Texas Politics Today, 2013-2014 Edition
[T]he strength that caused me to adopt the book in the first place is its length. The book is not one of the encyclopedic tomes usually published for introductory level courses. I also like the end of chapter essays that add significant depth to the instruction presented in the chapter. The companion website has been significantly improved and provides students with useful study materials. . . . This book is the most complete and comprehensive text on Texas politics. It remains relatively concise while also being complete and comprehensive. . . . [Texas Politics Today is] a complete examination of Texas state and local politics that also is concise and engages students."The chapters [are] long enough to offer the right amount of information on each topic but not so long that students [are] not willing to read the whole chapter. . . . [T]he way the chapter[s] present the material [is] well thought out and complete. . . a well-written text that covers the main issues and institutions of Texas government very well."A well-rounded assessment of the world of Texas Politics. Maxwell and his colleagues have offered an opportunity to both the instructor and the student to discover the world of Texas Politics in a completely hands-on setting that is an excellent means of educating the student who will become the next generation of leaders."The end of chapter essays add a lot to the examination of Texas state and local government. When I teach the course in a face-to-face format, I often launch discussions using the end of chapter essays. The inclusion of Join the Debate questions is a great help for these discussions.