Texas Politics Today

by Maxwell,William Earl

• ISBN13: 9780495410676
• ISBN10: 0495410675
• Additional ISBN(s): 9780495570257, 9780534602116
• Edition: 13th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-04-02
• Publisher: Wadsworth Publishing
• More Book Details
• Purchase Benefits

Summary

TEXAS POLITICS TODAY continues to be a best-selling overview of Texas Politics because it offers students a wide range of viewpoints, drawing on the diverse political and social perspectives of its contributing authors to give students rich, nuanced insight into the political system and decision-making processes of the Lone Star State. Current issues and candid analysis of government increase student awareness of the real effects of state policy on their lives, and encourage them to get politically involved.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. xi
Texas History and Culture	p. 1
Politics and Government: The Early Years	p. 2
Joining the Union	p. 2
Early Statehood and Secession: 1846-1864	p. 3
Post-Civil War Texas: 1865-1885	p. 3
Politics and Government: 1886-1945	p. 5
Governor Hogg	p. 5
Farmer Jim: 1914-1918	p. 5
World War I, the Twenties, and the Return of Farmer Jim: 1919-1928	p. 6
The Great Depression: 1929-1939	p. 8
"Pass the Biscuits, Pappy": 1938-1945	p. 9
Politics and Government since World War II	p. 10
The 1950s	p. 11
The 1960s	p. 12
The 1970s	p. 12
The 1980s	p. 13
The 1990s	p. 13
The 2000s	p. 14
Texas Political Culture	p. 17
Moral, Traditional and Individualistic	p. 17
Political Culture and Political Participation	p. 18
Texas Cultural Regions	p. 19
East Texas	p. 20
The Gulf Coast	p. 20
South Texas	p. 21
Southwest Texas	p. 23
German Hill Country	p. 23
West Texas	p. 26
The Panhandle	p. 27
North Texas	p. 27
Central Texas	p. 27
Cultural Diversity	p. 28
Conclusion	p. 30
Key Terms	p. 30
Review Questions	p. 31
Logging On	p. 31
Get Active!	p. 31
Essay: Illegal Immigration and Texas Ideology	p. 33
How Texas Compares	p. 36
The Texas Constitution in Perspective	p. 41
The National Constitution and the States: Federalism	p. 42
Division of Powers	p. 42
Limits on States	p. 43
The Texas Constitution	p. 45
The Texas Constitution in History	p. 45
The Texas Constitution Today	p. 47
Bill of Rights and Fundamental Liberty	p. 49
Separation of Powers	p. 49
Legislative Branch	p. 50
Executive Branch	p. 52
Courts	p. 54
Local Government	p. 55
Suffrage	p. 55
Amending and Revising the Texas Constitution	p. 55
The Texas Constitution Compared	p. 57
Conclusion	p. 59
Key Terms	p. 60
Review Questions	p. 60
Logging On	p. 61
Get Active!	p. 61
Essay: Governor E. J. Davis and His Legacy for Texas	p. 62
Essay: A Square Peg in a Round Hole: The Regime of Governor Edmund J. Davis Reconsidered	p. 65
Voting and Elections	p. 69
Political Participation	p. 70
The Participation Paradox	p. 70
Who Votes?	p. 70
The Practice of Voting	p. 72
Voter Turnout in the United States and in Texas	p. 73
Reasons for Low Voter Turnout in Texas	p. 77
Elections in Texas	p. 80
Primary Elections	p. 80
General Elections	p. 85
Special Elections	p. 86
The Conduct and Administration of Elections	p. 87
Election Campaigns in Texas	p. 96
Who Gets Elected	p. 96
The General Election Campaign	p. 97
Money in Political Campaigns	p. 99
Conclusion	p. 102
Key Terms	p. 102
Review Questions	p. 103
Logging On	p. 103
Get Active!	p. 103
Essay: Electronic Voting: Savior or Destroyer of American Democracy?	p. 105
Political Parties	p. 109
Functions of Political Parties	p. 110
Characteristics of American Political Parties	p. 111
Pragmatism	p. 111
Decentralization	p. 111
Two-Party System	p. 112
Development of the Texas Party System	p. 113
The One-Party Tradition in Texas	p. 113
Ideological Basis of Factionalism: Conservatives and Liberals	p. 114
Conservative and Liberal Factions in the Democratic Party	p. 115
Rise of the Republican Party	p. 117
Conservative and Moderate Factions Within the Republican Party	p. 118
Organizational Basis of Party Machinery in Texas	p. 120
Temporary-Party Organization	p. 120
Permanent-Party Organization	p. 123
A New Era of Republican Dominance	p. 124
Conclusion	p. 127
Key Terms	p. 127
Review Questions	p. 128
Logging On	p. 128
Get Active!	p. 128
Essay: The Impact of the 2003 Redistricting of Texas: 2004 & 2006	p. 129
Interest Groups	p. 133
Constitutional Guarantees	p. 135
What Interest Groups Are	p. 136
What Interest Groups Do	p. 137
Direct Means of Influencing Government	p. 138
Lobbying the Legislative and Executive Branches	p. 138
Filing Suit in Court	p. 139
Advising and Serving the State	p. 139
Organizing Public Demonstrations	p. 139
Indirect Means of Influencing Government	p. 140
Electioneering	p. 140
Educating the Public	p. 140
Socializing	p. 140
Why People Join Interest Groups	p. 141
Types of Interest Groups	p. 142
Economic Interest Groups	p. 142
Noneconomic Interest Groups	p. 142
Mixed Interest Groups	p. 142
Factors That Affect Interest Group Power	p. 143
Culture of Nonparticipation	p. 143
Party Competition	p. 143
Part-Time Legislature	p. 144
Decentralization of Executive Branch Power	p. 144
Law	p. 144
The Media	p. 145
Constituent Influence	p. 145
Interest Groups as Checks on Interest Groups	p. 146
Campaign Contributions	p. 147
Conclusions About Balance in the Political System	p. 148
The Regulation of Lobbying	p. 149
Who Must Register and Report Lobbying Costs?	p. 149
What Does a Lobbyist Report?	p. 150
What Is Not Reported as Lobbying That Affects Lobbying?	p. 151
Access to the Reports of Lobbyists	p. 152
Reporting to Clients	p. 152
The Craft of Lobbying	p. 152
Before the Legislature	p. 152
Before Administrative Agencies	p. 153
Before the Courts	p. 154
Which Interests Are Powerful?	p. 155
Interest Group Dynamics and Power	p. 156
Conclusion	p. 159
Key Terms	p. 161
Review Questions	p. 161
Logging On	p. 162
Get Active!	p. 162
Essay: When Powers Collide: School Voucher Politics in Texas	p. 163
The Legislature: Organization and Structure	p. 169
Geographic Districts	p. 170
Qualifications for Membership	p. 176
Formal Qualifications	p. 176
Informal Qualifications	p. 176
Organization of the Texas Legislature	p. 179
Presiding Officers	p. 179
Legislative Committees	p. 181
Legislative Staff	p. 183
Citizen Legislators	p. 184
Terms	p. 184
Compensation	p. 185
The Limited Session	p. 185
Conclusion	p. 187
Key Terms	p. 187
Review Questions	p. 188
Logging On	p. 188
Get Active!	p. 189
Essay: Are Texas Legislative Elections Becoming More Competitive?	p. 190
The Legislative Process	p. 193
Powers of the Presiding Officers	p. 194
Procedural Tools of Leadership	p. 194
Institutional Tools of Leadership	p. 207
Restraints on the Powers of the Presiding Officers	p. 209
Personality	p. 209
The Team	p. 209
The Lobby and Bureaucracy	p. 209
The Governor	p. 210
Political Climate	p. 210
Political or Economic Ambition	p. 211
Other Legislators	p. 211
Conclusion	p. 211
Key Terms	p. 212
Review Questions	p. 212
Logging On	p. 212
Get Active!	p. 213
Essay: Lobbying Didn't Let Up when the CHIP was Down	p. 214
Essay: Swarming Capitol Paid Off for SBC	p. 218
The Governor	p. 221
Qualifications, Tenure, and Staff	p. 222
Formal Qualifications	p. 222
Informal Criteria	p. 223
Tenure, Removal, and Succession	p. 224
Compensation	p. 224
Staff	p. 224
Tools of Persuasion	p. 226
Legislative Tools of Persuasion	p. 227
Executive Tools of Persuasion	p. 231
Governor as Party Chief	p. 236
Conclusion	p. 237
Key Terms	p. 237
Review Questions	p. 237
Logging On	p. 237
Get Active!	p. 238
Essay: Governors and Texas Agencies	p. 239
The Bureaucracy	p. 243
The Texas Administration	p. 244
Elected Executives	p. 245
Appointed Executives	p. 249
Boards and Commissions	p. 249
Characteristics of Bureaucracy	p. 251
Size	p. 252
Neutrality	p. 253
Hierarchy	p. 256
Expertise	p. 257
The Bureaucracy and Public Policy	p. 257
Clientele Groups	p. 257
The Legislature, the Lieutenant Governor, and the Speaker	p. 258
The Governor	p. 258
The Iron Texas Star	p. 259
Public Support	p. 260
Expertise	p. 261
Information	p. 261
Administration of the Law	p. 261
Accountability	p. 261
Conclusion	p. 265
Key Terms	p. 265
Review Questions	p. 266
Logging On	p. 266
Get Active!	p. 267
Essay: Agencies and Influence: Electricity Deregulation (Last One Out, Turn Off the Light)	p. 268
The Judiciary	p. 273
Civil and Criminal Cases	p. 275
Original and Appellate Jurisdiction	p. 276
Court Organization	p. 277
Municipal Courts	p. 277
Justices of the Peace	p. 279
County Courts	p. 281
District Courts	p. 282
Courts of Appeals	p. 283
Court of Criminal Appeals	p. 284
Supreme Court	p. 286
Juries	p. 287
Grand Jury	p. 288
Petit (Trial) Jury	p. 289
Selection of Judges	p. 290
The Politics of Judicial Selection in Texas	p. 291
Conclusion	p. 294
Key Terms	p. 295
Review Questions	p. 295
Logging On	p. 295
Get Active!	p. 296
Essay: Runaway Campaign Contributions in Texas Supreme Court Races: Causes, Impact, and Proposed Reforms	p. 298
Law and Due Process	p. 305
Civil Law	p. 306
Types of Civil Law	p. 306
Issues in Civil Law	p. 309
The Elements of Crime	p. 310
The Crime	p. 310
The Criminal	p. 312
The Victim	p. 313
Law Enforcement	p. 315
State Agencies	p. 315
Local Agencies	p. 316
Prevention of Crime	p. 316
Detection of Crime	p. 317
Enforcement of Law	p. 317
Gathering Evidence	p. 317
Arrest	p. 318
Detention	p. 318
The Courts	p. 320
Pretrial Court Activities	p. 320
Formal Charges	p. 322
Pretrial Hearings	p. 322
Plea Bargaining	p. 324
The Trial	p. 324
Posttrial Proceedings	p. 326
The Special Case of Juvenile Courts	p. 327
Rehabilitation and Punishment	p. 327
Texas Department of Criminal Justice	p. 328
Clemency	p. 329
Texas Youth Commission	p. 329
Jails	p. 330
Conclusion	p. 330
Key Terms	p. 331
Review Questions	p. 332
Logging On	p. 332
Get Active!	p. 332
Essay: Texas Is Still No. 1! Statistics and Controversy in the Death Penalty Debate	p. 334
Essay: In Search of a Solution to America's Drug Problem: Will History Repeat Itself?	p. 338
Taxing and Budgeting	p. 345
Revenues	p. 347
Taxation	p. 347
Issues in Taxation	p. 349
Other Revenues	p. 354
The Budgetary Process	p. 356
Conclusion	p. 358
Key Terms	p. 359
Review Questions	p. 359
Logging On	p. 359
Get Active!	p. 360
Essay: Possible Texas Tax Reforms	p. 361
Essay: Is Texas Last? An Examination of Political Culture and Health Insurance for Children	p. 366
Spending and Services	p. 369
Education in Texas	p. 371
Elementary and Secondary Schools	p. 372
The Politics of Public Education	p. 373
Higher Education	p. 378
The Politics of Higher Education	p. 380
Health and Human Services	p. 382
Income Support	p. 382
Health Programs	p. 382
Unemployment Programs	p. 385
The Politics of "Welfare": Myths and Realities	p. 385
Transportation	p. 387
Highway Programs	p. 387
The Politics of Transportation	p. 388
Conclusion	p. 390
Key Terms	p. 391
Review Questions	p. 391
Logging On	p. 391
Get Active!	p. 392
Essay: Health Care in a Texas County: the Indigent, the Undocumented, the Uninsured & Republican Compassionate Conservatism	p. 393
Essay: The Impact of Texas's Fiscal Conservatism and Anti-Government Philosophy	p. 397
Local Government	p. 403
Municipalities	p. 405
General Law and Home-Rule Cities	p. 405
Forms of Government	p. 406
Municipal Election Systems	p. 409
Revenue Sources and Limitations	p. 410
Issues and Trends	p. 412
Counties	p. 415
Functions of Counties	p. 416
Structure and Organization of Counties	p. 418
Issues and Trends	p. 421
Special-District Governments	p. 422
Issues and Trends	p. 424
Councils of Government	p. 425
Conclusion	p. 426
Key Terms	p. 426
Review Questions	p. 427
Logging On	p. 427
Get Active!	p. 427
Essay: A Nationwide Civic Organization Promotes Local Distinctiveness	p. 429
Essay: Ethnic Polarization: A Major Factor in Corpus Christi's At-Large Elections	p. 431
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.