Texas Politics Today, Enhanced (MindTap Course List)

Offering unrivaled coverage of the Lone Star State, TEXAS POLITICS TODAY, ENHANCED, 18th Edition helps you to think critically, get active and find your own place in the current political arena. Reflecting the latest trends and issues, it offers expanded coverage of ideology and social issues, Texas demographic changes, the rising importance of Latinos in Texas politics and the growing role of social and digital media. It also includes special focus on such key issues as immigration, LGBT politics, gun control policies, abortion laws, the culture wars in education and more. First person essays from the governor, political activists, campaign consultants and others illustrate how Texas politics works in real-world practice. The text closes the gap between political theory and practice, and shows you how Texas compares with other states. Also available: MindTap.

Mark P. Jones, Ph.D., is the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy's Fellow in Political Science, the Joseph D. Jamail Chair in Latin American Studies and a professor in the political science department at Rice University. He is also a senior research fellow at the University of Houston's Hobby School of Public Affairs. His articles have appeared in publications such as the American Journal of Political Science, the Journal of Politics, Legislative Studies Quarterly, Texas Monthly, The Hill and the Texas Tribune. Jones is among the most quoted commentators on Texas politics in state and national media, and his research on the Texas Legislature and on public opinion and elections in Texas is widely cited by media outlets and political campaigns. He received his Bachelor of Arts from Tulane University and his doctoral degree from the University of Michigan.

William Earl Maxwell is a professor emeritus at San Antonio College, where he has taught courses in U.S. and Texas government since 1971. Throughout his career Maxwell has focused on innovative teaching techniques and improving the teaching and learning environments for students. As part of that effort, in 1975 Maxwell co-authored UNDERSTANDING TEXAS POLITICS, his first text on Texas government. He also co-authored such texts as POLITICS IN TEXAS and THE CHALLENGE OF TEXAS POLITICS: TEXT WITH READINGS. He completed his undergraduate and graduate work at Sam Houston State University.

Ernest Crain did his graduate work at the University of Texas at Austin, spent 35 years teaching Texas government at San Antonio College and now lives in Montgomery County, Texas. He has co-authored Understanding Texas Politics; Politics in Texas: An Introduction to Texas Politics; The Challenge of Texas Politics: Text with Readings and American Government; and Politics Today: Texas Edition. His special areas of interest include party competition, comparative state politics and Texas public policy.

M. Lynn Davis is a professor of government at El Paso Community College, where she has served as Blackboard trainer and mentor, faculty senator, government discipline coordinator and on numerous faculty committees. A grant writer and a very active community volunteer, she has consulted for and participated in many political campaigns. Her published articles range in topics from the current political environment to the viability of primaries and caucuses in today's election processes. Davis has a Master of Arts from the University of Texas at El Paso, majoring in both organizational behavior and political science.

Christopher Wlezien, Ph.D., is Hogg Professor of Government at the University of Texas at Austin. After receiving his doctorate from the University of Iowa in 1989, he taught at Oxford University, the University of Houston and Temple University. Over the years, Wlezien has published widely on elections, public opinion and public policy. His books include Degrees of Democracy, The Timeline of Presidential Elections, and Who Gets Represented? In addition to founding a journal, he has served on numerous editorial boards, established different institutes, advised governments and other organizations, held visiting positions at many universities around the world, received various research grants and won a number of awards for his research and teaching.