Texas Politics (with InfoTrac) (Available Titles CengageNOW) - Softcover

Kraemer, Richard H.; Newell, Charldean; Prindle, David F.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0534631290 ISBN 13: 9780534631291

Publisher: Cengage Learning, 2004

Synopsis

TEXAS POLITICS is a comprehensive text that explicitly and critically compares realities to the ideals described by democratic theory. The framework compares the reality of Texas government and politics to the three main themes: democratic ideals, conservatism, and conflict. Boxed features in every chapter bring the text to life by providing human examples of abstract principles. The text's lively presentation of material engages students in controversial issues and encourages classroom debate.

About this title

About the Author:

Richard Kraemer served 21 years of active duty in the Air Force before starting his teaching career. He received his Ph.D. from the Department of Government, the University of Texas at Austin, in 1970 and has been a faculty member there since 1965. His field is American Government, specializing in Texas Politics and National Security Policy. He is the author and co-author of over a dozen books, mostly about Texas politics, as well as other publications. Dr. Kraemer is the recipient of two teaching awards, the Jean Holloway Award for Excellence in Teaching and a national award from the Arnold Air Society.

Review:

On Chapter One: "This might be the best 30 page introductory chapter on Texas ever written." On Chapter Three: "Kraemer's handling of interest group politics is masterful. His discussion on interest group organization and lobbying is brief and articulate. He does an excellent job on discussing the major players in Texas interest group." On Chapter Ten: "Kraemer's chapter on the Judiciary is the best that I have ever seen. It is without compare."

"Based on conversation with my students, this book is well written, easy to read and easy to comprehend and easy to find the information needed (it is well organized)." "The greatest strength of this book is the wealth of information that it provides the reader in a well-organized manner."

"The book's greatest strength is its engaging style. The writers do an effective job of critically analyzing the Texas political system while making the subject matter come alive. I think at times in the book the text is more like a conversation than a lecture, which tends to attract and keep the attention of my students. Probably the most impressive aspect of the presentation style is the use of humor. The authors incorporate humor in their analysis through the use of political cartoons, unusual examples, and striking statistics but do so in a timely and appropriate manner. Something that is hard to find in most textbooks."

"Short of a major change in the way I teach my course or a radical reorganization of the textbook, it will be number one on my adoption list."

About this edition

• Publisher: Cengage Learning
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 0534631290
• ISBN 13: 9780534631291
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 497