About the Author Mark P. Jones is the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy's Fellow in Political Science, the Joseph D. Jamail Chair in Latin American Studies, and a Professor in the Department of Political Science at Rice University. His articles have appeared in publications such as the American Journal of Political Science, the Journal of Politics, Legislative Studies Quarterly, Texas Monthly, The Hill, and the Texas Tribune. Jones is among the state's most quoted commentators on Texas politics in the state and national media, and his research on the Texas legislature is widely cited by media outlets and political campaigns. Jones received his B.A. from Tulane University and his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan. William Earl Maxwell is a professor emeritus at San Antonio College, where he has taught courses in U.S. and Texas government since 1971. Throughout his career Maxwell has focused on innovative teaching techniques and improving the teaching and learning environments for students. As part of that effort, in 1975 Maxwell co-authored UNDERSTANDING TEXAS POLITICS, his first text on Texas government. He also co-authored such texts as POLITICS IN TEXAS and THE CHALLENGE OF TEXAS POLITICS: TEXT WITH READINGS. He completed his undergraduate and graduate work at Sam Houston State University. Ernest Crain did his graduate work at the University of Texas at Austin, spent 35 years teaching Texas government at San Antonio College, and now lives in Montgomery County, Texas. Crain has co-authored UNDERSTANDING TEXAS POLITICS, POLITICS IN TEXAS: AN INTRODUCTION TO TEXAS POLITICS, THE CHALLENGE OF TEXAS POLITICS: TEXT WITH READINGS, AMERICAN GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS TODAY: TEXAS EDITION, and TEXAS POLITICS TODAY. His special areas of interest include party competition, comparative state politics, and Texas public policy. M. Lynn Davis is professor of Government at El Paso Community College, where she has served as Blackboa