Roleof the People in Texas Political System
Thepolitical system of Texas has developed subject to the influence ofthe people. The Texans have played fundamental roles in thedevelopment of Texas’ policies and political culture. A politicalculture is a reflection of the people’s political beliefs andvalues. It offers an explanation of the way people feel about theirgovernment, and what power they expect the government to have overtheir lives. It also reveals the kinds of services that people expecttheir government to provide. This essay discusses how the Texans’political values and beliefs have affected the Texas politicalsystem. Public opinion is how citizens of a state ornation view the actions of the government and the state or nation’spolitics. There are three reasons why public opinion is important inshaping the political system of Texas. First, the political action ofthe citizens is segregated by their opinions. Next, public opinion isimportant in directing how the political candidates and politicalparties. The politicians reflect on the opinion of the people as theyformulate their policies and in determining what the people want themto do for them. Finally, public opinion is fundamental inilluminating the reasons behind certain policy outcomes. Most of themajor policies in Texas were enacted because they had a majoritysupport in the electorate (Bianco and Canon 1). Apart from publicpolicy, the political system of Texas is also shaped by the interestgroups. The interest groups are important in determining thedemocratic system of government. An interest group is defined as acommunity of people who are organized and seek to influence publicpolicy. They often do this by trying to influence the actors of thegovernment. The groups are varied in many ways including size, age,resources, sophistication, policy focus and policy focus. Some of thegroups are only concerned with one issue while some others areconcerned with wider public policy issues. Some groups last longwhile others die soon after they are born. They can influenceelections and choices on public policy. The interest groups do notonly focus on the government, but also seek to influence the generalpublic to support their views. They can therefore influence publicopinion (Champagne and Edward 1). Many Texans engage in politics ofinterest groups. As a result, they influence public policy anddebate. This happens at all levels of the Texas political system.Interest groups can be pushing for the upholding of the rights of thecitizens. In case the rights of the citizens are infringed by thegovernment, the interest groups can demonstrate to demand aredress. The political system of Texas is also affected bythe political parties. In Texas, the parties play a fundamental rolein providing the candidates with labels under which they can run andvoters with labels to identify with. More than 90% of voters in Texasidentify with either the Republican Party or the Democratic Party(Texas State Historical Association (TSHA) 1). The party label isused during ballot casting, they also help in raising money for thecampaigns by their respective candidates and in legal procedures.After the officials are elected, it is the political parties thathelp in organizing the government. Whenever there is a need toinfluence the people’s views on a particular policy or issue, it isthe political parties that carry out campaigns (Maxwel et al. 11).This means that political parties can also influence public policy.The voting process depends widely on the political party that isfavored by the people. The party that is favored by a great majorityof the people is the one that becomes the ruling party in Texas.Political parties also have the duty to ensure that he rights of thecitizens are respected. They also make sure that the responsibilitiesof the citizens are properly enforced (Champagne and Edward 1).
Conclusion The political parties, interest groups and public opinionare forces that shape the political culture of the state. Theyinfluence the policies that are enforced in Texas and address the keyissues that need the attention of the government in accordance to therights, beliefs and political views of the people. Texas is thereforea government of the people.
WorksCited
Bianco,W. and Cannon, D. "Chapter 5: Public Opinion.” AmericanPolitics Today, Third Texas Edition. Wwnorton.com.1, 2016. Web. 6 June 2016.
Champagne,A. and Edward, H. "Chapter 4: Political Parties In Texas –Governing Texas” Wwnorton.com.1, 2016. Web. 6 June 2016.
TexasState Historical Association (TSHA). “POLITICAL PARTIES.” TheHandbook Of Texas Online: Tshaonline.org.1, 2016. Web. 6 June 2016.
Maxwell,Crain, Jones, Davis, and Wlezein. TexasPolitics Today 2015-2016.Cengage Learning, 2015. Print.