Practicing Texas Politics, Edition

Cover......Page 1
Brief Contents......Page 4
Detailed Contents......Page 5
State Learning Outcomes......Page 10
A Letter to Instructors......Page 12
A Letter to Students......Page 14
Resources......Page 16
Acknowledgments......Page 18
About the Authors......Page 19
Career Opportunities: Political Science......Page 21
Ch 1: The Environment of Texas Politics......Page 24
Everything Is Changing in Texas......Page 25
Texas Politics and Political Culture......Page 26
The People......Page 31
The Land and Population Distribution......Page 40
The Economy......Page 46
Meeting New Challenges......Page 53
Ch 2: Federalism and the Texas Constitution......Page 64
The American Federal Structure......Page 65
The Texas Constitution: Politics of Policymaking......Page 78
Constitutional Amendments and Revision......Page 89
The Texas Constitution: A Summary......Page 94
Ch 3: Local Governments......Page 102
Local Politics in Context......Page 104
Municipal Governments......Page 106
Municipal Politics......Page 113
Counties......Page 124
Special Districts......Page 135
Metropolitan Areas......Page 140
Ch 4: Political Parties......Page 147
Political Ideology......Page 148
Electoral Trends......Page 150
An Overview of Texas Political History......Page 154
Party Structure......Page 163
Ch 5: Campaigns and Elections......Page 177
Political Campaigns......Page 178
Racial and Ethnic Politics......Page 185
Women in Politics......Page 189
Voting......Page 191
Primary, General, and Special Elections......Page 205
Ch 6: The Media and Politics......Page 214
Where Do We Get Our Information?......Page 215
The Media's Roles in Politics......Page 225
Campaigns and Citizen Participation......Page 237
Bias?......Page 241
Regulation......Page 244
Latinos, African Americans, and Women in Texas Media......Page 247
Change in the Media: More Participation, More Sources, but Less News?......Page 249
Ch 7: The Politics of Interest Groups......Page 260
Interest Groups in the Political Process......Page 261
Types of Interest Groups......Page 267
Interest Group Activities......Page 277
Power and Regulation in Interest Group Politics......Page 288
Ch 8: The Legislative Branch......Page 295
Legislative Framework......Page 298
Legislators......Page 306
Legislative Organization......Page 313
Legislative Operations......Page 319
Influences within the Legislative Environment......Page 330
Ch 9: The Executive Branch......Page 337
Gubernatorial Elections......Page 340
Overview of the Governorship......Page 343
Informal Powers of the Governor......Page 348
Executive Powers of the Governor......Page 351
Legislative Powers of the Governor......Page 357
Judicial Powers of the Governor......Page 360
The Plural Executive......Page 362
The State Bureaucracy......Page 369
Ch 10: The Judicial Branch......Page 384
State Law in Texas......Page 385
Courts, Judges, Lawyers, and Juries......Page 387
Judicial Procedures in Civil Cases......Page 406
Judicial Procedures in Criminal Cases......Page 409
Ch 11: Finance and Fiscal Policy......Page 415
Fiscal Policies......Page 417
Revenue Sources......Page 422
Budgeting and Fiscal Management......Page 436
Future Demands......Page 442
Ch 12: Public Policy and Administration......Page 457
Making Public Policy in Texas......Page 458
Education......Page 464
Health and Human Services......Page 476
Economic and Environmental Policies......Page 484
Immigration......Page 494
Ch 13: The Criminal Justice System......Page 498
Elements of the Criminal Justice System......Page 500
The Death Penalty......Page 504
Correction and Rehabilitation......Page 509
Juvenile Justice......Page 520
Problems and Reforms: Implications for Public Policy......Page 522
Glossary......Page 532
Endnotes......Page 542
Index......Page 570