Private Group Influence in Public Policy Formulation: The Dallas Motion Picture Classification Ordinance of April 5, 1965 (open access)

Private Group Influence in Public Policy Formulation: The Dallas Motion Picture Classification Ordinance of April 5, 1965

This thesis is an account of the events surrounding the passage of the Dallas Motion Picture Classification Ordinance of April 5, 1965. A stalemate between two disputing private factions in the city leads to public policy in the form of a municipal ordinance. Litigation quickly follows, and in the final analysis, a judicial determination temporarily ends the controversy...This investigation reveals that the council did not formulate public policy of its own volition, but only acted as an extension of the private struggle which had lasted for approximately thirty-six months.
Date: August 1966
Creator: Gregory, Donald D.
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Texas Reformatory System with Emphasis on the Gatesville School for Boys (open access)

The Texas Reformatory System with Emphasis on the Gatesville School for Boys

At least one state function is handled differently in most all of the forty-eight sovereign states. This function is that of juvenile control, or the care of juvenile delinquents. The states vary a great deal in their methods of combating juvenile delinquency and in the operation of their reformatories, and most of these systems are in crying need of reform. Many are the forgotten chore of state administrators, and others are the thorn in the side of the state's political administration. The latter is the case in the state of Texas.
Date: January 1949
Creator: Johnson, Samuel Maurice
System: The UNT Digital Library
Congressional Legislation as a Remedy to Prevent Communist Influence of Labor Unions and Union Officials (open access)

Congressional Legislation as a Remedy to Prevent Communist Influence of Labor Unions and Union Officials

The United States and other nations of the free world are presently engaged in a life and death struggle. This conflict is between democracy and Communism--freedom versus slavery. In the classical definition of war, opponents and battlefields were readily defined, but in this "Cold War" conventional arms are only a part of the over-all battle plan. The persistent effort of the Communists to infiltrate and dominate the American labor movement is one of these battlefields. Domination and control of labor unions has been a primary goal of the Communist Party in the United States. In recent years, the power of organized labor has demonstrated its strength throughout our national economy. Labor organizations have the power to create, in this country, a state of national emergency. The problem is how this power can be controlled and protected for the American worker.
Date: January 1963
Creator: Doss, Cecil B.
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Legislative Origins of the Marshall Plan (open access)

The Legislative Origins of the Marshall Plan

With a deep conviction that this study will be useful to those who would better understand contemporary foreign policy, "The Legislative Origins of the Marshall Plan" is written with the following purposes: (1) to discover the origin and motives of the Marshall plan, (2) to discover the effect of the world-wide tours made by Congressmen in 1947 upon the legislative processes in the Marshall plan, (3) to compare and evaluate the respective contributions of the two houses of Congress to the Marshall plan, (4) to ascertain whether the Marshall plan is an economic, political, or humanitarian instrument, and (5) to evaluate the domestic effects, both governmental and economic, and to project them into the future.
Date: August 1949
Creator: Garcia, Antonio
System: The UNT Digital Library
Transmission into Legislation of Political Promises of Texas Governors from 1914 to 1943 (open access)

Transmission into Legislation of Political Promises of Texas Governors from 1914 to 1943

The problem of this thesis is to determine the relationship of political promises made by the elected candidates for governor with their achievements in relation to these political promises. From such an evaluation, it is hoped to determine the value of different types of political promises, and thus be more able to judge properly candidates seeking the office of governor.
Date: August 1948
Creator: Nunn, William H.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Judicial Interpretation of School Law in Texas with Emphasis on School District and Municipal Relations (open access)

Judicial Interpretation of School Law in Texas with Emphasis on School District and Municipal Relations

The problem is, to determine the correct interpretation of the Texas statutes which govern the relationships between the municipality and the school district.
Date: June 1947
Creator: Splawn, C. Wayne
System: The UNT Digital Library
Sam Rayburn and New Deal Legislation, 1933-1936 (open access)

Sam Rayburn and New Deal Legislation, 1933-1936

Sam Rayburn's record as Speaker of the House was undoubtedly his best known accomplishment during fifty years in Congress. Nevertheless he played a vital role as proponent of the New Deal during the period from 1933 to 1936 when he was Chairman of the House Interstate and Foreign Commerce Committee. Since Rayburn's role in passage of early New Deal statutes has been neglected, the purpose of this thesis is to examine his contributions to the Roosevelt Administration as leader in the debates on key legislation.
Date: August 1965
Creator: Turner, David P.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Evidence and Military Law Under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (open access)

Evidence and Military Law Under the Uniform Code of Military Justice

The purpose of this study is to analyze certain major reforms in the Code in an effort to determine whether or not the "status quo" has been change. These reforms are: (1) henceforth all military legal proceedings are to be governed by a single Code equally applicable to all the services; (2) all military judicial proceedings are to be governed as near as practicable by the rules of civil procedure and evidence observed in the criminal proceedings of the United States district courts; (3) all persons charged with an offense are to have competent legal counsel at all stages of pretrial and trial proceedings; (4) all persons subject to the Code are assured that they shall not be subject to compulsory self-incrimination; (5) all who are subject to the Code are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and (6) all are guaranteed an automatic and mandatory review (under certain conditions) of their trials.
Date: August 1964
Creator: Lewis, James N.
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Federal Independent Regulatory Commissions: Some Recent Criticisms and Recommendations (open access)

The Federal Independent Regulatory Commissions: Some Recent Criticisms and Recommendations

It is the purpose of this thesis to point out areas of failure and weaknesses in the Federal independent regulatory commissions, and recommendations for improvement, as seen by Louis J. Hector, James M. Landis, Emmette S. Redford, Bernard Schwartz and the Special Subcommittee on Legislative Oversight. A secondary purpose of the study is to present action taken by Congress and President Kennedy in response to recent criticisms of the commissions. The scope of the thesis is limited to the major problems of policy-making, personnel matters, and efficiency of the major independent regulatory commissions. The material presented in the thesis covers five chapters. Chapter I includes a general introductory statement, the purpose and scope of the study, and the method of organization. Chapter II is a presentation of the criticisms and recommendations of Hector, Redford, and Landis in respect to the problems of policy-making and coordination faced by the independent commissions. Chapter III examines the problems of commission personnel in respect to qualifications, turnover, and ethical conduct. Chapter IV concerns the efficiency of the independent commissions, showing examples of delay and incompetence in the performance of the functions of the CAB, the FPC, and other commissions. Criticisms and recommendations include those …
Date: August 1964
Creator: Marsh, Fred L.
System: The UNT Digital Library
State Party Organization in Texas: An Analysis of the Membership and Staff of the State Executive Committees (open access)

State Party Organization in Texas: An Analysis of the Membership and Staff of the State Executive Committees

The purpose of this study is to analyze the state executive committees of the two major political parties in Texas and to present facts regarding the membership of the committees (the policy-makers) and the professional staff of the state party organization (the administrators of party policy).
Date: January 1970
Creator: Dunn, Charles DeWitt
System: The UNT Digital Library
Party Platforms as Sources of Public Policy in Texas, 1946-1963 (open access)

Party Platforms as Sources of Public Policy in Texas, 1946-1963

"This study is being made to assess the actual importance of the platform in recent gubernatorial elections in Texas. Because an intensive analysis is undertaken, the scope of this thesis has been limited in two ways. First, it is confined to the years 1946-1963 spanning the Administrations of Governors Beauford Jester, Allan Shivers, and Price Daniel. Secondly, in an attempt to compare the executives with one another, platform promises related to education, health and welfare, highways, and taxation adopted at the Democratic State Convention have been included. The method utilized to determine fulfillment of a political promise has been to compare the Governor's recommendations to the Legislature with the resulting action. In particular, an attempt has been made to (1) describe the Democratic primary election, with special reference to the issues raised; (2) to discuss the Democratic State Convention with a listing of the planks mentioned above; and (3) to analyze proposals in the Governor's State of the State Messages and special messages and to compare them with the resulting legislative action." -- leaf 1.
Date: May 1969
Creator: Schmidt, Johnell L.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Community Improvement and Code Enforcement in Fort Worth, Texas, 1961-1966 (open access)

Community Improvement and Code Enforcement in Fort Worth, Texas, 1961-1966

"The purpose of this study is to outline and analyze the efforts of the City of Fort Worth in the area of community improvement through code enforcement in the years 1961-1965. It is hoped that this study will enable those in the field of municipal government or other related fields to gain a better understanding of the need for community improvement through code enforcement and a better knowledge of methods to implement such a program."--leaf 1.
Date: June 1967
Creator: Liverman, Ralph L.
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Study of School Financing in Selected Districts of Wise County, 1846-1955 (open access)

A Study of School Financing in Selected Districts of Wise County, 1846-1955

"This study is an effort to follow the development of the tax structure for public education in Wise County, Texas, and to point out the school tax changes which have taken place in this county during the period 1846-1955. Special emphasis is given to the changes during the last twenty years. The study is designed to present in a connected order the changes which have taken place in this area during this time, and to give the effects such changes may have had on the tax structure and the commmunity. Four schools, Decatur, Chico, Alvord, and Greenwood, have been chosen for this study. These schools represent a cross-section of all the schools of Wise County from the largest independent school to one of the few common schools now existing in the county." -- leaf 1.
Date: August 1955
Creator: Watson, James Earl
System: The UNT Digital Library
Budgetary Decision-Making in the Texas Legislature (open access)

Budgetary Decision-Making in the Texas Legislature

The government of any state has the responsibility of providing for the health, safety, welfare, education, and protection of its citizens. To accomplish these goals, states have created elaborate and complex administrative organizations staffed by thousands of bureaucrats. The increased demands of the citizens of each state upon their state governments for better education, highways, and increased protection are reflected both in the expansion of the agencies created to provide these services and, in turn, in requests for funds in ever increasing amounts to expand the scope of the services. The ability of a state to fund each agency's request is definitely limited; no state is sufficiently wealthy to grant every request. Rather, a state must make some judgment in the distribution of its limited resources (money) among competing and demanding sources. This requires planning and is called budgeting, which one writer has defined as "one of the major processes by which the use of public resources is planned and controlled."
Date: June 1970
Creator: Butler, Daron K.
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Community Junior College: A Study of the Dallas County Junior College (open access)

The Community Junior College: A Study of the Dallas County Junior College

"The thesis is concerned with the intricacies and problems of community leadership in a metropolitan environment, and the work with a state governing agency that oversees all work done within its jurisdiction...The thesis consists of the history and function of the junior college movement in the United States, the history of Dallas County Junior College from the time it was just an idea up to March 15, 1966, and brief statement of the future course of this vast undertaking." -- leaf 1
Date: August 1966
Creator: Altick, Frank J.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Characteristics of Texas' 1964 National Political Convention Delegations (open access)

Characteristics of Texas' 1964 National Political Convention Delegations

"It is the purpose of this study is to examine these characteristics of the delegates from Texas to the 1964 Democratic and Republican national nominating conventions, as well as to compare and contrast their characteristics. It is a basic assumption of this study that the characteristics of national convention delegates are important in the determination of the character of the convention as an institution."-- leaf 2.
Date: January 1969
Creator: Cole, Richard L.
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Role of Governor Price Daniel as a Legislative Leader (open access)

The Role of Governor Price Daniel as a Legislative Leader

List of tables -- Chapter I. Price Daniel: a biographical sketch -- Chapter II. Governor Daniel and the fifty-fifth Texas legislature -- Chapter III. Governor Daniel and the fifty-sixth Texas legislature -- Chapter IV. Governor Daniel and the fifty-seventh Texas legislature -- Chapter V. Techniques used by Governor Price Daniel in Exercising legislative leadership-- Bibliography.
Date: August 1967
Creator: Green, James Ray
System: The UNT Digital Library
Municipal Government Transition in Denton, Texas (open access)

Municipal Government Transition in Denton, Texas

Transition in the form of municipal government is always a complex and challenging task. The process involves serious risks of instability in a municipality's affairs, and this in turn may have adverse consequences for the community as a whole. But at the same time, changes in the form of government and in the personnel responsible for the management of public affairs may hold promise of improvements, which will benefit a city and its citizens. This thesis examines the experience of Denton, Texas, in making a transition from a mayor-commission to a council-manager form of government. T his major governmental change in Denton required several years. The period of transition examined in this study will be from 1955 to the end of 1961.
Date: June 1962
Creator: Starr, Jimmie Don
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Study of the Justice of the Peace Court System with Emphasis on That of Dallas County, Texas (open access)

A Study of the Justice of the Peace Court System with Emphasis on That of Dallas County, Texas

This thesis seeks to examine in details the arguments centering around the American justice of the peace court system and evaluate the justices of the peace of Dallas County in the light of these argurents. A second purpose is to evaluate the positions of critics and defenders of the present justice system in the light of the needs of the litigants who come before te justice courts in Dallas County--or who would come before the replacement court advocated by the Texas State Bar Association. Finally, a sunmary analysis leads to recommendations for best serving the interests of these litigants. In the preparation of this study, wide use was made of both wrItten materials and personal interviews. The first three chapters are based largely on written materials, many of which are primary sources. The written source materials include reports, journal, articles, especially articles in legal periodicals, books, newspapers, court case reports and statutes. The latter chapters, the most significant part of the study, are based almost entirely on personal interviews and observations of the justice courts.
Date: May 1968
Creator: Robinson, Walter S.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Legal Discrimination Against Married Women in Texas (open access)

Legal Discrimination Against Married Women in Texas

"It is therefore the purpose of this paper to make a thorough study and analysis of the statutes and court decisions with a view to obtaining information relative to the statutes that could or might be affected by passage of an equal rights amendment...Any study of marital laws is a complicated undertaking, and this survey is only a beginning. The main objective is to emphasize and illustrate the need for granting equal rights to women in Texas. "-- leaf 3.
Date: August 1960
Creator: Morrow, Harriet V.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Legislative Trends in the Delegation of School Powers in Texas (open access)

Legislative Trends in the Delegation of School Powers in Texas

The delegation of powers by the Legislature in carrying out school laws has always been a function of that body. In 1929 Justice Walker, in the case of Richardson v. Liberty Independent School District, stated that all powers possessed by school districts have been delegated by the Legislature. The same is true in respect to the powers possessed by the State Board of Education and the county boards of education. All these divisions have been created by law and all their powers delegated by the Legislature.By this study the writer will try to show what trend the Legislature has taken in the delegation of powers concerning,schools. In this study the solution of the following questions will be sought: 1. Is there a tendency toward more delegation of power to the state level of administration? 2. Is there a tendency in the Legislature to give more power to county and local units in the school system? 3. Is the Legislature inclining toward exercising more power on its own initiative? By the study of laws passed by the Legislature delegating powers and retaining powers, these problems can be answered and a definite trend shown.
Date: August 1951
Creator: Light, Robert W.
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Dallas Transit Company: Transition from Private to Public Ownership (open access)

The Dallas Transit Company: Transition from Private to Public Ownership

Dallas, Texas, faces transportation problems common to all metropolitan areas. This thesis will examine the effort of the City of Dallas to find a solution to a particular transportation problem, that of public transit. Events leading to the city's purchase of a privately owned transit company and problems encountered during the year after the purchase will be primarily considered in this thesis. The basic methodology consisted of interviews with persons directly connected with the transit operation, including city administrators, City Council members, and transit board members. A newspaper reporter, closely associated with the problem from beginning to end, gave an objective, eye-witness account of the situation. Additionally, newspaper accounts of the transition from private to public transit ownership provided a useful chronology, and letters and public documents supplied other information. City leaders realized that a good transit system was a vital part of a balanced Metropolitan program of transportation. Because the privately owned transit company was not providing adequate bus service, the city found it desirable to assume public ownership of the transit operation through purchase of the Dallas Transit Company in January, 1964.
Date: August 1967
Creator: Duke, Jimmy D.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Slums and Blight: A Case of Local Government Inaction Beaumont, Texas (open access)

Slums and Blight: A Case of Local Government Inaction Beaumont, Texas

An attempt has been made in this study to analyze, examine, and investigate the efforts of the city of Beaumont, Texas, through its comprehensive plan and its planning process, to alleviate or combat the blighted areas of the city and to determine to what extent the comprehensive plan document has been implemented.
Date: January 1970
Creator: Knight, Glynn James
System: The UNT Digital Library
Federalism's Expanding Dimensions: a Case Study of Decision-Making of the Dallas-Fort Worth Regional Airport (open access)

Federalism's Expanding Dimensions: a Case Study of Decision-Making of the Dallas-Fort Worth Regional Airport

"This paper analyzes the decision making processes in the federal system through a case study, that of the Dallas-Fort Worth Regional Airport controversy, and reveals the role of the many governments and interest groups involved. ...In this study the background of conflict is reviewed, after which the CAB [Civil Aeronautics Board] decision, accomplishments and problems are discussed. The presentation will reflect the cooperative role of all governments in the federal system, plus pressure groups that contribute to decision-making in the federal system."-- leaves 2,13.
Date: January 1969
Creator: Burlage, George Edward
System: The UNT Digital Library