Texas Internet Resources with Exercises

No state personifies the American image of "rugged individualism" as much as the state of Texas. It is the only state which was an independent republic, which is reflected in it's motto as the "Lone Star State," and symbolized in its flag. Texans are proud of their unique character, but cities such as Dallas have become more cosmopolitan.

Suggested Exercises

Perception and Reality

Jot down perceptions you have about Texas politics and government structure, based on what you have read, heard, and seen in newscasts, literature, and popular culture.
Explore the information presented in the above two links, then jot down your impressions again, based on your new findings.
Explore the state and local links below, along with media links, then respond to the following questions:
(You should be examining the structure, dynamics and inter-workings of state government, and interactions between state, regional and local governments.)
- How is reality jiving with your preconceptions?
- How well does does the media report on state and local government?
- What are some of the more effective and ineffective governmental apparatuses found?

See "Framework of Analysis" in McGraw-Hill's "State and Local Politics" section for further assistance.

Other Possible Exercises

Examine the Texas Municipal Legislative Update http://www.tml.org/legis_updates.html, then determine the two best and two worst pending or proposed bills for the health of Texas local government

See Education Reforms Exercise

Resource Finders

State and Local Government on the Net: Texas
http://www.piperinfo.com/state/state_detail.cfm?state=Texas

MAIN - Politics and Government
http://www.main.org/govt.htm: This page has a wonderful set of links to a wide variety of both Austin and Texas political sites and organizations. Great place to start if you want to get past the official government and standard media pages.

State Level

State of Texas Government
http://www.state.tx.us/

Governor of Texas
http://www.governor.state.tx.us/

Texas House of Representatives
http://www.house.state.tx.us/

Texas State Senate
http://www.senate.state.tx.us/

FindLaw: Texas
http://www.findlaw.com/11stategov/tx/index.html

Texas Democratic Party
http://www.txdemocrats.org/

Texas Republican Party
http://www.texasgop.org/

Local Level

Texas Municipal League Online
http://www.tml.org/

Texas Municipal League Affiliate Groups
http://www.tml.org/affil_member.html

Texas County Directory
http://www.piperinfo.com/state/state_detail.cfm?state=Texas#Counties

Texas City Directory
http://www.piperinfo.com/state/state_detail.cfm?state=Texas#Cities

Texas Regional Government Directory
http://www.piperinfo.com/state/state_detail.cfm?state=Texas#Regional

Media

Texas News and Newspapers Online
http://library.uncg.edu/news/nq-state.asp?dbreg=na&dbstate=tx

Media Links
http://emedia1.mediainfo.com/emedia/advresults.htm?
abbreviation=michigan&name=&city=&mediatype=

Texas Monthly
http://www.texasmonthly.com/

Texas Weekly
http://www.texasweekly.com/

Texas Observer
http://www.TexasObserver.org/: When it calls itself the "biggest little muckraker in Texas since 1954," who could resist?

Houston Review
http://www.houstonreview.com/: Says it is geared toward students who want a "free and democratic society." Definitely the other end of the spectrum from the Texas Observer.

The Austin Chronicle
http://www.auschron.com/current/

Fort Worth Star-Telegram - The Virtual Texan
http://www.virtualtexan.com/

InFact Newsletter
http://InFactNews.com/: Covers Austin city and local politics.

Citizen Information

League of Women Voters of Texas
http://www.main.org/leaguewv/home.html

Advocacy Groups
http://www.main.org/advocacy.htm: Substantial list of Texas-oriented NGOs and activist groups.

Hot Issues

**Suggested Exercise For Education Reforms**
Background President George W. Bush made much of the education reforms he facilitated as governor of Texas. His successor, Governor Perry re-emphasized the importance of education reform in his "State of the State" Address. Both the Texas Democratic and Republican platforms also emphasized education reform.
Talking Points What are major agreements and disagreements between Texas Republicans and Democrats on education issues? How do the different levels of Texas government interact in regards to the education system? What are probably among the two best and two weakest education reforms being proposed? What evidence is there for two of the strongest education reforms already implemented?

Texas Education Network
http://www.tenet.edu/

Texas Education Agency
http://www.tea.state.tx.us/

Texas Association of School Boards
http://www.tasb.org/

Texas Association of School Boards News and Announcements http://www.tasb.org/news/: legislative report and agenda
http://www.tasb.org/legislative/

Texas School Districts
http://www.tcet.unt.edu/sch_dist.htm

Other Hot Issues

Texas Municipal Legislative Update
http://www.tml.org/legis_updates.html

Comparison of Texas Democratic and Republican Platforms http://www.txdemocrats.org/platformcomparisons.htm#Party: (published by Democratic Party)

Comparison of Texas Democratic and Republican Agenda http://www.texasgop.org/library/vs.asp: (published by the Republican Party)

Legislative News from Texas House Speaker
http://www.txdemocrats.org/laney.htm

Yahoo Guide to Texas Parties and Groups
http://dir.yahoo.com/Regional/U_S__States/Texas/
Government/Politics/Parties_and_Groups/

Contacts

Texas House of Representative Member Directory
http://www.house.state.tx.us/house/member.htm

Texas State Senate Member Directory
http://www.senate.state.tx.us/75r/senate/Members.htm

Texas County Directory
http://www.piperinfo.com/state/state_detail.cfm?state=Texas#Counties

Texas City Directory
http://www.piperinfo.com/state/state_detail.cfm?state=Texas#Cities

Texas Regional Government Directory
http://www.piperinfo.com/state/state_detail.cfm?state=Texas#Regional

Texas State Agencies List - Texas State Library http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/trail/agencies.html: Links to state agencies, commissions, courts, boards, and universities.