the weaker party

Apparently there was little question that Texas was a southern state up until about 100 years ago when business leaders wanted to distance ...

Rant of the day: I was once again asked to speak about something random, this time i’m gonna talk about how and why the government has fa...

This is an interesting take on policing. Its as much about revenue collection as it is about keeping the peace. - Click here for the article...

The equal protection clause, along with the rest of the 14th Amendment, allows the national government the opportunity to review a variety o...

ScotusBlog has a variety of takes on the latest Supreme Court challenge to the ACA. - Click here for the main page . I want to go over this ...

A tidbit from the Texas State Historical Society that helps explain why some wanted Texas to join the US: On this day in 1842, Mexican gen...

As we try to figure out what the Constitution means, we get this little reminder that even the simple terms can be confusing. - Click here...

- Click here for the article . - Click here for HB 2165 . The lawmaker takes a conservative, religious approach to the issue:  In Texas, ...

From Scotusblog, a look at the how the right of confrontation is balanced against the interest in protecting children. - Click here for it ....

This 2014 decision is the most recent ruling by the Supreme Court testing the bounds of the free exercise of religion - specifically the mea...

As we look at religious liberty in 2305, we'll struggle with how the courts have dealt with the extent to which a parents religious beli...

Vox explains how King v Burwell came to be. - Click here for the article . A lawyer, a law professor, and a libertarian spent the last ...

- Click here for the article .

- 5 Things To Watch In SCOTUS' Obamacare Arguments . -  For GOP, Changing Washington Isn’t So Easy After All . - Another Week, Anothe...

A look at at the deep pockets in Texas who determine which GOP candidates are and are not viable. - Click here for it .  While Iowa and N...

This is a bit late - the speech was given on 2/17 - but this contains a list of the five items the governor granted emergency status. - Clic...

A useful guide for 2306 as we start to wade into the legislative branch next week. -  Guide to Texas Legislative Information .

This fits with 2306's look at the expansion of states across the United States. - Click here for it .

Ten years for county commissioner who turned corruption 'into an art ’ A top Maverick County official convicted in a widespread bribe...

Vox comments on this here .

We'll build this up over the semester. Tax reform is on the minds of people in the legislature - as well as the governor. Here's wha...

Some odds and ends: -  Marijuana bills could be debated in Legislature . - The Surprise Issue in the Legislature: Marijuana Laws . - HB ...

- Click here for the article . The Federal Communications Commission approved strict new rules for Internet providers Thursday in a histor...

All three levels of government are involved in this: - Feds Nullify State Laws on City Internet : Net neutrality may get more attention, bu...

Just in time for our look at the checks and balances: - Obama vetoes Keystone XL bill . - Read Obama's Keystone veto statement . - Wikip...

We've been following this in class - home rule authority is being challenged by the legislature For details: - Cities, state start f...

Here is a list of what's been sent in so far. I'll add to these as they come. - What impact will falling oil prices have on the stat...

Here are a few of the proposals so far. Some are more developed than others. I'll add material relevant to these subjects over the next ...

- Texas big-city mayors voice opposition to efforts to limit cities’ property tax revenue growth - Tax-cut promise vs. fiscal demands . - ...

I'm highlighting the following from the Wikipedia on the Federal Aviation Administration since it illustrates points we will make later ...

This gives us an early look at the rule-making process. Both 2305 and 2306 will look at this process further when we get to the executive br...

For 2306 primarily. - Click here for the link . One of our themes so far is the conflict between the state of Texas and the national gov...

For out upcoming look at checks and balances: - Click here for the article . A federal judge in Texas has ordered a halt, at least tempor...

For our discussion of ideology - areas where each side works together. In this case the conflict over free trade seems to straddle parties: ...

This includes the amendment approved in the November 4, 2014 election. - Click here for it .

Is there more to the "Constitution" than just the Constitution?

To build on info related to the president's recently submitted budget: Here's the breakdown on mandatory versus discretionary spe...

To elaborate on point below. Click here for it .

A few topical items that might help put things in perspective - or not: -  So Far, a Congress About Nothing . The Republican Conference st...

Vox explains the current conflict between the state of Alabama and the national government over same sex marriage. - Click here for the arti...

Here's the full text of a story linked to below This is important for both 2305 and 2306. The right to a grand jury is a chief compon...

A few stories to kick things off this week. Any of these could be good paper topics. - State law allows for lobbying deep in the shadows o...

I want to make this required reading. - Click here for it . It's allegedly from a sitting member of Congress and makes the following...

This video makes the case that he was. It also suggests that this was politically inexpedient and led the barons to see common interest in...

For today's 2305. An sample of what's up in each branch of government: The Legislature: - The Pitfalls of a New Majority . The Execu...

This is a companion piece to the previous video. While the barons had been promised the right to establish an assembly, in the Magna Carta...

This might be a helpful way for 2305 students to get a handle on the gradual process by which the power of British Monarchs were contained...

This might help 2306 students hone in on a topic for the 1000 word essay. The Texas Tribune's page on the 84th Legislature lists what it...

Feb 2, 2015 6:58 p.m. — Vote H.R. 361: Medical Preparedness Allowable Use Act - Passed 377/2 Rep. Olson [R-TX22] : Yea Rep. Weber [R-TX14] :...

To help with a future discussion of the federal bureaucracy:

Nothing in the U.S. Constitution about this part of the process, but members of this committee have special jurisdiction over the Treasury D...

This was produced in preparation for consideration of the 2016 budget. - Click here for it . It provides data about recent economic performa...

2305 students will be looking through the budgetary process soon enough. To prime the pump, here's a look at the president's budget ...

To put our look at the recently released 2016 federal budget in context - here's a flowchart of the process. And for more detail a...

This might be pretty important. - Click here for the article . And here's the condensed version of the suggestions (read the thing for e...

I'm not linking to this because it has anything to do with Governor Christie, but because of this graph the article ( click here for it ...

One of your fellow students sent this to me and I think it might be worth your time to watch it. This fits with the theme of the opening sec...

They want their high school students to know as much as newly naturalized citizens. - Click here for the article . Arizona high school st...

Much has been - and will continue to be - written about the influence of money in politics, especially that of deep pocketed individuals wi...

The authors find that the loss of local newspapers - and presumably less information about local matters - leads to less interest and engage...

Lieutenant Governor Patrick announced his committee picks, along with his decision about who will chair these committees, for this session. ...

Despite the historical importance of local government in the state, the legislature - with the support of Governor Abbott - will try to plac...

Mitt Doesn’t Know When To Quit Romney And The GOP’s Five-Ring Circus .

If you like maps and charts, you'll like this page. - Click here for it . It contains info about both the state of the union and the rel...

The Dallas Morning News thinks we're in bad shape. - Click here for the article . I'll look for other opinions, but think about this...

For 2306 students, this should be a go to site this semester. It's the best place to track bills, among other things. - Click here for...

Here's the first batch of articles related to the recently begun legislative session in Austin. I have some catching up to do, but this...