Texas politics: governing the lone star state

"The eighth edition of this popular text has been expanded and updated to better fit the needs of a stand-alone Texas politics course. Jillson continues to approach the politics of the Lone Star State from historical, developmental, and analytical perspectives, while giving students the most even-handed, readable, and engaging description of Texas politics available today. Students are encouraged to connect the origins and development of government and politics in Texas to its current practice and the alternatives possible through change and reform. This text helps instructors prepare their students to master the origin and development of the Texas Constitution, the structure and powers of state and local government in Texas, how Texas fits into the U.S. federal system, as well as political participation, the electoral process, and public policy in Texas. Texas Politics offers instructors and students an unmatched range of pedagogical aids and tools. Each chapter opens with an engaging vignette and a series of focus questions to orient readers to the learning objectives at hand and concludes with a chapter summary, a list of key terms, review questions, suggested readings, and web resources. "Let's Compare" boxes help students see how Texas sits alongside other states, "Texas Legends" boxes spotlight key figures in Texas political history, "Pro & Con" boxes bring conflicting political views into sharper focus and every chapter features a timeline of important events in Texas history. New to the eighth edition

Cover -- Half Title -- Endorsement -- Title Page -- Copyright Page -- Epigraph -- Brief Contents -- Table of Contents -- Preface -- Chapter 1 Texas and the Texans: Then and Now -- Origins and Settlements -- Native Peoples -- Spanish Explorers and Mexican Settlers -- American Settlers -- The Slaves -- The Political Culture of Texas -- The Physical Geography and Early Economy of Texas -- South Texas -- East Texas -- The Gulf Coast -- North Texas -- The Central Texas Hill Country -- West Texas and the Panhandle -- Becoming Modern Texas -- Cultural Diversity -- Urbanization -- Economic Diversification -- Future Challenges -- Pro-Business Climate -- Educated Workforce -- Inclusion and Empowerment -- Chapter Summary -- Key Terms -- Review Questions -- Suggested Readings -- Web Resources -- Notes -- Chapter 2 The Texas Constitution and American Federalism -- Texas: A State in the American Federal System -- National Powers -- Powers Reserved to the States -- Shared Powers -- Relations Among the States -- The Constitutional History of Texas -- 1827 Coahuila Y Tejas Constitution -- 1836 Republic of Texas Constitution -- 1845 U.S. Statehood Constitution -- 1861 C.S.A. Statehood Constitution -- 1866 Presidential Reconstruction Constitution -- 1869 Congressional Reconstruction Constitution -- 1876 Texas Constitution -- The Texas Constitution Today -- Bill of Rights -- Legislative Branch -- Executive Branch -- Judicial Branch -- Local Government -- Amendments -- Special Rights Provisions of the Texas Constitution -- The Prospects for Constitutional Reform in Texas -- Constitutional Convention of 1974 and Its Aftermath -- The Future of Constitutional Reform in Texas -- Chapter Summary -- Key Terms -- Review Questions -- Suggested Readings -- Web Resources -- Notes -- Chapter 3 Political Participation in Texas: Voters, Campaigns, and Elections.

Texas politics- Front Cover -- Texas politics -- Title Page -- Copyright Page -- Dedication -- Brief Contents -- Contents -- Special Features -- Preface -- Chapter 1: texas and the texans: then and now -- Origins and Settlements -- The Political Culture of Texas -- The Physical Geography and Early Economy of Texas -- Becoming Modern Texas -- Future Challenges -- Chapter Summary -- Key Terms -- Review Questions -- Suggested Readings -- Web Resources -- Notes -- Chapter 2: the texas constitution and american federalism -- Texas: A State in the American Federal System -- The Constitutional History of Texas -- The Texas Constitution Today -- Special Rights Provisions of the Texas Constitution -- The Prospects for Constitutional Reform in Texas -- Chapter Summary -- Key Terms -- Review Questions -- Suggested Readings -- Web Resources -- Notes -- Chapter 3: political participation in texas: voters, campaigns, and elections -- The Evolution of Suffrage in Texas -- Modern Voter Registration and Turnout -- The Decision to Vote (or Not) -- Political Campaigns -- Types of Elections in Texas -- Electoral Reform Possibilities -- Chapter Summary -- Key Terms -- Review Questions -- Suggested Readings -- Web Resources -- Notes -- Chapter 4: interest groups in texas -- Interest Groups in Texas -- Interest Group Activities and Resources -- Interest Groups and Lobby Reform -- Chapter Summary -- Key Terms -- Review Questions -- Suggested Readings -- Web Resources -- Notes -- Chapter 5: political parties in texas -- Major Party Organization in Texas -- Minor Parties, Independents, and Write-Ins -- The Evolution of Partisan Conflict in Texas -- The Partisan Politics of Redistricting in Texas -- The Redistricting Dust-Up of 2011-2012 -- The Future -- Chapter Summary -- Key Terms -- Review Questions -- Suggested Readings -- Web Resources -- Notes

The fifth edition of this popular text is now expanded and updated to better fit the needs of a stand-alone Texas Politics course. Jillson continues to approach the politics of the Lone Star State from historical, developmental, and analytical perspectives, while giving students the most even-handed, readable, and engaging description of Texas politics available today. Throughout the book students are encouraged to connect the origins and development of government and politics in Texas--from the Texas Constitution, to party competition, to the role and powers of the Governor--to its current da

Approaching the politics of the Lone Star State from historical, developmental, and analytical perspectives, Cal Jillson's text avoids partisanship, ideology, and gimmicks to provide the most comprehensive, readable, and accurate brief description of Texas politics available today. Throughout the book students are encouraged to connect the origins and development of government and politics in Texas-from the Texas Constitution, to party competition, to the role and powers of the Governor-to its current day practice and the alternatives possible through change and reform. This text will allow teachers to share with their students the evolution of Texas politics, where we stand today, and where we are headed. Texas Politics is one of the briefest and most affordable texts on the market, yet it offers instructors and students an unmatched range of pedagogical aids and tools. Each chapter opens with a number of focus questions to orient readers to the learning objectives and concludes with a Chapter Summary, a list of Key Terms, Suggested Readings, and Web Resources. Key Terms are bolded in the text, listed at the end of the chapter, and included in a Glossary at the end of the book. Each chapter presents several photos and numerous tables and figures to highlight the major ideas, issues, individuals, and institutions discussed. Each chapter also contains a Let's Compare feature, comparing selected states to Texas on various dimensions.