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The Texas Experiment
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The Texas Experiment
Politics, Power, and Social Transformation

Second Edition
Available with:
Learning platform
January 2025 | 432 pages | CQ Press
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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.

This text is offered in Sage Vantage, an intuitive learning platform that integrates quality Sage textbook content with assignable multimedia activities and auto-graded assessments to drive student engagement and ensure accountability. Unparalleled in its ease of use and built for dynamic teaching and learning, Vantage offers customizable LMS integration and best-in-class support.

Instructors, see how Vantage works! 
Take a brief self-guided tour with our interactive demo
 
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

The approach is a clearly defined and developed governmental outline of Texas government.

Dr. Morris T. Drumm
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.

Dr. Janet Lawler
University of Houston Honors College
Key features
NEW TO THIS EDITION:
  • The new edition is available in Sage Vantage, an intuitive learning platform that integrates quality Sage textbook content with assignable multimedia activities and auto-graded assessments to drive student engagement and ensure accountability. Unparalleled in its ease of use and built for dynamic teaching and learning, Vantage offers customizable LMS integration and best-in-class support.
    • Flashcards and note-taking tools help students better prepare for class.
    • NEW! Audiobook Player allows students to listen to text content, boosting comprehension and retention. It offers flexible, on-the-go access, engaging both reluctant readers and auditory learners, improving the overall reading experience.
    • The Offline Reading option in the Student Dashboard offers greater accessibility to Vantage’s reading content, regardless of where students are or how strong their internet connection may be.
    • New Texas video animations for the Texas Politics course help students understand key concepts like the Texas constitution, legislature, and voter ID laws.
  • Thoroughly updated throughout to account for recent developments from the 2023 constitutional amendment election and the 2024 election. Please contact your SAGE sales rep for a list of chapter-by-chapter changes. Updates include: 
    • Examination of new laws and their impact, reflecting the 2023 legislative cycle and special sessions in Texas.
    • Updated vignettes and examples consider the deployment of the Texas National Guard to the border, the impeachment trial of the state’s attorney general, conflicts within the Texas Republican Party, and recent capital cases in Texas in the context of key political science concepts.
    • Analysis of significant U.S. Supreme Court rulings and their implications for Texas.
    • Streamlined organization for brevity and clarity.
    • Addition of three important documents in the Appendix: the Texas Declaration of Independence, the Texas Bill of Rights, and the Texas Voter Bill of Rights.
KEY FEATURES:
  • Fulfills the competency requirements and learning outcomes required for general education courses.
  • Builds relevance through representation by highlighting new population data, with projections forward to 2050, released by the U.S. Census and the Texas State Data Center.
  • Offers unrivaled coverage of ideology and social issues, Texas demographic changes, and the rising importance of underrepresented groups in Texas politics.
  • Encourages engagement through participation by prompting students to reflect on and discuss their views in every chapter.
  • Each chapter begins with a chapter-opening vignette focused on a policy issue that impacts real people. Many of the examples are taken from questions that regularly come up in the classroom like "Why should I vote and get involved in politics?" and "How can I participate in politics and make change?"
  • What Can You Do? chapter conclusions provide a way for students to participate in the political process and enact change in the state. This can involve attending government meetings, voting, or joining a local chapter of a political party.

Sample Materials & Chapters

Ch1-2

Vantage Reference: 
The Texas Experiment - Vantage Learning Platform

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