Texas Politics

Note: Each chapter concludes with a Summary, Key Terms, For Further Reading, Study Questions, Critical Thinking Questions, and Internet Resources. 1. The Individual and the Megastate Individuals Make a Difference in Texas Politics Texas: The Largest Megastate The Context of Texas Politics: Diversity of Land, People, and Cultures The Civic Culture: A New Analytical Model Texas in Context 1.1 Megastate Tuition and Fee Income as a Percentage of Expenditures 1.2 Megastates Ranked by Megastate Index Score 1.3 The Megastates Ranked by Civic Culture Index Join the Debate: Should tuition in Texas universities be increased? 2. The Texas Constitution Historical Constitutional Development in Texas Texas Constitution Today Criticisms of the Texas Constitution Social Changes and Constitutional Adaptation Texas in Context 2.1 Constitutions of the Megastates Join the Debate: Should the Constitution of 1876 be revised? 3. Texas in the Federal System The American Federal System Intergovernmental Relations and the Constitution Texas in Context 3.1 Texas in a System of States and Megastates Join the Debate: Should gun control be left to the states rather than to national government? 4. Local Government in Texas Why Have Local Government? What Is Local Government? General-Purpose Governments in Texas Special-Purpose Governments in Texas Issues in Texas Local Government Texas Local Governments in the Twenty-First Century Texas in Context 4.1 Numbers of Local Governments in Megastates Compared to Population 4.2 Numbers of Public School Districts in Megastates 4.3 Population Changes of Selected Cities in Megastates Join the Debate: Should a city be able to annex an adjacent area without the consent of the residents of that area? 5. Political Participation Concepts of Political Participation Participation Strategies Public Opinion Powell's Paradox in Texas Institutions for Mobilizing the Moderate Middle Texas in Context 5.1 Union Membership in the Megastates and Voter Turnout Join the Debate: Should the Electoral College be abolished? 6. Participation and Interest Groups Interest Groups, Participation, and Democracy Types of Interest Groups What Groups Do: Techniques for Influence Interest Group Power in Texas Texas in Context 6.1 PAC Contributions in the Megastates (in Millions of Dollars) 6.2 Relationship of Interest Group Strength in the Megastates to Union Membership and Voter Trends Join the Debate: Are interest groups beneficial? 7. Participation, Elections, and Parties Parties, Elections, and Democracy Political Parties in Texas Texas in Context 7.1 Party Strength and Gubernatorial Nominations Join the Debate: Are you in favor of single-member plurality (SMP) voting systems or proportional representation (PR) voting systems? 8. The Texas Legislature Parliamentary Functions of Legislatures Legislative Organization The Legislators Legislative Functions Legislative Process Legislative Support System Texas in Context 8.1 Number of Legislators in Megastates and Their Compensation 8.2 Professionalization of State Legislatures in the Megastates Join the Debate: Are you in favor of the 140-day biennial regular legislative session? 9. The Executive Branch of Texas Government The Executive Branch The Governor Elected Executives Boards and Commissions The Executive Branch and You Texas in Context 9.1 The Dynamics of State Employment in the Megastates 9.2 Power Rankings for the Megastate Governorships, 2002 9.3 Megastate Governors: Salary and Staff 9.4 Comparative Spending on Highways and the Environment Join the Debate: Does the governor of Texas have enough power? 10. The Texas Court System Judicial Cases in the News The Judicial Process in Texas Contemporary Issues of Tradition and Symbolism "A Jury of One's Peers": Fact or Fiction? The Texas System of Courts The Courts and Public Policy Judicial Selection Tools for Citizen Input Texas in Context 10.1 Judicial Selections in the Megastates Join the Debate: Should judges be appointed by the governor from a pool of candidates by the state or another nonpartisan agency? 11. Criminal Justice Policy The Political Character of Criminal Justice Equal Justice for All? Texas Prisons: "Cruel and Unusual Punishment"? How Well Do Incarceration and the Death Penalty Work? Race, Ethnicity, and Criminal Justice in Texas The Changing Landscape of Criminal Justice in Texas Texas in Context 11.1 Megastate Comparisons of Reversal Rates in Death Penalty Cases, 1973-2002 11.2 Percentage of Sentence Served by Violent Offenders Released from Prison in 1997 11.3 Incarceration and Violent Crime Rate Changes, 1991-2001 Join the Debate: Should Texas place a moratorium on death sentences? 12. Texas Health and Human Services What Is Poverty? How Many People Are Poor in Texas? The Causes of Poverty The Consequences of Poverty What Government Is Doing About Poverty Administration of Social Welfare Programs Texas in Context 12.1 Poverty Rates in the Megastates, 2002 12.2 Education Levels of Heads of Families with Children Living in Low-Income Households (Below 200% of the Poverty Rate) in the Megastates 12.3 Education Levels of Heads of Families with Children Not Living in Low-Income Households in the Megastates 12.4 Time Limits for TANF 12.5 TANF Benefits per Month for a Single Parent 12.6 Three-Year Average of Low-Income Uninsured Children in the Megastates, 2000-2002 Join the Debate: Should welfare benefits stay low to increase incentives to work? 13. Education Policy The Political Character of Education Political Issues in Texas Education Policy Key Actors in Educational Politics Texas in Context 13.1 Teacher Salaries Adjusted for Cost-of-Living Differences in Ten Megastates, 2001-2002 13.2 Average SAT I scores for the Top 20 Percent of College-Bound Seniors in Ten Megastates 13.3 Average Faculty Salary in Public Universities, 2000 Join the Debate: Should creationism be taught alongside the theory of evolution in school science classes? 14. The Budget Understanding the Budget The Budget-Making Process Appropriations Revenues Evaluating Taxes and Tax Systems Looking to the Future: A Personal Income Tax? Why a State Personal Income Tax Would be Hard to Enact Texas in Context 14.1 The Heavier Tax Burden of the Working Poor in Texas Join the Debate: Do you favor the idea of trickle-down economics?