Grace Abbott, Ph.M. (Political Science) 1909 [SSA Centennial Celebration Profiles of Distinction Series]. (n.d.). In Chicago/SSA/Centenial. Retrieved March 6, 2011, from The University of Chicago website: http://ssacentennial.uchicago.edu/features/features-abbott-grace.shtml
Texas remains a solidly Democratic state, losing influence in the executive branch and the legislative. New Deal era has brought about a new relationship between the states and the national government where the national government has the legal authority wider economy and ultimately better protects civil rights. Much of the expansions of federal government power were made under the terms of interstate commerce. 1944, a split has developed between liberal and conservative Democrats in Texas based on their opposing positions on the New Deal. 1952, the conservative wing of the democratic party affiliated with Allan Shivers governor to vote for the popular (and conservative) Republican presidential candidate Dwight Eisenhower. They are called "Shiver rats." For the most part, the Texas Democratic Party after a new contract was agreed on one issue: race relations and
The Texas Legislature is far too archaic to provide consistent leadership for a state government; Congress has become too enmeshed with the executive branch and leaves blurry lines drawn in its separation of powers. The ideal legislature would be a modernized version of what the Texas Constitution created.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, what we now know as the western United States was under much contention with the federal government. This period was very difficult for the leaders of the government to decide how to divide up the vast regions of land in the west. It seems impossible to think of Silicon Valley, Oregon or even Washington as being barren, unsettled territory. But just a few centuries ago, those in power were making influential decisions that would effect us today.
The Populist Party, also known as the People’s Party was a former political party of the United States in the late 1800s with roots in the Grange and Farmer’s Alliance and the Knights of Labor. The agrarian farmers viewed that urban life, capitalism, and technology to be destructive to the independence and dignity of the weak and improvised. The aggrieved workers wanting reform banded together with the indebted farmers wanting reform to battle against the capitalist order of the mistrusted elitists and Big Business in partnership with the national banks. Together they advocated for a Populist democracy which included more political participation through reforms such as the use of popular referendums where citizens would be allowed to propose and review legislation. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. In addition, they advocated for government ownership of public services and currency expansion and the abolishment of the national bank.
...ted States, but his defeat confirmed that it be untrue. Once again, the Populists had appeal to the minority party of farmers, leaving the majority of business men to be appealed to the opposing candidate, William McKinley. (Doc I) This led to another Populists defeat, putting McKinley in the White House.
The Texas Republic was a short lived empire was that had many problems but the main was debt it had a total debt of 12,436,991.34 but in our time it would be much more.The young nation had a rough start with debt in the beginning because of the costly revolution and mexico banning trade but the first president Sam Houston had to start out with 1 million dollars ,but Houston was good a money manager and kept government expense to minimum and tried to increase money for revenue. The government tied to collect money and collect property tax.1837 the Texas Congress confirmed Houston’s issue with Star Money. Most of Texas debt was because of Lamar’s spending he bought costly warships to guard the coast and increased the army spending and he also
It is indicated that the parties have shifted, but the voters are probably still stuck in them. Racial issues have caused a major flip of the parties, evidenced by the movement of the southern whites from the Democratic to the Republican Party. Economic policy and income distribution have also caused a significant shift since 1896 (Dalton, 2013). The Republican Party has been seen to observe big business, while the Democratic Party is taking the side of labor. In conclusion, the historical reversal of value system holds many reasons for the change in the foundational roles of the two political parties.
The Texas constitution ensures that the power is kept in the hands of the people. It was written to prevent any and all returning political power that would be easily corrupted. Each state has a constitution that defines its own government. The constitution of the United States guarantees to each individual state a republican form of government. In most cases individual state constitutions are seemingly longer than that of the Unites States. Other state constitutions are longer because they tend to be in more detail. There are several reasons as to why it’s this way. One would be the growing number of service’s the states have to provide. These states are providing these specific services under the police power. The police power is basically the most basic of rights. All governments use police power to create laws that benefit their communities. Police power is based on the Tenth
The Populist Party, a third political party that originated in America in the latter part of the nineteenth century, derived as a result of farmer discontent and economic distress. This was caused by the country's shift from an agricultural American life to one in which industrialists dominated the nation's development. The public felt as if they were being cheated by these "robber barons," a term given to those who took advantage of the middle and lower classes by "boldly stealing the fruits of their toils" (Morgan, 30). These corporate tycoons' conduct was legal, however ethically dubious it was. Cornelius Vanderbilt, a well-known railroad baron, reportedly once said, "Law! What do I care about the law? Hain't I got the power?" (Morgan, 30) The change from agrarian to industrial had a profound effect on everyone's life. Ignatius Donnelly, a leader in the Populist Party wrote, "We meet in the midst of a nation brought to the verge of moral, political, and material ruin. Corruption dominates the ballot-box, the Legislatures, the Congress, and touches even the ermine of the bench . . . A vast conspiracy against mankind has been organized" (Tindall, 957). As a result of this significant transformation, along with several different perspectives of peoples' mores, several reform movements were commenced, such as prohibition, socialism, and the Greenback Labor Party. Each of these movements was launched by different coalitions in hopes of making a difference either for themselves or for the good of the country. The farmers, specifically, were unhappy for four particular reasons: physical problems, social and intellectual concerns, economic difficulties, and political frustrations. The physical concerns the climate of the time period. Following 1885, there was a large drought on the American prairie, thus causing this land to become known as the "Dust Bowl." Furthermore, there were extreme blizzards resulting in innumerable deaths of cattle and livestock. Also, farms were very isolated causing the women and children to lead a life of solitude and boredom. They demanded change. In fact, the women were the ones to start libraries and other meeting places for themselves and their children. This isolation made schooling for children quite difficult. Most kids who lived on the farm did not receive a proper education, or one of any kind for that matter. Farmers' economic problems are more intricate. Events baffled the farmer. They believed that deflation was the cause of their problem.
Almost immediately after the proclamation of an independent Texas in his government, a group of supporters of unification with the US, led by one of the leaders of the Texas revolution, Sam Houston, was formed. In August 1837, the Texas ambassador addressed the US President Martin Van Buren with a request to admit the republic to the Union, but because of the possible exacerbation of relations with Mexico, this proposal was rejected. In 1838, the leader of the nationalists, Mirabeau Lamar, became the President of Texas, who considered it necessary to preserve the sovereignty of Texas, and the question of unification with the US was temporarily removed from the agenda. Nevertheless, a few years later, by the mid-forties of the nineteenth century,
It is important for the children of Texas to know about the Texas revolution and their fight for independence. If it weren’t for the brave men that fought for our states independence, Texas probably wouldn’t be in the United States.
Texas government has a unique style of legislature in the manner in which it functions. In this essay I will attempt to briefly cover: the structure and role of local governments within the state of Texas; the purpose and function of each type of local government; the consolidation of county and city functions into a single governmental entity; and if Texas would be better served by maintaining its several, distinct, types of government, or by consolidating them into broader units of government that would handle the various functions within a single governmental entity.
In the youth of Texas, the Democratic Party enjoyed electoral dominance on all levels of state government and in the representation in the national government. Democratic rule was dominated by a conservative white political elite that strongly promoted economic development, but that resisted change either in race relations or social programs for the poor ("Texas Politics," 2009). Republicans were not completely absent during this period, but their electoral victories were few and limited in scope ("Texas Politics," 2009). In every election after 1980, however, the Republican strength grew into the now dominant rule that currently reigns in Texas. Since the 1990’s, the Republican Party, despite the attempts of others, has had a stronghold on the state government. With that being said, the Republican Party has dominated the overall elections.
Democrats, Republicans, and Libertarians are perhaps three of the most prominent political parties within Texas. Within the pages of their party platforms, we see that each possesses a unique philosophy, with specific viewpoints and recommendations for shaping or reforming government policy. To be sure, the people of Texas face many challenges, two of the most compelling issues being the crisis in healthcare and in education. Not only are we lacking in these areas as Texans, but also on the national level. The parties’ stance on these two major issues defines them, giving us insight into the mind and intentions of each.