How would you explain what political parties are and why Texas has a two-party system?
- Describe the history of Texas as a one-party state. Which party dominates Texas politics, and what are the historical origins behind this dominance? What were some of the ramifications of one-party rule? What caused the rise of a two-party system in Texas?
- How would you describe the structure of political parties and elections in Texas? What are the different levels of party organization?
- Discuss urban, rural, and suburban influences on partisanship. Explain which party tends to dominate in each of these areas, and why.
- Has Texas always been a predominantly conservative state? How does this question tie in to the state’s shift from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party since the 1960s?
- How does strong partisan ideology serve to weaken Texas’s political parties?
