Texas Political System

Texas Political System

1. Analyze the evolution of the Texas political system. Be sure to include at least one individual or document that influenced the current Texas Constitution and one change in the federal system impacting Texas.

For around 99 years, since the reconstruction period in the 1990s, the democratic party has been dominant through Texas politics. However, events have been reversed, and the republic party has grown significantly. Currently, Texas is Republican, which can be supported by the massive voting for Donald Trump as the president in the 2016 elections. The Texas government conducts its activities according to the constitution of Texas, which has a democratic state government operating under a presidential system. It has a legislature consisting of 31 senators and 150 representatives. Republic dominance has been evident with the majority of Texas counties embracing republican governance (Maxwell & Crain, 2008).

In 1845, the Texas constitution was influenced by Jacksonian democracy that led to the democratization of the policies and strategies implemented by President Andrew Jackson. He made attacks on the ruling class, claiming they only benefited a few elite people. His main aim was to extend the number of political officials while extending voting rights. This led to changes in federal governance (Kraemer, Newell, & Prindle, 2008). The difference in the federal system significantly impacted Texas, with some things still evident today. It is good to note that the Texas constitution and bill of rights are used in protecting people’s rights and freedom. Besides, the constitution ensures that there is no powerful central government as this can lead to abuse of office and power.

2. Which of the three branches of Texas is the most powerful and influential today? Provide a specific example to support your position.

There are three branches under state government in the state constitution of Texas, which are legislature, judicial, and executive. Among there branches, the legislature is the most dominant and influential today. It has the power to instruct the executive and judiciary to participate in much of the law-making process in Texas. Despite the executive branch also being sturdy, the only determination by this branch in law-making is conducted by the governor. He/she is also restricted to vetting bills which he or she finds to be inappropriate (Janice, 2017). Nevertheless, the bills vetted can still be overruled and rejected by the legislative branch.

The Texas judiciary undertakes no actions in law establishment and execution. However, the branch has a responsibility to review the enacted laws and determine whether they are established per the constitution requirements. In instances where the laws violate constitutional rights, the judicial branch can overturn them (Janice, 2017). A recent example can be derived from the open carry law that had been widely debated in Texas. The debate was to determine if individuals in Texas can carry firearms in public, whether loaded or not. Despite different opinions from the executive and judicial branches, the law was only passed after changes were made upon which the legislature passed the law. This proves that the legislature is the most powerful, and laws cannot be established without authorization by the legislature (Beggan, 2019).

3. Evaluate the impact of public opinion, interest groups, and political parties on voting in Texas.

To be eligible as a voter in Texas, you need to be a U.S citizen and a resident of the Texas state. Besides, you must be 18 years and a registered voter in Texas. During the voting day, only people who had done advanced registration and have a voter’s card and state ID are eligible to vote. However, individuals who have conviction records are not allowed to vote until they have completed their time in prison (Weiser & Opsal, 2014).

Over recent years, the media has significantly impacted the voting process and politics in Texas. People all over social media have the freedom to express their opinions, which can influence the current politics in the state. Public opinions have shunned away some political aspirants from expressing opinions since the public might hate them and end up disgracing themselves. Through social media, interest groups can target and influence the voters. At times, false information is spread to downgrade some political aspirants while praising others (Brown, Langenegger, Garcia, Lewis, & Biles, 2013). People who are not careful with such information may end up changing their minds and vote for the wrong and unreliable leaders. It is legal and free to express your views over the internet and the media publicly. Furthermore, political parties have found a way to influence and manipulate people’s opinions over the internet and media platforms. The political party that can reach large numbers of people can promote their intended candidates and can have the upper hand on the voting day.

References

Beggan, D. M. (2019). Texas Hold ‘Em: An Exploration of the Divergent Perspectives of Texas’s Campus Carry Law. Community College Journal of Research and   Practice, 43(1), 26-41.

Brown, L., Langenegger, J. A., Garcia, S. R., Lewis, T. A., & Biles, R. E. (2013). Practicing         Texas Politics. Cengage Learning.

Janice, C. (2017). Texas Legislature. Accessed on December 01, 2019 from            https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/mkt02

Kraemer, R. H., Newell, C., & Prindle, D. F. (2008). Essentials of Texas politics. Belmont, CA:    Thomson Wadsworth.

Maxwell, W. E., & Crain, E. (2008). Texas Politics Today. Boston, MA: Wadsworth/Thompson.

Weiser, W. R., & Opsal, E. (2014). The state of voting in 2014. Brennan Centre for Justice at         New York University School of Law.