United States and Texas Government II: Government in Action

Web Component, Video-based Course
26 half-hour programs
26 lessons

Video Previews / Course Demonstration

Texas Politics and You: Preview Video
Voices In Democracy: Preview Video
Courseware Demo

This course includes United States and Texas government lessons as Part 2 of the series.

Lesson Titles/Descriptions

Congress - Illustrates the characteristic make-up of the membership in Congress and analyzes how committee positions, seniority, officers and staff support relate to power in Congress.
The Texas Legislature - Describes and explains the significance of the powers of the presiding officers of the Texas legislature as they manage the session and the legislative process, and discusses attempts to reduce their power.
Legislative Process - Illustrates the relationship between the committee system and the lawmaking process and shows when and how an individual or group can affect the legislative process.
The Legislative Process in Texas - Describes numerous forces that drive or defeat the creation of new legislation, focuses on major steps and hurdles that a bill faces, examines the importance of committee and calendar placement and interim studies, illustrates how unwritten rules and parliamentary rules can collide, and follows efforts to bring about compromise for a Constitutional amendment to remove the ban on home equity lending.
Congress and the President - Examines the cooperative relationship and potential conflict between the President and Congress as each branch carries out its constitutional responsibilities.
Texas: Casework and Oversight - Examines the responsibility of legislators after the 140-day session is over; describes how legislators integrate the needs of their constituency into their elected roles; discusses theories of representation, how different philosophies impact decisions, and explains the role of legislative oversight.
The Presidency - Examines how presidential management style influences the structure and power of the office and how the relationship between the President, Vice President, Cabinet, and White House Staff can affect policy.
The Governor - Describes the powers and limitations of the office and profiles three governors—their goals and styles of leadership.
Bureaucracy - Explains the roles bureaucrats play as politicians, policymakers, and non-political public servants and examines the difficulties of presidential reform and control of the bureaucracy.
Texas Bureaucracy - Describes the Texas bureaucracy and public services and examines the independence, efficiency, and accountability of administrative agencies.
Domestic Policy - Illustrates the processes, factors and influences that shape domestic policy and their impact on people in the United States.
Fiscal Policy - Explains the difference between progressive and regressive taxes in Texas, discusses policies of fiscal management that have guided Texas government, analyzes the impact that taxes have on three different income families, and discusses the issue of funding for public schools.
Foreign Policy - Documents the roles of the National Security Advisor, the Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense, the intelligence communities and Congress as they advise the President on foreign policy decision making.
Globalism and Texas - Examines the impact of the increased economic integration between Mexico and Texas as a result of the North American Free Trade Agreement.
Global Politics - Illustrates the interconnectedness of United States foreign policy with events and institutions around the world.
Criminal Justice System in Texas - Explores the genesis of Ruiz v. Estelle and its impact on the Texas prison system.
Federal Courts - Examines the federal courts as political institutions that interpret the law and make policy within the political and social environment of the times. Examines how the philosophical composition of the Supreme Court impacts judicial decisions.
Judicial Selection in Texas - Describes and analyzes the judicial selection process in Texas and evaluates proposals for reform.
Criminal Justice - Examines the interrelationship between the perception of the rate of serious crime and the "tough on crime" political response. Analyzes the effectiveness of current solutions to crime including the death penalty, life with no parole, and rehabilitation.
Decision Making by the Courts - Examines Texas Courts and their roles in civil liberty protections, defines and differentiates between civil rights and civil liberties, explores the difference between judicial restraint and judicial activism, and profiles the Ku Klux Klan case of ExParte Lowe.
Due Process of Law - Compares and contrasts the decisions of the Warren, Burger, and Rehnquist courts in dealing with the rights of the accused and the procedural safeguards of due process.
First Amendment Civil Liberties - Explores the limits of free speech, examines the wall separating church and state in the Elgin Independent School District, and provides a look at the role of the American Civil Liberties Union in Texas.
First Amendment Freedoms - Illustrates the importance of freedom of speech, press and assembly in order for full participation in a democracy.
Rights of the Accused - Defines due process and the rights of the accused, and discusses the steps taken in Texas to provide the poor with legal representation.
Struggle for Equal Rights - Examines the impact of racial, ethnic, and gender discrimination on everyone in the United States and stresses the need to continually strive for full equality.
Civil Rights & Equal Protection - Defines civil rights and the significance of the Fourteenth Amendment, looks at the Hopwood case and examines the policies and impact of affirmative action, and explores changing attitudes and new opportunities for women in the workplace.