Lone Star Politics: Tradition and Transformation in Texas - Softcover

Reseña del editor

Texas is in a bit of a dilemma—it is a rapidly growing state saddled with a constitution that was written by conservative farmers in 1876. Texas’s government struggles to meet the needs of an increasingly diversified population and the challenges of an economy driven by large multi-national corporations, many on the cutting edge of the information age. How has Texas developed and flourished over the years, but failed to fully respond to these changes?

Lone Star Politics explicitly focuses on the disconnect between the outsized myth of Texas with its legendary political history and the reality of the state’s day-to-day governance to help explain who gets what resources and how they are distributed. The engaging and accessible writing style makes this a book that students of all levels will actually want to read. And when they do, they’ll get both description and analysis, a balance of institutions and behavior, as well as comparisons of Texas with other states.

“Texas vs. _______” feature boxes use narrative, tabular data, and critical thinking questions to show how Texas works differently from the rest of the country, while “Texas Legends” boxes show how certain celebrated figures and institutions influence Texans and their identity as well as shape Texas politics today.

The chapter structure fits perfectly with Barbour and Wright’s American Government text, Keeping the Republic. Discounted packages and customized versions are available—please contact us at collegesales@cqpress.com to learn more.

Biografía del autor

Ken Collier is a professor at Stephen F. Austin State University, with a PhD from the University of Texas at Austin. He is the author of Between the Branches: The White House Office of Legislative Affairs and Speechwriting in the Institutionalized Presidency: Whose Line Is It? He has published articles in such journals as Journal of Politics, White House Studies, Presidential Studies Quarterly, Public Choice, and Social Science Quarterly. His research and teaching currently focus on presidential speechwriting and Texas politics.