William V. Flores & Christina Hughes 
The Texas Experiment [EPUB ebook] 
Politics, Power, and Social Transformation

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

Gene Preuss, Ph D is an associate professor of history at UHD. He holds a Ph D in history from Texas Tech University. Dr. Preuss is an active member of the Texas State Historical Association, past president of the East Texas Historical Association, and past president of the H-Net Council. He is author of “To Get a Better School System”: One Hundred Years of School Reform in Texas (Texas A&M University Press, 2009), and he co-authored with former U.S. Secretary of Education Lauro F. Cavazos A Kineño’s Journey: On Family, Learning, and Public Service (Texas Tech University Press, 2016).