Texas Politics: Ideal and Reality

Charldean Newell was Richard Kraemer's co-author for the first edition of this textbook in 1979 and continued as the lead author when Dr. Kraemer retired from the project in 1992. Dr. Newell died in 2014 at the age of 75. A native of Fort Worth, Texas, she earned her doctorate in Government at the University of Texas at Austin in 1965. In addition to textbook writing, she was the author of THE EFFECTIVE LOCAL GOVERNMENT MANAGER (ICMA Press, 2004) and CITY EXECUTIVES (SUNY Press, 1989) and editor of MANAGING LOCAL GOVERNMENT: CASES IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT EFFECTIVENESS (ICMA Press, 2009). In her 37-year career at the University of North Texas she won awards from students, colleagues and alumni, as well as prizes from national public-administration organizations. Despite her ferocious work ethic, Dr. Newell was a cheerful and generous writing partner. Phone conversations about the next edition of this textbook were conducted amid laughter, often including her continuing critiques of the travails of her beloved Texas Rangers baseball team. She always beat her deadlines and provided acute but respectful commentary on the chapter first-drafts of her co-authors. Although she is no longer contributing new information to this book, many of her sentences and paragraphs continue to adorn its prose, and its continuing themes reflect her passion for the subject matter. Her co-authors are pleased that her name is still on the cover.

Packed with up-to-date coverage of the latest issues, Newell/Prindle/Riddlesperger's TEXAS POLITICS: IDEAL AND REALITY, 14th Edition, helps you see how state politics impact your everyday life. Timely and relevant, it explores the Texas government through the lenses of three main themes: the ideals of democratic theory, political conservatism and private influence over public policy. Thoroughly updated, it offers insightful coverage of the 2020 election results and their bizarre aftermath, voting versus abstention, immigration, climate change, the fight over mandatory child vaccinations, the ongoing debate surrounding capital punishment, the Legislature's increasing partisan polarization, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on state politics and much more. In addition, MindTap equips you with digital "anytime, anywhere learning" solutions to help you maximize your course success.