Texas Politics (with InfoTrac)

, by Kraemer, Richard H.; Newell, Charldean; Prindle, David F.

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ISBN: 9780534631291 | 0534631290
Cover: Paperback
Copyright: 12/21/2004

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Compare the reality of Texas government and olitics to to the ideals of democratic theory with TEXAS POLITICS (WITH INFOTRAC). Exploring three themes: democratic ideals, conservatism, and conflict, this in-depth book introduces you to the political trends and controversial issues taking place in Texas today. This intriguing text explores everything from campaign financing to Texas's role on the international stage. This book is a must-have for anyone interested in Texas politics!

Preface

The Context of Texas Politics

(32)

Introduction

(1)

Texas History: A Chronology

(12)

The Earliest Days

(1)

Anglo-American Colonization

(1)

Revolution

(1)

Early Statehood

(1)

Post--Civil War Texas

(1)

The Late Nineteenth Century

(2)

The Early Twentieth Century

(1)

Wars and Depression

(2)

Postwar Texas

(1)

Gradual Political Change

(1)

Contemporary Texas

(1)

Texas as a Democracy

(2)

Texas and American Federalism

(1)

Texas in the International Arena

(3)

The Texas Political Culture

(4)

Economy, Taxes, and Services

(3)

The People of Texas

(2)

The Census

(2)

The Political Relevance of Population

(1)

The Agenda

(1)

Summary

(1)

Glossary Terms

(1)

Study Questions

(1)

Surfing the Web

(1)

The Constitutional Setting

(28)

Introduction

(1)

Purposes of Constitutions

(2)

Legitimacy

(1)

Organizing Government

(1)

Providing Power

(1)

Limiting Governmental Power

(1)

Texas Constitutions

(2)

The Present Texas Constitution

(10)

General Features

(2)

Specific Features

(5)

Amendments

(2)

Constitutional Revision

(4)

Overview of the Need for Reform

(1)

Recent Reform Efforts

(3)

Constitutional Politics

(5)

Something for Everyone

(2)

The Political Process

(3)

Summary

(1)

Glossary Terms

(1)

Study Questions

(1)

Surfing the Web

(1)

Interest Groups

(34)

Introduction

(1)

Interest Groups

(1)

Definition

(1)

Classification

(1)

Interest Groups in the Political Process

(18)

Who Is Organized?

(1)

Functions

(1)

Activities

(10)

Persuading the Public

(2)

Influencing Administrators and Co-opting Agencies

(5)

Major Interest Groups in Texas

(9)

Texans for Lawsuit Reform

(1)

Doctors

(1)

Lawyers

(1)

The Christian Right

(1)

The Oil and Gas Industry

(1)

Organized Labor

(1)

League of United Latin American Citizens

(1)

Teachers

(2)

Conclusion

(1)

Summary

(1)

Glossary Terms

(1)

Study Questions

(1)

Surfing the Web

(2)

Political Parties

(32)

Introduction

(1)

Ideology

(3)

Conservatism

(1)

Liberalism

(1)

Ideology In Texas

(2)

Political Socialization

100

(3)

Family

100

(1)

Schools and Churches

100

(2)

Media

102

(1)

Evaluation

102

(1)

Interests

103

(1)

Texas Political Parties: A Brief History

104

(4)

Functions of Political Parties

108

(2)

Party Organization

110

(8)

Temporary Party Organization

110

(4)

Permanent Party Organization

114

(1)

The (Un)importance of Party Organization

115

(3)

Two Parties, Three Factions (or Perhaps Four)

118

(4)

Republicans

118

(1)

Conservative Democrats

119

(1)

Liberal Democrats

120

(1)

The Future of the Three-Faction System

121

(1)

Third Parties in Texas

122

(2)

Summary

124

(1)

Glossary Terms

125

(1)

Study Questions

125

(1)

Surfing The Web

126

(1)

Voting, Campaigns, and Elections

127

(30)

Introduction

128

(1)

Voting

129

(3)

Why Vote?

129

(1)

Suffrage

130

(1)

Registration

131

(1)

Texas Turnout

132

(4)

Government by the People?

132

(1)

Why Don't Texans Vote?

133

(1)

The Consequences of Nonvoting

134

(2)

Election Campaigns

136

(9)

Campaign Resources

136

(8)

Negative Campaigning

144

(1)

Public Elections

145

(4)

Primary Elections

145

(2)

General Elections

147

(1)

Special Elections

148

(1)

Absentee or Early Voting

148

(1)

Elections of 1994 through 2000

149

(1)

Election of 2002

149

(4)

Election of 2004

153

(1)

Conclusion

154

(1)

Summary

154

(1)

Glossary Terms

155

(1)

Study Questions

155

(1)

Surfing the Web

156

(1)

Organization of the Texas Legislature

157

(36)

Introduction

158

(1)

Functions of Legislative Bodies

159

(3)

Formal Functions

159

(3)

Informal Functions

162

(1)

Structure of the Legislature

162

(14)

Size, Elections, and Terms

162

(2)

Sessions

164

(1)

Legislative Districts

165

(7)

Party and Factional Organization

172

(2)

Compensation

174

(2)

Membership Characteristics

176

(4)

Formal Qualifications

176

(1)

Personal Characteristics

176

(3)

Experience and Turnover

179

(1)

Internal Organization of the Legislature

180

(7)

The Presiding Officers

180

(3)

Legislative Committees

183

(3)

Legislative Staff

186

(1)

General Criticism and Suggested Reforms

187

(3)

Criticism

187

(1)

Suggested Reforms

188

(2)

Summary

190

(1)

Glossary Terms

191

(1)

Study Questions

191

(1)

Surfing the Web

191

(2)

The Legislative Process

193

(30)

Introduction

194

(1)

Power of the Presiding Officers

195

(9)

Procedural Powers

195

(7)

Institutional Powers

202

(2)

Limits on Presiding Officers

204

(2)

Personality and Ambition

204

(1)

Legislators

205

(1)

Interest Groups and State Administration

205

(1)

The Governor

206

(1)

The Electorate/ The Constituents

206

(1)

How a Bill Becomes a Law in Texas

206

(6)

Step One: Introduction and Referral

208

(1)

Step Two: Committee Action

208

(2)

Step Three: Floor Action

210

(1)

In the House: Steps One through Three Repeated

211

(1)

Step Four: Conference Committee

211

(1)

Step Five: The Governor

211

(1)

Legislative Dynamics

212

(3)

Handicaps

212

(2)

Changing Alignments

214

(1)

Evaluation and Reform

215

(4)

Assessing the Legislature

215

(3)

Suggested Reforms

218

(1)

Conclusion

218

(1)

Nonlegislative Lawmaking

219

(1)

Lawmaking by the Governor

219

(1)

Lawmaking by the Administration

219

(1)

Lawmaking by the Courts

220

(1)

Summary

220

(1)

Glossary Terms

221

(1)

Study Questions

221

(1)

Surfing the Web

222

(1)

The Governor

223

(28)

Introduction

224

(1)

Basic Structure of the Governor's Office

225

(6)

Election, Term of Office, and Tenure

225

(1)

Impeachment and Succession

226

(2)

Compensation

228

(1)

Staff and Organization

228

(3)

Qualifications for Governor

231

(3)

Formal Qualifications

231

(1)

Personal Characteristics

231

(3)

Roles of the Governor and Limits on Those Roles

234

(2)

Formal Roles and Limitations

236

(9)

Chief Executive

236

(4)

Chief Legislator

240

(3)

Commander in Chief/Top Cop

243

(1)

Chief of State

244

(1)

Chief Intergovernmental Diplomat

244

(1)

Informal Roles and Limitations

245

(3)

Chief of Party

245

(1)

Leader of the People

246

(2)

Summary

248

(1)

Glossary Terms

249

(1)

Study Questions

249

(1)

Surfing the Web

249

(2)

The Administrative State

251

(33)

Introduction

252

(1)

State Administrative Agencies

253

(8)

Agencies with Elected Executives

255

(3)

Agencies with Appointed Executives

258

(1)

Boards and Commissions

258

(3)

Big Government: How Did It Happen?

261

(4)

Postwar Growth

262

(1)

1980 On

263

(2)

Characteristics of Bureaucracy

265

(4)

Traditional Characteristics

265

(1)

Modern Characteristics

266

(3)

Bureaucratic Survival Techniques

269

(4)

Sources of Bureaucratic Power

269

(3)

Bureaucratic Involvement in the Policymaking Process

272

(1)

What Happens to the Public Interest?

273

(1)

Bureaucratic Orientation

273

(1)

Overstepping the Law

274

(1)

Harnessing the Administrative State

274

(7)

How Much Accountability to the Chief Executive?

275

(2)

How Much Accountability to the Legislature?

277

(2)

How Much Accountability to the Public?

279

(1)

Is There Accountability?

280

(1)

Suggested Reforms

281

(1)

Summary

281

(1)

Glossary Terms

282

(1)

Study Questions

282

(1)

Surfing the Web

283

(1)

The Judiciary

284

(29)

Introduction

285

(1)

The Myth of the Nonpolitical Judiciary

286

(2)

The Players in the System of Justice

288

(2)

The Attorney General (AG)

288

(2)

Lawyers

290

(1)

The State Bar of Texas

290

(1)

The Court System

290

(5)

Municipal Courts

292

(1)

Justice of the Peace (JP) Courts

292

(1)

County Courts

292

(1)

State Trial Courts: The District Courts

293

(1)

Intermediate State Appellate Courts: The Courts of Appeals

293

(1)

Highest State Appellate Courts

294

(1)

Juries

295

(1)

Grand Juries

295

(1)

Trial Juries

296

(1)

Police

296

(1)

Removal and Reprimand of Lawyers and Judges

296

(1)

Issues Facing the Texas Judiciary

297

(13)

Too Much Crime, Too Many Criminals

297

(2)

Judicial Selection

299

(1)

Partisan Elections?

299

(3)

Is Justice for Sale?

302

(1)

Equal Justice?

303

(7)

Summary

310

(1)

Glossary Terms

311

(1)

Study Questions

311

(1)

Surfing The Web

311

(2)

The Substance of Justice

313

(29)

Introduction

314

(1)

Civil Liberties

315

(10)

Freedom of Expression

315

(3)

Freedom of Religion

318

(3)

A Right to Keep and Bear Arms?

321

(2)

Abortion

323

(2)

Civil Rights

325

(7)

School Segregation

325

(1)

Education: A Basic Right?

326

(2)

Civil Rights in Modern Texas: Jasper and Tulia

328

(3)

Civil Rights for Convicted Criminals

331

(1)

Capital Punishment

332

(3)

Torts and Tort Reform

335

(4)

Conclusion

339

(1)

Summary

339

(1)

Glossary Terms

340

(1)

Study Questions

340

(1)

Surfing the Web

340

(2)

Local Government

342

(39)

Introduction

343

(1)

Counties: Horse-Drawn Buggies?

344

(12)

Historical and Legal Background

344

(1)

Organization and Operation of County Government

345

(4)

County Finance

349

(1)

County Politics

350

(2)

An Evaluation of County Government

352

(4)

Cities: Managed Environments

356

(15)

Organization of City Government

359

(5)

City Finance

364

(4)

City Politics

368

(3)

Special Districts: Our Hidden Governments

371

(4)

What Is a Special District?

372

(1)

Why Special Districts?

372

(2)

Assessment of Special Districts

374

(1)

School Districts

375

(1)

Local Government: Prospects for the Future

375

(2)

Leadership in Local Government

377

(1)

Summary

378

(1)

Glossary Terms

379

(1)

Study Questions

379

(1)

Surfing the Web

380

(1)

The State Economy and the Financing of State Government

381

(33)

Introduction

382

(1)

The Texas Economy

383

(4)

The Past

383

(2)

The Present

385

(1)

Analysis

386

(1)

Where Does the Money Come From?

387

(17)

Collection and Administration

390

(1)

Nontax Sources of Revenue

390

(3)

Taxation

393

(6)

The Tax Burden in Texas

399

(1)

The Dawn of the Twenty-first Century

399

(5)

Where Does the Money Go?

404

(7)

Planning and Preparation

405

(1)

Authorization and Appropriations

406

(1)

Execution/Spending

407

(4)

Summary

411

(1)

Glossary Terms

412

(1)

Study Questions

412

(1)

Surfing the Web

413

(1)

Issues in Public Policy

414

(31)

Introduction

415

(4)

The Business of Business

419

(5)

Modern Policy Initiatives

420

(3)

Ongoing Concerns

423

(1)

Poverty and Welfare

424

(9)

Poverty in Texas

425

(1)

The Players and the Major Programs

426

(4)

Recent Policy Developments

430

(2)

Analysis

432

(1)

Saving the Environment

433

(6)

Is There Any Water? Is It Safe to Drink?

434

(1)

Is the Air Safe to Breathe?

435

(2)

The Land: Is It Safe to Walk Here? Is There Room?

437

(1)

Analysis

438

(1)

Highways and Byways

439

(3)

The Situation

439

(1)

Actions and Analysis

440

(2)

Conclusions

442

(1)

Summary

442

(1)

Glossary Terms

443

(1)

Study Questions

443

(1)

Surfing the Web

444

(1)

The Future of Texas Politics

445

(18)

Introduction

446

(1)

The Texas Political System

447

(2)

Political Culture

447

(1)

The Inputs to the Political System

448

(1)

The Coming Challenges

449

(10)

The Economy

450

(2)

Population

452

(4)

Urban Texas

456

(1)

Preventing the Worst of All Possible Futures

457

(2)

The Future of Texas Democracy

459

(2)

Summary

461

(1)

Glossary Term

461

(1)

Study Questions

461

(1)

Surfing the Web

462

(1)

Notes

463

(18)

Glossary

481

(5)

Index

486

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Texas Politics (with InfoTrac)

Summary

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials