiding Officersp. 189
Procedural Powersp. 190
Institutional Powersp. 196
Limits on Presiding Officersp. 198
How a Bill Becomes a Law in Texasp. 201
Step One: Introduction and Referralp. 203
Step Two: Committee Actionp. 204
Step Three: Floor Actionp. 204
In the House: Steps One through Three Repeatedp. 205
Step Four: Conference Committeep. 205
Step Five: The Governorp. 206
Legislative Dynamicsp. 207
Handicapsp. 207
Changing Alignmentsp. 208
Nonlegislative Lawmakingp. 209
Evaluation and Suggested Reformsp. 211
Legislative Structurep. 211
Legislative Processp. 213
Conclusionp. 219
Summaryp. 219
Glossary Termsp. 221
The Governorp. 222
Introductionp. 223
Basic Structure of the Governor's Officep. 224
Electionp. 224
Term of Officep. 225
Tenurep. 225
Impeachment and Successionp. 227
Compensationp. 228
Staff and Organizationp. 228
Qualifications for Governorp. 230
Formal Qualificationsp. 230
Personal Characteristicsp. 231
Roles of the Governor and Limits on Those Rolesp. 235
Formal Roles and Limitationsp. 238
Chief Executivep. 238
Chief Legislatorp. 242
Commander in Chief/Top Copp. 245
Chief of Statep. 246
Chief Intergovernmental Diplomatp. 247
Informal Roles and Limitationsp. 248
Chief of Partyp. 248
Leader of the Peoplep. 249
Summaryp. 251
Glossary Termsp. 252
The Administrative Statep. 254
Introductionp. 255
State Administrative Agenciesp. 256
Agencies with Elected Executivesp. 258
Agencies with Appointed Executivesp. 261
Boards and Commissionsp. 262
Big Government: How Did It Happen?p. 264
Postwar Growthp. 265
1980 Onp. 266
Characteristics of Bureaucracyp. 268
Traditional Characteristicsp. 268
Modern Characteristicsp. 269
Bureaucratic Survival Techniquesp. 272
Sources of Bureaucratic Powerp. 272
Bureaucratic Involvement in the Policymaking Processp. 276
What Happens to the Public Interest?p. 278
Bureaucratic Orientationp. 278
Overstepping the Lawp. 279
Harnessing the Administrative Statep. 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 Reformsp. 286
Summaryp. 287
Glossary Termsp. 287
The Judiciaryp. 288
Introductionp. 289
The Myth of the Nonpolitical Judiciaryp. 290
The Players in the System of Justicep. 292
The Attorney General (AG)p. 292
Lawyersp. 293
The State Bar of Texasp. 294
The Court Systemp. 294
Municipal Courtsp. 294
Justice Courtsp. 296
County Courtsp. 296
State Trial Courts: The District Courtsp. 297
Intermediate State Appellate Courts: The Courts of Appealsp. 297
Highest State Appellate Courtsp. 298
Juriesp. 299
Grand Juriesp. 299
Trial Juriesp. 300
Policep. 300
Removal and Reprimand of Lawyers and Judgesp. 300
Issues Facing the Texas Judiciaryp. 301
Too Much Crime, Too Many Criminalsp. 301
Judicial Selectionp. 303
Equal Justice?p. 308
Summaryp. 315
Glossary Termsp. 316
The Substance of Justicep. 318
Introductionp. 319
Civil Libertiesp. 320
Freedom of Expressionp. 320
Freedom of Religionp. 322
A Right to Keep and Bear Arms?p. 326
Abortionp. 328
Civil Rightsp. 330
School Segregationp. 331
Education: A Basic Right?p. 331
Civil Rights in Modern Texas: Jasper and Tuliap. 333
Civil Rights for Convicted Criminalsp. 337
Capital Punishmentp. 339
Torts and Tort Reformp. 343
Conclusionp. 346
Summaryp. 346
Glossary Termsp. 347
Local Governmentp. 348
Introductionp. 349
Counties: One Size Fits All?p. 350
Historical and Legal Backgroundp. 350
Organization and Operation of County Governmentp. 351
County Politicsp. 356
An Evaluation of County Governmentp. 356
Cities: Managed Environmentsp. 361
Organization of City Governmentp. 364
City Politicsp. 373
Special Districts: Our Hidden Governmentsp. 375
What Is a Special District?p. 376
Why Special Districts?p. 377
Assessment of Special Districtsp. 378
School Districtsp. 379
Local Government: Prospects for the Futurep. 381
Financep. 381
Other Issuesp. 383
Leadership in Local Governmentp. 385
Summaryp. 385
Glossary Termsp. 386
The State Economy and the Financing of State Governmentp. 388
Introductionp. 389
The Texas Economyp. 391
Heart of the Economyp. 391
Boom and Bustp. 392
Creating a Favorable Business Climatep. 393
Where Does the Money Come From?p. 394
Collection and Administrationp. 396
Nontax Sources of Revenuep. 397
Taxationp. 400
The Tax Burden in Texasp. 402
Who Benefits?p. 405
Contemporary Issuesp. 407
Where Does the Money Go?p. 409
Planning and Preparationp. 411
Authorization and Appropriationsp. 414
Execution/Spendingp. 415
Summaryp. 419
Glossary Termsp. 420
Public Policy-Peoplep. 422
Introductionp. 423
Poverty, Welfare, and Health Carep. 426
Poverty in Texasp. 426
The Players and the Major Programsp. 427
Recent Policy Developmentsp. 432
Analysisp. 435
Education Policyp. 436
Education Reformp. 438
Nontraditional Education Proposalsp. 439
Texas Textbooks and Curriculap. 441
Texas Higher Educationp. 442
Analysisp. 444
Conclusionp. 444
Summaryp. 444
Glossary Termsp. 445
Public Policy-Resourcesp. 446
Introductionp. 447
Water Supplyp. 448
Urban Dwellers versus Farmersp. 449
Private Property Rights versus State Regulationp. 450
Economic Development versus Environmentp. 451
Interbasin Transfers and Dam-Buildingp. 453
Energy Supplyp. 455
Sources of Energyp. 455
The Politics of Energy in Texasp. 470
Protecting the Environmentp. 472
NIMBY and YBNIIMPp. 472
Texas and Environmental Protectionp. 474
Public Policy and Private Interestsp. 475
The Problems Continuep. 479
Transportationp. 483
The Costs of the Internal Combustion Enginep. 483
Which Way Transportation Policy?p. 485
Summaryp. 491
Glossary Termsp. 492
Notesp. 493
Glossaryp. 523
Indexp. 533
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

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