INSTRUCTOR: Gary A. Keith, Ph.D. Sec. 39710 2 MWF, BUR 108

Office: Mezes 3.230; Hours—see Web site Phone: 232-7266

Web: http://www.la.utexas.edu/~gkeith e-mail gkeith@gov.utexas.edu

http://courses.utexas.edu

Texas politics is a mosaic. Texas began the 20^th century with no Republicans in statewide office and ended it with no Democrats in statewide office. Both parties were almost exclusively white--by design--for most of the century. The one-party system that lasted more than a century produced national and state Democratic leaders such as Cactus Jack Garner and Sam Rayburn, Jimmy Allred and Pappy O’Daniel, Landslide Lyndon Johnson and Ralph Yarborough, John Connally and Lloyd Bentsen. GOV 335N will explore the one-party nature of Texas electoral politics throughout most of the 20^th century and the four-decade shift to a two-party system and its production of Republican leaders such as John Tower and George Bush, Phil Gramm and George W. Bush, Bill Clements and Tom Delay, as well as the emergence of African American and Mexican American leaders, including Barbara Jordan and Henry Cisneros. We will examine organizational, ideological, leadership, socioeconomic, electoral, and policy issues in Texas political parties and elections. Finally, we will see what the evidence suggests for the future of this mosaic of Texas parties and elections. Are the Bushes and Perrys the future, the Ardmore and Albuquerque Democrats, or Kinky and Grandma? Will minorities dominate parties and elections as Anglos lose their majority status in the population? Will Texas see a Republican-dominated system, a competitive system, or a dealigned system, with minor party surges? A staunchly conservative system, or a populist one?

You are likely enrolled in this class because you have, as I do, a keen interest in Texas and in electoral politics. You are encouraged to bring that interest into the classroom and to contribute to our semester-long dialogue about Texas parties and elections. We will all draw on each other’s interests, experience, and ongoing political participation to augment the theoretical and historical foundation for the course. The class will include lectures, discussions, guest presentations, and student presentations. We will meet in a smart classroom, so we will use the Internet and Powerpoint. Evaluation will be based on writing assignments, student projects, and exams.

Required Readings
Black, Earl and Merle Black. The Rise of Southern Republicans. Belknap Press, 2002.
Davidson, Chandler. Race and Class in Texas Politics. Princeton University Press, 1990.
Jewell and Morehouse. Political Parties and Elections in American States. CQ, 4th, 2001. Kinch, Sam. Too Much is Not Enough. Campaigns for People, 2001.

Handouts; Materials on the library’s electronic reserve system http://reserves.lib.utexas.edu/eres/

Course Management

My Web site (http://www.la.utexas.edu/~gkeith) and our Blackboard Web site (http://courses.utexas.edu), have pages that contain useful resources. I post announcements on the Blackboard for our course (under “Announcements”). I will have office hours each week; I also respond to e-mails and would be glad to answer your questions by e-mail. If you submit work via e-mail, it is your responsibility to confirm that the e-mail posted properly and that I received it.

If you have not used UT’s Blackboard before, you must learn it for this course. You must have an e-mail address filed with the Registrar to access Blackboard. It is your responsibility to keep your address updated with the Registrar if you change providers, and to check your e-mail at that address for important messages.

We will use the Blackboard’s Discussion Board for our online assignments. When you open our course site on the Blackboard, click the “Communication” button, then click the link to Discussion Board, then read the question (when I get one posted); when you are ready to post your answer, click on the “Add New Thread” button and write (or paste) your answer, then click “Submit.” In addition to the online assignments, I have also opened (in the Discussion Board) an open forum for students to pursue informal dialogues on Texas parties and elections.

You may also download a skeleton version of my lecture notes from the Blackboard (for most, but not necessarily all of the lectures). Click on the “Documents” button, then open the Lecture Notes folder; copy off the day’s note pages and bring them to class to take more detailed notes on, if you wish.

Course Requirements and Grading Policy

This section of the syllabus reviews the course policies. The minimum required for the course is achieving an understanding of the materials covered in the discussions and readings as reflected in the student’s scores on:

· one midterm examination

· one class project

· two written contributions to the class on-line discussions

· Final exam

Examinations

The format of the two examinations will be essay. The midterm exam will cover the material in the readings, lectures, and discussions up to the date of the exam. Come to class on exam day with a blue book. Prior to the exam, I will give you some topics to be prepared on. The only circumstance under which you may take a FULL CREDIT MIDTERM MAKE-UP EXAM is if you discuss your planned absence with the instructor before the time of the original exam and make arrangements in advance for a make-up. Do not merely e-mail me or leave a phone message that you won’t be there—that does not constitute making arrangements with me. You may still take a PARTIAL CREDIT MAKE-UP EXAM (the highest grade you may receive is C-, 70), if you miss the midterm and you have not made prior arrangements. Do not make the mistake of missing an exam and assume that you will be able to talk your way into taking a full credit makeup. ANY MAKE-UP EXAM MUST BE TAKEN WITHIN SEVEN DAYS OF THE SCHEDULED EXAM.

You must take the final examination in order to pass the course, and there is no make-up for a missed final exam. Miss the final exam, and fail the course.

On-line Written Contributions

Twice during the semester, I will post questions on the UT Blackboard, with deadlines for your submissions. Your essay should be short--about one page, or 3 paragraphs. If you want a good grade, these are not assignments that you can decide to do at the last minute and give scant attention to. (Grading criteria are posted on Blackboard, in Course Documents.) You will be asked thought questions. I want you to wrestle with the issue. You may read each other’s contributions, though your contribution will be graded on its originality—do not copy others or simply state your agreement with earlier postings. Additionally you must read some of the postings by your fellow students, and must reply to at least one posting. It is also your responsibility, once you post your answer, to check the Blackboard, make sure that it actually posted, and take corrective action before the deadline if it did not. Late submissions will get a grade no higher than a C- (70); late submissions will only be accepted if posted within seven days of the deadline.

Class Project

You will be required to conduct a project on "Texas Parties and Elections and the Internet." The project may be related to the 2006 campaigns and your participation in them, to research on parties, to research on elections and voting, or to other topics that I approve on request. As this is not a substantial writing component course, I do NOT expect a lengthy term paper. Your project could be a Web site, a Powerpoint presentation, data analysis, a report on your volunteer campaign work, etc. You must turn in your project to me, but you may also choose to present it to the class. You are not required to make an in-class presentation. If you do decide to do so, we will schedule the presentations and, because of the size of the class, you will be limited to 15 minutes.

Grading

Your course grade will be calculated as follows:

Online Discussion I 10%

Online Discussion II 10%

Midterm Exam 25%

Class Project 25%

Final Exam 30%

Attendance and participation will be considered in cases of borderline grades. Grades for your exams, essays, and projects will be posted on eGradebook

https://utdirect.utexas.edu/diia/egb.

Attendance, Participation, and Class Decorum

Your participation in class is encouraged. Read the material and be prepared to ask questions, respond to questions from me, and engage in discussion with others in class.

Your attendance in class is expected, as outlined in University policy. While missing a few classes may not greatly affect your performance and grade, it is unlikely that you will do well in the class if you miss class frequently. Attendance and participation will be considered in cases of borderline grades. I will take roll each class day, beginning from DAY ONE, not from when you decide to join the class.

· If you are tardy and roll has already been taken for that class, you will be considered as absent.

· If you leave class and fail to return, you will be considered as absent.

Eating, drinking, and reading the newspaper in class is not permitted. Cell phone and beeper use in class is unacceptable. Turn them off before entering class. If you forget and your phone or beeper rings, I expect you to turn it off immediately—without answering it. If you choose to answer a phone call, you will be asked to leave class; if you leave class for phone calls, you will receive a record of absent for that class day.

Missing work due to religious holy days

A student who misses an examination, work assignment, or other project due to the observance of a religious holy day will be given an opportunity to complete the work missed within a reasonable time after the absence, provided that he or she properly notifies me. It is the policy of the University of Texas at Austin that the student must notify the instructor at least 14 days prior to the classes scheduled on dates he or she will be absent to observe a religious holy day. For religious holy days that fall within the first two weeks of the semester, the notice should be given on the first day of the semester. The student will not be penalized for these excused absences, but the instructor may appropriately respond if the student fails to complete satisfactorily the missed assignment or examination within a reasonable time after the excused absence.

Students with disabilities

The University of Texas at Austin provides, upon request, appropriate academic accommodations for qualified students with disabilities. To determine if you qualify, please contact the Dean of Students at 471-6259; 471-4641 TTY. If they certify your needs, I will work with you to make appropriate arrangements. You must obtain a letter from them, and bring the letter to me during my office hours. If you plan to do so, please acquire the letter and bring it to me as early in the semester as possible.

Policy on Scholastic Dishonesty

Students who violate University rules on scholastic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary penalties, including the possibility of failure in the course and/or dismissal from the University. Since such dishonesty harms the individual, all students, and the integrity of the University, policies on scholastic dishonesty will be strictly enforced. For further information, please visit the Student Judicial Services’ Web site at http://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/sjs/.

Course Outline

Topic	Readings
1. Course Introduction
2. Parties and Democracy	Davidson, 155-158
3. Texas: A Political Profile	Handouts; Green, Preface, Chs. 1, 13 Davidson, Preface, Prologue, 23-39, Epilogue, Chs. 4, 5, 6
4. Modern Party Organization in Texas
5. Party Activists and Staff
6. Party Eras: Texas in the U.S. party system	Burnham (reserve); Key (reserve) Davidson, Ch. 1
7. Establishing and Maintaining a 1-Party System	Davidson, 17-23 Black & Black, 40-57; 72-83
8. Texas Democrats, 1930s-1940s	Green, Chs. 2-8 Davidson, 158-161; Allred (reserve)
9. Texas Democrats, 1950s-1970s	Green, Chs. 9-12 Davidson, 161-179; Ch. 9
10. Texas Republican History	Black & Black, 57-71; 83-93 Olien (Reserve); E.J. Davis (Reserve)
11. Refocusing the Mosaic of Texas Parties: From a 1-Party System to a 2-Party System	Davidson, Chs. 3, 10, 12 Black & Black, 130-139 and Chs. 1, 5, 7, 11
12. Race in the Mosaic of Texas Parties	Davidson, Ch. 11; Reserve readings
13. The Texas Electorate—2004, Past and Future
14. Campaign Finance in Texas	Davidson, Ch. 7; Kinch (Reserve)
15. Texas Legislative Elections; Redistricting	Keith (Reserve)
16. Texas Congressional Elections; Redistricting	Black & Black, Ch. 6
17. Texas Election Reforms?
18. 21^st Century Texas Parties and Elections	Black & Black, Chs. 8, 12