Explaining who gets what and how, this Nagodoches author team uses the comparative method to set Texas in context with other states’ constitutional foundations, institutions, electoral practices, and policymaking. Chapter objectives reinforce learning and encourage analysis, while core assessment questions prompt students to apply their knowledge. Readers will come away with a strong understanding of Texas government and gain the needed foundation to assess the state’s political landscape.

The new Fourth Edition is thoroughly updated, and includes expanded coverage of federalism, Rick Perry’s legacy as governor, the impact of the state’s growing diversity on political participation and behaviour, and important policy discussion around fracking, education reforms, and immigration. New full-page infographics visually capture a chapter’s key concepts, making the abstract understandable and comparisons easy.