The Texas Constitution: The People, History, and Government of the Lone Star State 2nd edition
co-authored by Terri B. Davis and James P. Nelson
To tell the story of Texas government and politics through the voice of a native Texan writing for an audience that includes both Texans and non-Texas residents. The textbook is also designed to allow higher education government teachers a high degree of professional autonomy to teach and construct their courses consistent with their own education, training, and pedagogical style, and to give them a fair chance to do what they do best: educate students and citizens about the national and state constitutions that together create the American federal system of government. Also, this textbook tells a story of the Texas Constitution of 1876 that includes at least some of the narratives of Texans that have traditionally been overlooked in government textbooks.
Professor Terri B. Davis joined the faculty of Lamar University in 1996. She specializes in American constitutional and administrative law and Texas government and history. She became department chair in 2010 and served in the position for almost ten years before returning to teaching full-time. Davis has won numerous teaching awards including national recognition by the American Political Science Association and Pi Sigma Alpha, and her research appears in peer-reviewed journals including Studies in Media and Communication, Open Journal of Political Science, Comparative Sociology, Social Issues in America, and Law and Politics Book Review. She is the recipient of the David J. Beck Excellence in Teaching Award, Distinguished Faculty Lecturer, and College of Arts and Sciences Researcher of Distinction.
James P. Nelson is originally from Baytown, Texas. He received his undergraduate education at Lee College (2002, A.S. Business Administration and Management), Lamar University (2004, B.S. Political Science), and earned his Ph.D. in political science from The Florida State University (2011). Nelson’s first full-time academic job was at The University of Texas – Pan American (now University of Texas – Rio Grande Valley), where he taught courses while completing his doctoral dissertation. He was subsequently hired by Lamar University in Fall 2011. Nelson received tenure in 2019 and is currently Associate Professor of Political Science at Lamar University. His research emphasizes political behavior in addition to sub-national U.S. politics. Dr. Nelson has authored/co-authored multiple studies of state politics, and his research has been published in multiple peer-reviewed journals. He looks forward to sharing his expertise on state government with readers of this text.