...term has been given to the Texas Governor, who is seen as a very powerful person but in reality is a weak one. A big argument in Texas is if the Governor should have more power over Texas, but this would only cause the state unnecessary problems. Powers of The Governor The Governor of Texas has both informal and formal powers that cover a variety of things. A Texas governor is said to be someone who must use the power of persuasion, media and personality in order to effectively govern the state. People believe that the Texas Governor is a very strong official, but compared to other governors around the nation and the importance of the people working with him, it’s truly a weak one. The 1876 Constitution created a plural executive structure in which the governor is but one of several elected officials who share power in the executive branch, limiting the power of the governor. All executive officers are elected independently except for the Secretary of State, making them directly answerable to the public not the Governor. If the Governor can’t hire or fire his subordinates, then he has less or no control over them. Power is highly decentralized and spread out to several different officials, which prevents the governor from having too much power. For instance the lieutenant governor, who heads the Senate and appoints its committees, has more power than the governor. The Texas governor serves as the commander in chief of the state's military, the Texas National Guard, and enforces...
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...Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo On February 2, 1848 the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed. With the stroke of a pen, the Mexican-American War officially came to an end. The signing of the treaty ended the territorial disputes that caused the conflict between both countries. In the treaty, the United States government was obligated to pay Mexico fifteen-million dollars. In return for the compensation, The United States expanded its territory. The territory that was obtained via the treaty eventually became New Mexico, Nevada, Colorado, Arizona, and some of Utah.[1] This treaty, especially in the long run, benefited both the United States and Mexico, but there are many arguments about why the war started. Some argue that the United States was power hungry and was continuing its “bulling” of the continent to fulfill their belief that it was God’s will for the United States to control the land from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. This has now become to be known as Manifest Destiny.[2] Then there are the counter arguments that the dictatorship of Mexico sent troops to invade the United States and killed Americans. In a message to congress on May 11, 1846, President James Polk said, “Mexico invaded our territory and shed American blood upon the American soil.”[3] There are many arguments that say the United States is a racist nation and that this war, like many others, was because of white racism. Whether the battles were all racially motivated will never be...
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...Banned Books: A History and Examination One of the most prolific issues in American education has been censorship in the classroom. This issue has manifested itself in several ways throughout history; however, censorship most often manifests itself in the classroom as book banning. Book banning can be any form of textual censorship from the exclusion of novels from a school library, to the censoring of textbooks by a school board, to the full banning of books by a government. This paper will examine book banning and textual censorship and its impact on education. It will first look at the history of book banning including several modern occurrences of it in the classroom. It will then seek to explain the significance of book banning on education in general with particular attention paid to the American educational system. Banning books has been used as a system for controlling what students learn for ages where those in power use it force the views of the few on the next generation of learners. The banning of books has its origins as far back as 450 B.C., when Anaxagoras wrote that he thought the sun was a “white hot stone and that the moon reflected the sun's rays.” His writings were deemed “derogatory” to the gods, forcing his departure from Athens and the burning of all of his writings. Since that time, decisions about book bannings often have turned on the definition of what is derogatory. As society has grown and changed, so have its tastes, and the fine...
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...For many years now, Texas has been trying to pass one of the strictest voter ID laws in the nation. Texas is one of several states that is under the close eye of congress because of the Voting Rights Act. The Voting Rights Act says that states with a history of discrimination must get permission from the Federal Government before changing its voting process. Texas had its Voter ID upheld first in 2013, when a Supreme Court decision struck down what many considered the “heart” of the Voting Rights Act, the ability of the federal government to oversee the voting process in states with histories of discrimination. But in August of 2015, the Texas law was once again shot down by a federal appeals panel that ruled that the Texas law; regardless of intention “Discriminated again blacks Hispanics and...
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...THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT SAN ANTONIO POL 1133Q TEXAS POLITICS AND SOCIETY Instructor: Ward S. Albro, Ph.D. Class Sections and Hours: Section 002, 8:30-9:45 MW in MH2.01.40 and Section 003, 10-11:15 MW in UC2.02.02 Office and Office Hours: MS4-03-18 at 7:30-8:15 and 11:15-Noon MW and other times by appointment Email: via Blackboard Learn or ward.albro@utsa.edu COURSE DESCRIPTION This course involves the analysis of Texas government institutions, political behaviors, civic engagement, and their political and philosophical foundations. Topics may include discussions of the Texas and U.S. Constitutions; the role of the state and federal system; the diverse demographic, economic, and cultural bases of state politics; elections, interest groups, and elites; and legislative, executive, judicial, urban, and county politics. Considerable time is devoted to thinking about how those components fit together, and how they shape the nature and importance of citizenship and civic engagement in Texas. STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES Upon completion of this course students should be able to: 1. Explain the origin and development of constitutional democracy in Texas. 2. Demonstrate an understanding of our federal system and how it impacts Texas. 3. Describe separation of powers as well as checks and balances in both theory and practice. 4. Demonstrate knowledge of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of our state. 5. Evaluate the role of public opinion...
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...What role should standardized testing play in Texas' public education system? The methods by which children are educated and academically measured in Texas have evolved over the past few decades, due to federal and state directed education policies. In an effort to establish accountability and improve the nation's competitiveness on a global scale, standardized testing has become a driving component of curricula nationwide. Almost every state, including Texas, governs its public schools under a national policy directive known as the "No Child Left Behind Act" (NCLB). The NCLB requires all states to utilize assessments to determine and report if a school has made adequate yearly progress (AYP) in the proficiency levels of all students. This is a relatively recent shift from local control of schools to centralized governance which is intended to improve education and eliminate harmful disparities in education quality (Ricci 342). Instead of school districts determining education standards, the state and federal governments provide the policy direction. One method to assess education performance and compliance with the centralized policy is the use of accountability measures - i.e., standardized tests. The NCLB, coupled with state policy, is intended to decrease inequality and set an objective measurement in place where school districts, schools, teachers, and even students can be held accountable for their progress or lack thereof. However, there are arguments from opponents...
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...typically in relation to politics or religion. So is Texas so conservative ? I think we won't be able to have a clear answer for this question. First of all, Texas have been lead by both of Republicans and Democratic. Whenever one party lead the state, the idea and opinion changes. Texas used to be very conservative, indeed, by the Alamo fight, the racism with immigrants and so on. However, the new Texans generations seems more open than their older generations used to be. This generation is more open- minded. They accept the differences between culture, races and genders. But in voting, we can barely say anything because not all of the Texans vote and not all of the vote...
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...Political culture is defined as “a shared framework of values, beliefs and habits of behavior with regard to government and politics” (Newell et al. 21). There are three different patterns of political culture across the United States: moralistic, individualistic, and traditionalistic. Texas, like some other states, has a mix of traditionalistic and individualistic political culture. Its traditionalistic political culture means “citizens technically believe in democracy, but emphasize deference to an elite rule” (22), and its individualistic political culture means “the citizens understand the state and nation as marketplaces in which people strive to better their personal welfare” (22). Texas’s former slave-allowing confederacy membership and its business orientation are the main reasons as to why it’s traditionalistic and individualistic....
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...Parties and Elections in Texas (chapter 21), Public Opinion (chapter 6), and Political Participation and Voting (chapter 8) to be the most interesting and informative. Parties and Elections in Texas Political parties play a major role in Texas politics. Approximately 91 percent of Texas voters either identify with or lean toward the Republican or the Democratic Party. Despite all of the complaints about parties, they perform roles that are critical to the operation of our democratic system and to the overall coordination and functioning of our political system. The most important function of parties in Texas is to provide a label under which candidates may run and voter may identify. The party label becomes the standard used in casting a ballot for a candidate. Parties recruit candidates, assist in getting out the vote, and helps to organize the government once officials have been elected. The organization of political parties in Texas can be somewhat complex. Texas does not have a system of party registration for voters. Texas parties conduct primaries to select each party’s candidates for office. The precinct chair heads the precinct convention and serves on the county executive committee. The county executive committee is responsible for running the county’s primary elections and planning the county convention. Conventions are held at the precinct, county, and state levels. Participation in Texas elections has changed over time. Texas has had a...
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...The Jacksonian Democracy was a time in American history that lasted from Andrew Jackson’s presidency in 1828, until around the 1840s. The lasting effects of this time period would extend well past this time frame. The policies put into place during this era covered the expansion of voting rights and the expansion of our nation’s borders, but also put into place a spoils system. Perhaps the largest policy of the Jacksonian Democracy was the expansion of voting rights to all white men over a period of time. This was set into place to reflect Andrew Jackson’s belief of including the common (white) man in the democratic process. This was completely against what the founding fathers had set in place, a complex electoral process that would...
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...APUSH Study Guide 8 A weak Confederacy and the Constitution, 1776-1790 Themes/Constructs: The federal Constitution represented a moderately conservative reaction against the democratilizing effects of the Revolution and the Articles of Confederation. The American Revolution was not a radical transformation like the French or Russian revolutions, but it produced political innovations and some social change in the direction of greater equality and democracy. The American Revolution did not overturn the social order, but it did produce substantial changes in social customs, political institutions, and ideas about society and government. Among the changes were the separation of church and state in some places, the abolition of slavery in the North, written political constitutions, and a shift in political power from the eastern seaboard toward the frontier. The first weak government, the Articles of Confederation, was unable to exercise real authority, although it did successfully deal with the western lands issue. The Confederation’s weakness in handling foreign policy, commerce and the Shays Rebellion spurred the movement to alter the Articles. Instead of revising the Articles, the well-off delegates to the Constitutional Convention created a charter for a whole new government. In a series of compromises, the convention produced a plan that provided for a vigorous central government, a strong executive, the protection for property, while still upholding republican...
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...Federal Government 01JUN2014 Practical politics are as old as the beginning of time. 1) Practical politics are about trying to make people do what they want to do. a. George Washington Plunckit senator of Tammany Hall, named after a chief Indian. He believed in honest graft” and meant that he would be able to take a little bit of the wealth from the people. b. Kick back scheme is about giving out contracts and then they give money of the government money back to the person to the beginning. c. Niccolo Machiavelli “The Prince” 15, 16 century and condemned by the Catholic Church. Nic and Machiavelli was used by shakespear and the Nick-name was derived from it. Use of the nick name was mostly used to disassociate from the vast amount of evil doing. 2) Political Philosophy and Political theory d. Asks normative as well as empirical question. i. Normative is about value such as the best form of government and justice ii. Empirical is more about factual such as the amount of states or colonies. 1. Aristottle 5th BC and teacher of natural law theory and about natural inequality. a. Very similar about the natural rights theory of John locke’s, written some time in the 1680s. This are the same as the one that Thomas Jefferson’s work in the Declaration of Independence. That by, nature have the right to have the same amount of equality of political rights. e. Karl...
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...strongly emphasizes the values of liberty, equality and democracy. There are three types of political culture, as defined by political scientist Daniel Elazer; moralistic, individualistic, and traditionalistic cultures. Moralistic political culture focuses on the promotion of the public good and advancement of public welfare. Everyone is expected to participate in the political process and are encouraged to pursue civic activities that further promote the public good. In this culture the government is perceived as good and is relied on to further the interests of the people. Individualistic political culture captured those who valued material wealth and personal freedoms. This political culture holds a low value on citizen participation in politics; political matters are to be left to the professionals. The role of the government is extremely limited, their only true responsibility is to ensure stability for the state so that individuals can continue to pursue self-economic interests. Traditionalistic political culture originated...
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...there are in fact several ways in which ghost voting can occur, and the practice is actually quite widespread. In some cases, ghost voting is such common practice that legislative reformers have suggested specifically banning the practice to put a stop to it, or legalizing it so that it can be regulated. Unfortunately, most Texas legislators don’t see ghost voting as a problem which is very scary. Furthermore, constituents have no idea whether their representatives are present and accounted for, and lawmakers who ask others to vote for them always run the risk of having their desk mates guess wrong about which button they would have pushed. In another case, members in the same inner circle might not share the same view; therefore, they could cast a vote that their fellow lawmaker weren't in favor of which has the potential of being detrimental to the citizens that he or she represent. The member voting on behalf of the other rep. could have higher hopes of a bill being passed especially since they know they could count on an additional vote. There has been an instance where votes were cast for a lawmaker who was dead, and a grand jury actually rebuked Texas lawmakers for inviting distrust with phantom voting. A few controversial bills have passed or failed because legislators who were out of...
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...consists of economic sanctions against Cuba and restrictions on Cuban travel and commerce for all people and companies under US jurisdiction. However, 1. Revolutionary Fidel Castro established Cuba as the first Communist state in the Western Hemisphere (1959) Therefore, 2. Cuban Democracy Act(1992): Maintaining sanctions on Cuba so long as the Cuban government continues to refuse to move toward "democratization and greater respect for human rights". Helms–Burton Act – 1996. However, B. The embargo enables the United States to apply pressure on the Cuban government to improve human rights. For example, 1. Will make the United States appear weak. 2. People say that lifting the sanctions would be an act of appeasement. The United States should not risk sending the message that it can be waited out or that seizing US property in foreign countries is ok. In contrast, C. Lifting the embargo will benefit the people of Cuba, the interest of the U.S and will harm Castro’s power. To illustrate, 1. The sanctions harm the US economy and Cuban citizens, and prevent opportunities 2. The Cuba Policy Foundation - US economy could be as high as $4.84 billion in agricultural exports. University of Texas - removing the restrictions on agricultural exports and travel to Cuba could create as many as 6 thousand jobs in the US. III. Conclusion The embargo is a relic of Cold War...
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