Why do I have to take this class?
- Click here for the wiki.
This section is very similar to the opening section in GOVT 2305. It simply attempts to explain why the state of Texas requires you to take two separate sections on government, one on national government, the other on state and local government. Since the focus is on Texas, the text is oriented in that direction. The founders of the state of Texas had the same concerns that the founders of the national government had, namely that democratic republics were by nature unstable and that an educated population was required in order to make it stable. Educated populations were much more likely to be able to spot legitimate threats to the preservation of self-government, and were also better able to determine how to best participate and influence governing institutions. In several key places early Texas documents emphasize the need for an educated population and the requirement that educational institutions be provided for this very reason. The requirement to take this class – along with its companion on national government – is an attempt to implement this requirement.
Here are past blog posts related to this section:
- Civil Education.
- Keeping the Republic.
- Mob Rule.
- Political Ignorance.
- Political Knowledge.
- Political Participation.
- The Founders.
- The Republic.
Defining Key Terms
- Click here for the wiki.
As with the section above, this is similar to the second section in GOVT 2305. It is intended to ensure that you have fluency with the basic terms of government, and as with the previous section, it is oriented toward basic terms that apply to state and local governance. Having familiarity with these should help you understand the basic concepts that the rest of the material builds upon.
For past blog posts on related subject matter:
- Authoritarianism.
- Autocracy.
- Constitutions.
- Democracy.
- Direct Democracy.
- Ideology.
- Interest Groups.
- Oligarcy.
- Plutocracy.
- Political Parties.
- The Media.
- Totalitarianism.
