Teaching the Texas Legislature
In order to help our students develop an appreciation for the difficulties confronting the Texas Legislature, we have developed a course called Legislative Decision Making. This course is offered during the spring terms that coincide with legislative sessions. The course presents unique learning opportunities for students by providing them with direct access to the Texas Legislature in two trips to Austin. In addition to traditional lectures on the theories of legislative decision-making and the legislative process, students examine current policy-making in the Texas Legislature by spending time with committee staff, members and lobbyists in order to better understand the actual process of decision making in the Texas Legislature.
The Texas Center is blessed with a tremendous number of legislative supporters from all corners of the state who routinely take the time to interact with our students during the visits to the capital. A sample of these encounters can be found by using the Capital Days link below.
Capitol Days
PSCI 4342 Course Syllabus (pdf)