Politics & Policy

Behind the Lines

Some nice words about the police, exploring Texas, and listening to opportunity knock.

Behind the Lines

“Give me your tired, your poor . . . ”

The House Is Not A Home

A freshman in the Texas Legislature finds everything from the sublime to the ridiculous—well, maybe not the sublime.

Behind the Lines

Houston has the healthiest urban economy in the nation, but money can’t buy happiness.

Pipe Dream

You’ve heard of the Texas Water Plan; now meet the Texas Coal Plan.

Behind the Lines

The Viet Nam War was the second this country lost.

1977: The Ten Best and Ten Worst Legislators

We just rate them. You voted for them.

Behind the Lines

Those who laugh first at the Texas Legislature do not laugh last.

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Jimmy Carter’s energy program wants to bury the age of oil and gas whether it’s dead or not.

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Liberal Education

For years, liberals have been the biggest critics of Austin city government. What happened when the got the power to do something about it?

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Raza Desunida

South Texas has had a revolution, but itís not the one José Angel Guttiérrez planned.

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Paper Tigers

These bureaucrats belong in a zoo.

Little Big Man

Is it worth being a United States senator when you’­re on the losing side all the time? Ask John Tower.

There Ought Not To Be a Law

There are two things you should never see being made: sausage and legislation. All in all, we’­d rather watch sausage.

Behind the Lines

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Buying Power

The new campaign financing law takes all the fun out of fund raising.

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What Does This Woman Want?

Is Barbara Jordan really worth all the fuss?

The Making of Barbara Jordan

From poor black girl to presidential possibility, in ten not-so-easy lessons.

Behind the Lines

All’s Fair in Love

Can Texas Democrats find happiness? In New York, maybe—

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Body Politics

Why you shouldn’t lose any sleep over your congressman’s nocturnal habits.

All’s Fair in War

. . .but back home? Never.

Will Success Spoil Leonel Castillo?

This politician controls the purse strings of the richest city in Texas. And he’s ready for bigger things.

Fiendly Persuasion

What LBJ did best was wheel and deal. So what’s wrong with that?

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Where’s My Line?

Is one man one vote just another numbers racket?

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Turning the Other Chic

Politics, like fashion, is a fickle business.

The Best, the Worst, and the Fair-To-Middlin’

Rating the Texas Congressmen from number one to, sigh, number twenty-two.

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The Most Powerful Texans

You can’t tell the players without a scorecard.

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So Close, So Far

The natural gas deregulation bill almost made it through the labyrinth of Congress, but not exactly in the way they tell it in the civics books.

Who Runs Cowtown?

From a long heritage of paternalism Fort Worth gropes toward democracy.

The Man Who Saw Too Much

Hugh Aynesworth can’t escape what he witnessed in 1963.

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Power Shift?

Who is Kirkpatrick Sale and why is he saying all those terrible things about us?

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Big Deal

Did the Sharpstown Scandal really make any difference?

Remembering LBJ

Lyndon Johnson left an indelible impression on people—and a few black and blue marks, too.

Bringing Up Lyndon

First the boy made the man—then the man re-made the boy.

Behind the Lines

Loser Take All

News flash: Lloyd Bentsen is still running for president.