the weaker party

It was referred to in two of the posts below, so it deserves a definition. - From the Political Dictionary : U.S. Senate rules include a s...

A unique take on the bill making process -  Click here for the article . In the early hours of Jan. 12, the Senate took the first step in t...

We discussed "instrumentalism" in the dual credit classes last week, which is the idea that political behavior has a purpose. Eve...

They began a process that allows the repeal to be considered as a reconciliation bill which makes it filibuster proof. - Click here for the ...

... which I really know little about. It looks to be an instrument to reign in the bureaucracy that has been more or less dormant for twenty...

Here's commentary on efforts Congress seems to ne making in order to reign in the executive branch. In 2305 we will discuss the expansio...

A look at the process Trump's nominees are taking on their - possible - path to office. - Click here for the article . The author makes...

Straus is on route to becoming the most powerful House Speaker in Texas history. - Click here for the article . For the first time sin...

They'll be in session until May 29, 2017 and will likely pass close to 6000 bills in that time. That's the trend anyway. There are a...

Younger adults find it difficult to tell real news from fake news - or to detect political bias. Something for us to be mindful of this sem...

As we will see in 2306, this is a constitutional requirement. It establishes the ceiling for the Texas Appropriations bill - at least that ...

We discuss the various forms of government in 2305, one of which is authoritarianism, which has the following definition in wikipedia: Au...

For our look at cities in 2306. - Click here for the article . Here's one that showcases the "suburbanization of poverty."...

A handful of items to discuss: - Texas Tribune: House panel warns of "peril" in Texas mental health system . If Texas doesn...

This info comes from the Legislative Reference Library of Texas. - Click here for the link . Dates of note: - Bill pre-filing begins: Nov ...

As far as I am aware, this is the most comprehensive detail of the facts related to the accusation that Russia interfered with the recent el...

Here's a link for more information related to the hearing below. Aside for general information related to the specific question about...

The year is 1949. Much of what is passed by Congress with the backing of LBJ in the 1960s as the Great Society is introduced in this speech....

The year is 1957. This helps demonstrate how the ongoing conflict in the Middle East evolved over the past century. It also highlights the r...

According to the author, the national polls nailed the popular vote for president. The results were within 1% of the final poll numbers. The...

The latest from the intersection of technology and civil liberties. How are due process and privacy rights secured in during a time when its...

I might have to redo my notes on gerrymandering - again. Racial gerrymandering has been declared unconstitutional because ace is a suspect...

This is from History.com and it touches on points I like to make in class about the interrelationship between business and the national gove...

A great, great video. Something here for both 2305 and 2306. Foreign policy for the former - westward expansion for the latter. - Click here...

Harris County's new District Attorney is changing the direction of the office. - Click here for the article . In her first major actio...

This is from August, but it foreshadows a series of battles that will pick up this coming legislative session when the Texas Legislature con...

I'll compile a list of articles highlighting what went wrong - and right - in the polls leading up to the 2016 presidential election. On...

For 2306's look at judicial elections. A coordinated effort to remove the justices due to political opposition to their recent decisions...

I found this a few weeks ago and am just now getting around to posting it. The author investigates how constitutions can help prevent the ...

Donald Trump's international business dealings - especially those that involve foreign governments - have raised issues involving the em...

I'll squirrel this away to explain the concept in 2305. - Click here for the video . Here's the official definition from the U.S. Se...

In class we reviewed some of the items I posted over the course of the semester and indicated which might be the subject of questions on the...

I'm not sure if this is good or bad, but it is what it is. The polarization of the U.S. continues. - Click here for the article . Eve...