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The Texas Experiment
Politics, Power, and Social Transformation
Second Edition
- William V. Flores - University of Houston Downtown
- Christina Hughes - University of Houston Downtown
- Anita Chadha - University of Houston Downtown
- Gene Preuss - University of Houston Downtown
December 2024 | 432 pages | CQ Press
The Texas Experiment: Politics, Power, and Social Transformation provides an all-encompassing view of Texas government. Authors William V. Flores, Christina Hughes, Anita Chadha, and Gene Preuss bring together the historical and the contemporary, the political and the personal, to walk students through the state's past, present, and future. Through the book's rich historical narrative that tells the unvarnished story of how Texas came to be, depictions of the processes and structure of Texas government, and finally, insights on shifting demographics, we learn that the soul of Texas is multicultural, diverse, and thriving.
The Second Edition has been updated through the state's 2023 legislative cycle and what it means for those living in Texas.
The Second Edition has been updated through the state's 2023 legislative cycle and what it means for those living in Texas.
Preface
Acknowledgments
About The Authors
Chapter 1: Texas Society and Politics: Past and Present
Texas Geography and Early History
King Cotton, Slavery, and Anglo-American Settlements in Texas
The Texas Republic
Texas and the Civil War
Reconstruction in Texas
Jim Crow Segregation
Conclusion
What Can You Do?
Discussion Questions
Key Terms
Chapter 2: Texas Constitution
What Is a Constitution?
The Historical Constitutions of Texas
Constitution of 1876: “Retrenchment and Reform”
The Texas Bill of Rights
Constitutional Change
Conclusion
What Can You Do?
An Exercise in Developing Your Own Constitution
Discussion Questions
Key Terms
Chapter 3: Federalism And Local Government
What Is Federalism?
Tools of Influence in Federalism
Relationships Between State and Local Government
City Government
County Government
School Districts and Special Districts
Conclusion
What Can You Do?
Discussion Questions
Key Terms
Chapter 4: Political Culture and Civic Participation
Demographics, Political Culture, and Political Ideology
Civic Participation and Political Participation
Voter Registration and Turnout
Conclusion
What Can You Do?
Discussion Questions
Key Terms
Chapter 5: Voting And Elections
Why and How We Vote in Elections
Enfranchisement in the Political Process
Elections and Representation
Texas Elections
Conclusion
What Can You Do?
Discussion Questions
Key Terms
Chapter 6: Political Parties In Texas
Functions and Purposes of Political Parties
Party Structure and Organization
The Evolution of the Two-Party System in Texas
The Republican Era and One-Party Dominance
The Two Parties Today
Third Parties in Texas
Conclusion
What Can You Do?
Discussion Questions
Key Terms
Chapter 7: The Texas Legislature
Structure of the Texas Legislature
Chamber Leadership
Legislative Process
Representation in the Texas Legislature
Redistricting and Gerrymandering
Conclusion
What Can You Do?
Discussion Questions
Key Terms
Chapter 8: The Governor And Executive Branch
Office of the Governor
The Growing Power of Texas’s “Weak” Governor
Officers of the Plural Executive
State Agencies in the Plural Executive
Conclusion
What Can You Do?
Discussion Questions
Key Terms
Chapter 9: The Texas Justice System
Courts and Their Jurisdictions
Organization and Structure of the Texas Court System
Judge Selection
Inequities in the System
Juvenile Interactions with the Criminal Justice System
Conclusion
What Can You Do?
Discussion Questions
Key Terms
Chapter 10: Interest Groups And Lobbying
What Are Interest Groups and Social Movements?
Types of Interest Groups
Theories of Interest Group Systems
How Interest Groups Influence Policy
How Interest Groups Lobby Government
Interest Groups and the Bureaucracy
Conclusion
What Can You Do?
Discussion Questions
Key Terms
Chapter 11: The Media, Social Media, And Social Movements
The Role of the Free Press and Media in Our Democracy
Media: Then and Now
Online Media and the Political Process
Polarization, Disinformation, and Weaponization
Media and the Rise of Social Movements in Texas
Conclusion
What Can You Do?
Discussion Questions
Key Terms
Chapter 12: Public Policy And Government Budgeting
The Process of Policymaking
Health Care Policy
Energy and Environmental Policies
Education Policy
Tax and Fiscal Policy
The Texas Budget Process
Local Government Funding
Conclusion
What Can You Do?
Discussion Questions
Key Terms
Chapter 13: Texas In The Future: Changing Demography And Changing Perspectives
The Changing Population of Texas and Its Implications for the Future
Education: Will Texas Close the Achievement Gap?
Texas Health Care: The Costs of Disparities
The Texas Economy in 2050
Transportation in 2050
The Effects of Climate Change on Texas in 2050
The Electoral Front
Conclusion
What Can You Do?
Discussion Questions
Key Terms
Appendix
Supplements
Instructor Resources
For additional information, custom options, or to request a personalized walkthrough of these resources, please contact your sales representative.
LMS cartridge included with this title for use in Blackboard, Canvas, Brightspace by Desire2Learn (D2L), and Moodle
The LMS cartridge makes it easy to import this title’s instructor resources into your learning management system (LMS). These resources include:
You can still access the online resources for this title via the password-protected Instructor Resource Site.
For additional information, custom options, or to request a personalized walkthrough of these resources, please contact your sales representative.
LMS cartridge included with this title for use in Blackboard, Canvas, Brightspace by Desire2Learn (D2L), and Moodle
The LMS cartridge makes it easy to import this title’s instructor resources into your learning management system (LMS). These resources include:
- Test banks
- Editable chapter-specific PowerPoint® slides
- Lecture notes
- All tables and figures from the textbook
You can still access the online resources for this title via the password-protected Instructor Resource Site.
The approach is a clearly defined and developed governmental outline of Texas government.
Tarrant County College
This is an exceptional text on the political development and contemporary politics of Texas. It is inclusive of a Texas that has had many cultures, peoples, successes and challenges and bravely compels students to take the future of Texas into their own hands.
University of Houston Honors College