Resources for Further Research
Colleges and universities offer students and faculty members a growing number of electronic sources that complement traditional library collections of research and reference materials in print. For finding information on Texas politics and related fields, both electronic sources and printed sources are included here.
Electronic Sources
Academic Search Premier. Includes articles from more than 3,460 scholarly, trade, and general-interest publications, as well as indexing for The New York Times. Updated daily.
America: History and Life. Abstracts of articles from more than 2,000 journals, including social science journals. More than 90 percent are published in English-language journals, and all abstracts are written in English.
ArticleFirst. Index of articles based on contents pages printed in journals. Each record describes an article, news story, letter, or other journal item. A list of libraries having the journal is provided for most items.
CQ Electronic Library. Includes the CQ Researcher, CQ Weekly, CQ's Electronic Encyclopedia of American Government, the electronic version of Washington Information Directory (eWID), CQ Public Affairs Collection, CQ Insider, and CQ Supreme Court Collection.
FirstGov.gov. A public-private partnership site administered by the U.S. Government's General Services Administration. It is the only official U.S. government portal to over 30 million pages of government information. It searches every word of every U.S. government document in a quarter of a second or less. It features a topical index, online transactions, links to state and local governments, options on how to contact the government, and other tools that allow one to search for information without knowing the name of the government agency involved, and so on.
Handbook of Texas Online. Includes complete text of the more than 23,000 articles in the six-volume print edition (1996). Included also are about 400 additional articles that were not published because of space limitations, new articles, updates, corrections, and illustrations. This multidisciplinary encyclopedia of Texas history provides concise articles on all aspects of Texas political history, along with biographical sketches of governors and other political leaders.
Infotrac Newspapers. Full-text articles published in hundreds of magazines and journals for the social sciences, humanities, and natural sciences.
InfoTrac OneFile. Gives access to news and periodical information on a variety of topics, including current events, economics, education, environmental issues, law, politics, and social sciences.
JSTOR. Digitized, complete archives of core scholarly journals in many cases starting with the very first issues, many of which were published as far back as the nineteenth century.
Lexis/Nexis Academic. Full-text articles from a wide range of news, business, legal, and medical publications, as well as case law and other legal resources.
Library of Texas. Offers access to thousands of ebooks, full text journal and magazine articles, encyclopedias, almanacs, government documents, maps, biographies, and photographs.
Newspaper Source. Provides text for more than 200 international, national (U.S.), and regional newspapers, including several Texas newspapers.
PAISArchive. Provides selective subject and bibliographical information for English-language books, periodicals, and government publications.
Texas Government News. State, regional, and local news on Texas government reported and updated constantly.
Texas Laws and Resolutions Archive. Provides text of bills, joint resolutions, and concurrent resolutions passed by the Texas Legislature and filed with the Office of the Texas Secretary of State, as well as bills vetoed by the governor.
Texas Legislature Online. Gives texts of bills and resolutions as introduced and amended in the House and Senate, together with details concerning committee and floor actions; also provides information on capitol events, legislative committees, and the legislative process, along with legislative district information.
Texas NewsFile. Full-text articles from more than 20 major Texas newspapers and articles about Texas from more than 500 other newspapers and wireservices nationwide.
Texas Reference Center. Includes more than 80 full text books and journals on Texas history, ethnic and cultural diversity, gender studies, literature, public health, and business. Included also are Texas and natinal newspapers.
TexShare. Available for Texas library users only, this service gives access to e-books and reference materials, magazines, journals, newspapers, and news updates from wire services. Spanish language resources are included.
WilsonSelect Plus. Designed to meet the special needs of researchers seeking bibliographical information concerning subjects related to business administration, this database includes indexed and abstracted records with accompanying full-text articles on public administration.
Printed Sources
Bibliographical items listed in this section are useful in researching the whole range of topics addressed in this edition of Practicing Texas Politics.
Bibliographies
Cruz, Gilberto, and James A. Irby. Texas Bibliography. Austin: Eakin Press, 1983.
Fleischmann, Arnold, Elliot Manley Banks, Richard H. Kraemer, and Allen Kupetz. A Bibliography of Texas Government and Politics.
Policy Research Series No. 2. Austin: Policy Research Institute, University of Texas at Austin, 1985.
García, F. Chris, John A. Garc?a, Rodolfo O. de la Garza, Angelo Falcón, and Cara J. Abeyta, comps. Latinos and Politics: A Select Research Bibliography. Austin: Center for Mexican American Studies, University of Texas at Austin, 1991.
Index to Texas Magazines and Documents. Quarterly, with an annual compilation. Victoria, Tex.: Victoria College/University of Houston-Victoria Library. Indexes articles from about 40 Texas periodicals.
Texas State Publications. Monthly. Austin: Texas State Publications Depository Program, Texas State Library and Archives Commission. Copies of reports of state agencies, state government periodicals, and other state publications are deposited in the Texas State Library in Austin and in about 50 public and university libraries throughout the state.
References
The Almanac of American Politics. Biennial. Washington, D.C. Includes brief political biographies of U.S. senators and representatives from Texas and other states, along with maps of congressional districts.
Almanac of the 50 States: Basic Data Profiles with Comparative Tables. Annual. Palo Alto, Calif.: Information Publications.
Atlas of American Politics, 1960-2000. By J. Clark Archer, Kenneth C. Martis, and Fred M. Shelley. Washington, DC: CQ Press, 2001.
Book of the States. Annual. Lexington, Ky.: Council of State Governments. Data presented in numerous tables, along with articles by leading authorities on recent developments.
County and City Data Book. Irregular. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Bureau of the Census.
County Directory. Brownwood, Tex.: Annual. County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas. Lists selected county officials with mailing addresses and telephone numbers.
CQ's State Fact Finder: Rankings Across America. Annual. Washington, D.C.: Congressional Quarterly.
Directory of Texas City Officials. Annual. Austin: Texas Municipal League. Includes municipal statistics.
The Encyclopedia of Texas, 1995-1996. 2 vols. New York: Somerset, 1995.
Guide to Texas Legislative Information. Rev. ed. Austin: Research Division of the Texas Legislative Council, 2006.
Guide to Texas Statewide Elected Officials. Austin: Reference Guides. Updated following elections.
Guide to the History of Texas. Edited by Light Townsend Cummins and Alvin R. Bailey, Jr. New York: Greenwood Press, 1988.
Guide to the Texas Legislative Council. Austin: Research Division of the Texas Legislative Council, November 2006.
Guide to the Texas Legislature. Biennial. 2 vols. Austin: Reference Guides. Photographs, biographical information, voting records, contributions received, election results, and district map for each legislator.
Kids Count Data Book . . . State Profiles of Child Well-Being. Annual. Washington, D.C.: Center for the Study of Social Policy.
Municipal Yearbook. Annual. Washington, D.C.: International City Managers Association.
Municipal Yellow Pages. Quarterly. New York: Leadership Directories. Described by the publisher as the Who's Who in the leading city and county governments and local authorities.
New Handbook of Texas. Ron Tyler, editor-in-chief. 6 vols. Austin: Texas State Historical Association, 1996.
Politics in America. Biennial. Washington, D.C.: Congressional Quarterly. Provides political biographies of U.S. senators and representatives, along with maps of congressional districts.
Portable Handbook of Texas. Edited by Roy R. Barkley and Mark F. Odintz. Austin: Texas State Historical Association, 2000. A one-volume consolidation of the New Handbook of Texas in six volumes. See above.
Presiding Officers of the Texas Legislature: 1846-. Austin: Research Division of the Texas Legislative Council. Provides biographical sketches of all lieutenant governors and speakers since Texas joined the Union. Updated after new presiding officers take office.
Research on the World Wide Web: A Directory of Resources. Austin: Research Division of the Texas Legislative Council, 2002. Describes Web sites for many federal and Texas state agencies.
State Atlas of Political and Cultural Diversity. By William Lilley, III, Laurence J. DeFranco, and William M. Defenderfer. Washington, DC: CQ Press, 1997.
State Legislative Sourcebook. Annual. Topeka, Kan.: Government Research Service. The "Texas" section provides addresses, phone numbers, and descriptions of more than 60 sources of information on the Texas Legislature.
State Rankings. Annual. Lawrence, Kans.: Morgan Quito Corp.
State Yellow Book. Quarterly. New York: Leadership Directories. Described by the publisher as the Whos's Who in the executive and legislative branches of the 50 state governments.
Statistical Abstract of the United States. Annual. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Bureau of the Census.
A Statistical History of the American Electorate. By Jerrold G. Rusk. Washington, DC: CQ Press, 2001.
Statistical Report. Annual. Austin: Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Information on both private and public colleges and universities in the Lone Star State.
Texas Almanac. Biennial. Dallas: The Dallas Morning News. Beginning with the 1996-1997 edition, a CD-ROM version has biographical sketches of Texas governors.
Texas Biographical Dictionary. 2 vols. New York: Somerset, 1996. Profiles of famous Texans.
Texas Environmental Almanac. 2d ed. compiled by Mary Sanger and Cyrus Reed. Austin: Texas Center for Policy Studies, 2000.
Texas Fact Book. Annual. Austin: Bureau of Business Research, University of Texas at Austin.
Texas Legislative Council Drafting Manual. Austin: Research Division of the Texas Legislative Council, 2002. Provides guidelines for drafting bills and resolutions.
Texas Legislative Handbook. Biennial. Austin: Texas State Directory. Lists committee memberships and has a photo of each state legislator.
Texas Legislative Manual. Austin: Research Division of the Texas Legislative Council. Includes rules of procedure for each chamber, information on legislators and media representatives, and texts of the constitutions of the United States and Texas. Texas State Directory. Biennial. Austin: Texas State Directory. Advertised as "the comprehensive guide to the decision makers in Texas government," this publication features photos and biographical information for members of the Texas Legislature, heads of executive departments, judges of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, justices of the Supreme Court of Texas, and members of Texas's congressional delegation. In addition, it provides the names, telephone numbers, and official addresses of officers for each Texas county and city. Included also are the members of state boards and commissions, justices of courts of appeals, judges of district courts, members of the state executive committees for the Republican and Democratic parties, and Austin-based media reporters and editors.
Vital Statistics on American Politics. Biennial. By Harold W. Stanley and Richard G. Niemi. Washington, DC: CQ Press.
State Government Documents
Amendments to the Texas Constitution Since 1876.Irregular. Austin: Texas Legislative Council. Provides basic information on amendments proposed and adopted.
General and Special Laws of the State of Texas. Biennial. Austin: Office of the Secretary of State. Published after the end of regular and special sessions, these volumes provide the text of each new statute.
Highlights of the Texas Legislature, Regular Session: A Summary of the Most Significant Legislation. Biennial. Austin: Senate Research Center.
House Journal. Daily during sessions. Detailed record of floor proceedings in the Texas House of Representatives.
MajorIissues of the . . .Legislature, Regular Session [and some special sessions]. Austin: House Research Committee, Texas House of Representatives. Provides summaries of selected bills and resolutions, including some that did not pass.
Snapshot . . . School District Profiles. Annual. Austin: Office of Policy Planning and Research, Division of Performance Reporting, Texas Education Agency. Information concerning students, student performance, staffing, and financing of Texas public school districts.
Southwestern Reporter: Texas Cases. 3d series. Opinions of the Texas Supreme Court, Court of Criminal Appeals, and courts of appeals; seven or more volumes published each year by the West Group, St. Paul, Minn.
State of Texas Comprehensive . . . Fiscal Report for the Year Ended August 31, . . . Annual. Austin: Office of the Comptroller of Public Accounts.
Summary of Enactments. . . [Texas] Legislature. Biennial. Austin: Research Division of the Texas Legislative Council. Provides a summary of every bill enacted during each regular session and most subsequent special sessions.
Texas Administrative Code. Saint Paul, Minn.: West Group. Administrative rules of state agencies.
Texas Constitution. Austin: Research Division of the Texas Legislative Council, 2003.
Texas Election Laws. Compiled and edited by Glen G. Schuffler after each regular session of the Texas Legislature. Austin: Hart Graphics.
Texas Judicial System: Annual Report. Austin: Office of Court Administration for the Texas Judicial Council and the Office of Court Administration. Features statistical and other information on all Texas courts.
Texas Legislative Manual. Biennial. Texas Legislative Council. Contains texts of the U.S. and Texas constitutions, rules of procedure for the Texas House of Representatives and Senate, and information on committees, officers, and employees of the two houses.
Texas Register. Semiweekly. Austin: Office of the Secretary of State. Publishes gubernatorial appointments, executive orders, and proclamations; rules of state agencies; notices of open meetings; number and title of bills passed by the legislature; summaries of opinions by the secretary of state and the attorney general; and miscellaneous information provided as a public service or required by law.
Texas . . . State Expenditure by County. Annual. Austin: Office of the Comptroller of Public Accounts. Lists state expenditures by agency for each of the 254 counties and for the 10 comptroller economic regions. Categories of expenditure are interdepartmental projects, labor costs, public assistance, highway construction and maintenance, operating expenses, capital outlays, and miscellaneous.
Texas Supreme Court Journal. Austin: Aus-Tex Co. Court opinions published weekly when the court is in session. Vernon's Annotated Revised Civil Statutes of the State of Texas. Saint Paul, Minn.: West Group. Updated annually with pocket parts. Includes text of statutes and brief summaries of court decisions interpreting the statutes.
Vernon's Texas Codes Annotated. Saint Paul, Minn.: West Group. Updated annually with pocket parts. Includes Penal Code, Code of Criminal Procedure, Government Code (state legislative, executive, and judicial branches), Local Government Code (municipalities and counties), and other codes. Includes text of codes and brief summaries of court decisions interpreting code provisions. Vernon's Texas Session Law Service. Saint Paul, Minn. West Group. Issued during and immediately after each legislative session, this pamphlet series provides texts of new statutes, together with House and Senate votes and effective dates.
Newsletters
Capitol Update. Biweekly. Texas State Directory Press, P.O. Box 12186, Austin, TX 78711-2186.
Lone Star Report. Weekly. Lone Star Foundation, Inc. 10711 Burnet Rd., Suite 333, Austin, TX 78758.
Neal Spelce Austin Letter. P.O. Box 1905, Austin, TX 78767.
News from Washington. Weekly. Texas Office of State-Federal Relations, P.O. Box 13005, Austin, TX 78711.
Quorum Report. Biweekly. Texas Analyst, Inc., P.O. Box 8, Austin, TX 78767.
Texas Journal. Biweekly. 2510 McGregor Dr., Austin, TX 78745.
Texas Weekly. PPS, Inc., P.O. Box 1184, Austin, TX 78767.
Periodicals
Campaigns & Elections: The Magazine for Political Professionals. Monthly. Campaigns & Elections Publishing Corp., 1511 K Street, N.W. #1020, Washington, DC 20005-1450.
County. Texas Association of Counties, 1204 San Antonio, Austin, TX 78701-1806.
Fiscal Notes. Monthly. Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, P.O. Box 13528, Austin, TX 78711-9831.
Governing: The Magazine of States and Localities. Monthly. Congressional Quarterly, Inc., 1100 Connecticut Ave., N.W., Suite 1300, Washington, DC 20006.
Our Texas. Quarterly. P.O. Box 4463, Dallas, TX 75208. An African American magazine.
Publius, The Journal of Federalism. Quarterly. Robert B. and Helen S. Meyne Center for the Study of State and Local Government, 16 Kirby Hall of Civil Rights, Lafayette College, Easton, PA 18042-1785.
Review of Texas Books. Quarterly. P.O. Box 10021, Beaumont, TX 77710.
Social Science Quarterly. University of Texas Press Journals, Blackwell Publishing, 350 Main St., Malden, MA 02148. SSQ is the journal of the Southwestern Social Science Association. It publishes current research in political science and other social sciences.
Southwestern Historical Quarterly. Texas State Historical Association. 1 Uiversity, Suite D 0901, Austin, TX 78712=0332.
Spectrum: The Journal of State Government. Quarterly. Council on State Government, P.O. Box 11910, Lexington, KY 40578.
State and Local Government Review. Carl Vinson Institute of Government, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602-5482.
State Government News. Monthly. Council of State Governments, P.O. Box 11910, Lexington, KY 40578.
State Legislatures. Monthly. National Conference of State Legislatures, 1560 Broadway, Suite 700, Denver, CO 80202.
State Politics & Policy Quarterly. University of Illinois Press, 1325 S. Oak St., Champaign, IL 61820-6903.
Texas Books in Review. Quarterly. Center for the Study of the Southwest, Southwest Texas State University, San Marcos, TX 78666. Texas Business. Bimonthly. 5910 North Central Expressway, Suite 1580, Dallas, TX 75206-9836.
Texas Business Today. Monthly. Texas Workforce Commission, 614 TWC Building, 101 East 15th St., Austin, TX 78778-0001.
Texas County Progress. Monthly. County Judges and Commissioners Association, 500 Chestnut St., Suite 2000, Abilene, TX 79602.
Texas Lawyer. Weekly, except the last two weeks in December. One Ferris Plaza, 400 South Record St., Suite 1400, Dallas, TX 75202-4889.
Texas Monthly. P.O. Box 1569, Austin, TX 78767-1568.
Texas Observer. Biweekly. 307 West 7th Street, Austin, TX 78701.
Texas Poll Report. Quarterly. Harte-Hanks Communications, Inc., 815 Brazos, Suite 800, Austin, TX 78701.
Texas Town & City. Monthly. Texas Municipal League, 211 East 7th Street, Suite 1020, Austin, TX 78701-3283.