Chapter 1 TEXAS AND THE TEXANS: THEN AND NOW
Chapter 2 THE TEXAS CONSTITUTION AND AMERICAN FEDERALISM
Chapter 3 POLITICAL PARTICIPATION IN TEXAS: VOTERS, CAMPAIGNS,
AND ELECTIONS
Chapter 4 INTEREST GROUPS IN TEXAS
Chapter 5 POLITICAL PARTIES IN TEXAS
Chapter 6 THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE
Chapter 7 THE GOVERNOR AND THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH
Chapter 8 THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM IN TEXAS
Chapter 9 LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN TEXAS
Chapter 10 BUDGETS AND PUBLIC POLICY: REVENUES, EXPENDITURES, AND
POLICY GOALS IN TEXAS
Biography
Cal Jillson is Professor in the Department of Political Science at Southern Methodist University. His recent books include American Government: Political Development and Institutional Change, 12th edition; Lone Star Tarnished: A Critical Look at Texas Politics and Public Policy, 5th edition; The American Dream in History, Politics, and Fiction; and Shadow on the Dream: Race, Ethnicity, and American Decline. He is frequently cited in local and national media on a range of political issues.
Praise for Texas Politics: Governing the Lone Star State
"Cal Jillson has masterfully developed a Texas Politics book that combines readability with scholarship and enables the student to understand much of the institutional structure and unique character of Texas within the federal context. Jillson provides needed insights to understanding Texas institutions and the interactions of interest groups within those institutions. He does so in an enjoyable, readable format while addressing the important Texas state-mandated student learning outcomes and the significance of Texas politics for everyone. Texas Politics is reflective of the myriad interesting stories which have made Texas what it is today."
-- Ray Sandoval, Richland College
"I've taught from all editions of Cal Jillson's Texas Politics and am now looking forward to the new edition. I've organized my Texas government course to the Jillson text and it works like a charm, be it for a full semester or a shorter summer session."
-- Gary Brown, Lone Star College-Montgomery
"Cal Jillson has provided students with a concise yet thorough introduction to the often byzantine intricacies of the Texas government. Especially helpful are the special features in each chapter that bring abstract concepts into contemporary and concrete focus. Students who use this book will find it engaging, timely, and relevant, and will be spurred to further independent exploration of their state’s institutions, warts and all—a critical step toward becoming actively participating democratic citizens."
-- Kevin T. Holton, South Texas College
"Ounce per ounce, this book is among the better reads on Texas politics. The mandated essentials for Student Learning Objectives are presented in clear, to-the-point prose. A good tool for government teachers and students of rough-and-tumble Texan politics."
- -Jose Angel Gutierrez, University of Texas-Arlington
"Jillson’s text offers an excellent description and analysis of politics and political institutions in Texas. Students will appreciate the accessible and lively writing style. Brief but thorough, this textbook is well-suited to the task of introducing students to Texas government."
-- Daniel Sledge, University of Texas-Arlington
"Texas Politics is a well-written and well-documented text that will be an asset to any professor or student interested in Texas politics. As mentioned in the Preface, one will find a broad "range of pedagogical aids and tools" that will be helpful in the classroom." -
- Morris D. Drumm, Texas Christian University
