Texas Government: Policy & Politics
Features:“National Perspective”boxes in each chapter discuss policy and politics in other states to give students a sense of how Texas compares to other states in the U.S.“Getting Involved!”boxes in every chapter provide students with projects, encouragement, and specific directions for participating in the policy process and getting involved in their communities, colleges, and government. The "Let's Debate" feature in every chapter helps develop students' critical thinking skills, promotes classroom discussion, and serves as an excellent starting point for term papers by examining various sides of a provocative, relevant issue under debate in government and politics today.  Each box provides an overview of the issue - highlighting its importance in the context of the chapter material - and ends with questions, suggested readings, and websites for further research.“What Is Your Opinion?”critical thinking questions placed throughout the running text draw students into political controversies discussed in the text and help to develop students' critical thinking skills. “Key Terms”in the text margins define important terms as students read them, facilitating student understanding and serving as a useful study tool and handy reference.A robust and integrated pedagogical program,containing Outlines, Learning Objectives, Key Terms, and NEW practice tests helps students organize their study and reinforce concepts. New to this Edition: Practice tests bound into the back of the text! This book is published as a "Longman Study Edition;" Neal Tannahill has therefore written a set of chapter tests -- consisting of 30 multiple-choice questions -- for each chapter.  In addition to giving students practice taking exams, the author has designed the questions to walk students through chapter content section by section, thus ensuring student mastery of course material. New Chapter on Criminal Justice!This new addition to the text – Chapter 14 – is fully up-to-date with the latest crime statistics, and provides coverage of important topics including the criminal prosecution process, capital punishment, corrections, juvenile justice, criminal justice policymaking, and more.The new edition includes increased or updated coverage of the following topics:Ch. 1: Include discussion of illegal immigration and its impact on Texas government and the economy.Ch. 2: Update on the gay marriage controversy in Massachusetts.Ch. 3: Examination of the Real ID act and its impact on state governments and state residents.Ch 4: Debate between Republicans and Democrats on requiring picture ID in order to cast a ballot and discussion of turnout in the 2006 statewide election.Ch 5: Discussion of lobbying fight between liquor wholesalers and package stores and examination of the legislative agenda of the religious right.Ch. 6: Discuss the gains made by the Democratic Party in the 2006 election and consider whether the Democrats are making a comeback sufficient to restore them to power in the foreseeable future.Ch. 7:  Some of the most important political battles in 2006 took place not in the general election but in the Republican primary between candidates supported by James Leininger and candidates backed by the Texas Parent PAC.  The chapter examines how behind-the-scenes primary battles shape legislative policymaking.Ch. 8: The 80thlegislature began and ended with a battle over who would be speaker.  The chapter considers the effort to oust Speaker Tom Craddick as an episode in the transition of the Texas legislature from a nonpartisan to a partisan body.Ch 9: In 2007, Governor Perry issued an executive order to require schoolgirls to be vaccinated for HPV.  The chapter examines the controversy surrounding the order as part of an ongoing effort by the governor to expand the powers of his office.Ch. 11: Farmers Branch adopted a set of ordinances designed to address the issue of illegal immigration. Ch 12: Includes a new section on merit pay, a feature on school choice in Cleveland, Ohio., and covers the legislature and the governor replace the TAKS graduation test with end-of-course exams. Ch 13:  Feature on universal healthcare in Massachusetts.