uncovering texas politics in the 21 century

1 First edition uncovering texas politics in the 21 century st Eric Lopez Marcus Stadelmann Robert E. Sterken Jr. uncovering texas politics in the 21st century uncovering texas politics in the 21st century Eric Lopez Marcus Stadelmann Robert E. Sterken Jr. The University of texas at Tyler PRESS. Tyler, texas The University of texas at Tyler Michael Tidwell, President Amir Mirmiran, Provost Neil Gray, Dean, College of Arts and Sciences UT Tyler Press Publisher: Lucas Roebuck, Vice President for Marketing Production Supervisor: Olivia Paek, Agency Director Content Coordination: Colleen Swain, Associate Provost for Undergraduate and Online Education Author Liaison: Ashley Bill, Executive Director of Academic Success Editorial Support: Emily Battle, Senior Editorial Specialist Design: Matt Snyder 2020 The University of texas at Tyler.

2 All rights reserved. This book may be reproduced in its PDF electronic form for use in an accredited texas educational institution with permission from the publisher. For permission, visit Use of chapters, sections or other portions of this book for educational purposes must include this copyright statement. All other reproduction of any part of this book, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, except as expressly permitted by applicable copyright statute or in writing by the publisher, is prohibited. Graphics and images appearing in this book are copyrighted by their respective owners as indicated in captions and used with permission, under fair use laws, or under open source license.

3 ISBN-13. 978-1-7333299-2-7. UT Tyler Press 3900 University Blvd. Tyler, texas 75799. Table of Contents INTRODUCTION. 1 Letter from the Provost CHAPTER ONE. 3 A State of Diversity: Demographics, Culture, and the Struggle for identity CHAPTER TWO. 23 The texas Constitution in the Federal System CHAPTER THREE. 53 Voting and Elections in texas CHAPTER FOUR. 73 Political Parties CHAPTER FIVE. 97 Interest Groups CHAPTER SIX. 117 The texas Legislature CHAPTER SEVEN. 143 The Executive Branch in texas CHAPTER EIGHT. 165 The texas Judicial Department INDEX. 193. Dear Student: This is a great time to live in texas ! Arguably the most influential state in the Union, texas is an economic, cultural, and educational leader worthy of study.

4 Understanding the dynamic politics of texas is a great introduction to political science. Through the study of political science, students gain insight into their civic rights and responsibilities, empowering them to impactfully participate in the democratic process. At UT Tyler, we believe that providing access to knowledge regardless of means is an important part of a healthy society. That is why UT Tyler Press is providing the electronic version of uncovering texas politics in the 21st century free of charge to texas students, and the print version at cost. The rising cost of higher education should not be a barrier to achievement; this free textbook initiative is one way we are working to lower the cost of higher education.

5 The creation of this textbook is funded in part by a grant from the University of texas System in support of our Open Educational Resources (OER) initiative to make college more affordable by providing free access to course materials. I extend our deepest gratitude to UT System for sharing our passion for student success through affordable education. uncovering texas politics in the 21st century is authored by three UT Tyler professors, and their high level of expertise and dedication to student learning is evident throughout every chapter. Eric Lopez is a specialist in American politics , the federal court system, and the development of Constitutional law.

6 Dr. Marcus Stadelmann is chair of the Department of History and Political Science and teaches comparative politics and international relations. Dr. Robert E. Sterken Jr. is a Senior Fulbright Scholar who has taught politics around the world, most recently in Burma/Myanmar, Thailand, and Cambodia. On behalf of UT Tyler Press and President Michael Tidwell, I congratulate Drs. Lopez, Stadelmann, and Sterken on an excellent textbook, and I again thank UT System for their critical support of this OER project. We hope you find this textbook illuminating and relevant as you progress in your academic career. All the best, Dr.

7 Amir Mirmiran Provost, UT Tyler I NTR O D U C TI O N L E T T E R F R O M T H E P R OVOS T 1. 1. The People in texas texas Demographics Political Culture and Ideology in a Diverse State The capitol building in downtown Austin, texas . McComber Chapter 1. A State of Diversity: Demographics, Culture, and the Struggle for identity texas ! What images, stereotypes, and ideas come to mind when you think of the Lone Star State? Do you think of the rugged men who fought at the Alamo or of pickup trucks that proudly display Come and Take It bumper stick- ers? Do you think of barbecue, boots, and sad country music at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo?

8 Do you see texas as the land of oilfields, cowboys, and hardworking super-patriotic people who defy all governmental authority? Whether you have lived in texas all your life or just arrived from Vietnam, you likely picture Texans as rugged and rowdy people with a fierce Photo from Miguel Gutierrez texas Tribune streak of individualism. To some extent, these images of texas are based on reality, but an entirely different picture is woven into these old stereotypes of texas culture. The cowboy image of texas was always unidimensional and incom- plete; it is now far outdated. In Austin, Dallas, El Paso, Houston, Lubbock, Mineola, Nacogdoches, San FIGURE Capitol building in Antonio, and Tyler today you will find a cowboy or two driving a pickup truck, Austin, texas .

9 But you will also find poets, high-tech business leaders, edgy musicians, super- star athletes, aerospace engineers, fine artists, celebrated professors, and C H A P T E R 1 A S TAT E O F D I V E R S I T Y 3. FIGURE Top 10 Languages Other than English Spoken in texas Households, 2017. Of the 25 million people in texas five years or older, 65 percent speak only English at home. The rest speak more than 160 languages combined. Language Number of Speakers Spanish 7,498,255. Vietnamese 214,373. Chinese (incl. Mandarin, Cantonese) 164,449. Tagalog (incl. Filipino) 82,851. Urdu 77,847. Arabic 77,686. Hindi 73,089. French 69,428.

10 German 62,527. Korean 56,064. Source: The American Community Survey 2017 . even world-renowned chefs, all living within a widely diverse set of cultures, languages, people, and foods from every corner of the earth. The stereotypical image of texas embodies a single state of mind and a specific way of life a monoculture but this image badly needs an update! The People in texas Today, texas is home to immigrants from all over the world. More than 165 languages are spoken across the state. Of the estimated 29 million people living in texas in 2019, about 65% speak only English. A very large majority almost 85% of those who speak another language speak Spanish (Figure ).