The House Will Come To Order : : How the Texas Speaker Became a Power in State and National Politics / / Patrick L. Cox, Michael Phillips.

• Superior document: Title is part of eBook package: De Gruyter University of Texas Press eBook-Package Backlist 2000-2013
• VerfasserIn: Cox, Patrick L.,; Phillips, Michael,
• TeilnehmendeR: Carleton, Don.
• Place / Publishing House: Austin : : University of Texas Press, , [2021]; ©2010
• Year of Publication: 2021
• Language: English
• Series: Focus on American History Series
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (272 p.)

In a state assumed to have a constitutionally weak governor, the Speaker of the Texas House wields enormous power, with the ability to almost single-handedly dictate the legislative agenda. The House Will Come to Order charts the evolution of the Speaker's role from a relatively obscure office to one of the most powerful in the state. This fascinating account, drawn from the Briscoe Center's oral history project on the former Speakers, is the story of transition, modernization, and power struggles. Weaving a compelling story of scandal, service, and opportunity, Patrick Cox and Michael Phillips describe the divisions within the traditional Democratic Party, the ascendance of Republicans, and how Texas business, agriculture, and media shaped perceptions of officeholders. While the governor and lieutenant governor wielded their power, the authors show how the modern Texas House Speaker built an office of equal power as the state became more complex and diverse. The authors also explore how race, class, and gender affected this transition as they explain the importance of the office in Texas and the impact the state's Speakers have had on national politics. At the apex of its power, the Texas House Speaker's role at last receives the critical consideration it deserves.

Table of Contents

Frontmatter -- Contents -- Foreword -- Acknowledgments -- Introduction: Assuming Center Stage -- 1. Least Among Equals: The Presiding Speakership, 1846–1900 -- 2. Accumulating Clout: The Progressive Speakership, 1900–1921 -- 3. “Calculatin’ Coke”: The End of Progressivism and Birth of the Early Modern Speakership, 1921–1949 -- 4. Pragmatic Conservatism: The Dynastic Speakership, Part One, 1949–1961 -- 5. Liberals, Conservatives, and the Dilemma of Race: The Dynastic Speakership, Part Two, 1961–1969 -- 6. The Old Order Is Dead, Long Live the Old Order: Sharpstown, the Price Daniel Revolution, and the Speakership in Crisis, 1969–1975 -- 7. The Executive Speakership, Part One, 1975–1983 -- 8. The Executive Speakership, Part Two, 1983–2002 -- 9. “Hell on Horses and Women”: Gender and Family Life under the Dome -- 10. The End of an Era? The Executive Speakership under Tom Craddick, 2003–2009 -- Notes -- Bibliography -- Index