Nathan Artt is a sophomore at Grayson studying business. He wants to remain politically active to have a say in his future and would like Texas to remain predominantly conservative and Republican with pro-life views. He also wants to see a decrease in immigrants coming to the state. He has learned about different forms of city government and how capital punishment varies between states and countries. He believes improving education is important for future generations in Texas and supports school choice options like vouchers. As one of the largest states, Texas has influence through its congressional representation. This course taught him about the structure of the judicial system and political parties beyond Republicans and Democrats.

1. My name is Nathan Artt. I am a Sophomore at
Grayson and am studying Business.

2. What Motivates Me
What motivates me the most to become an active
participant in the political system is I want to have a say in
my future. Too many people complain about taxes,
unemployment or what is happening in their city, state, and
country. Unless you vote you will not have a say. Texas is
predominately made up of conservative republicans who
tend to be Christians with pro-life views. I would like this to
remain the same. What I would like to see change is a
decrease of immigrants into our state and county.

3. What I Have Learned
This semester I learned about the difference
between mayor-council and council-manager form
of city government. It was interesting to learn that
most large cities in Texas have a city-council form
of government and the Mayor works as a part of
the city council. The assignment to research my
city government was something I was not expecting
to learn.
I have also learned more about Capital Punishment
and how Texas’s use of this compares to other states
in the country and how the United States compares
with other countries in the world. I have expanded my
knowledge of the pros and cons and the discussion
boards have helped to understand other classmates
points of view.

4. Future Generations
An issue I believe is very important to consider for future generations
of Texans is that of Education. Twelve states in the U.S. offer school
choice or the school vouchers. These states include Colorado, Florida,
and Georgia. These programs offer parents a choice to send their
children to public or private schools. If a voucher is chosen some
states send the private school money directly and others offer credits
on tax returns. Most students, parents, and educators in Texas are not
in favor of the state standardized testing. Most also feel a private
education is superior to a public education. Why not impose school
vouchers and promote competition as a way of improving public
education and giving families a choice.

5. Role of Texas
Texas is the largest state by land mass in the continental United
States followed by California. By Population California has Texas
beat. Given that Texas has the second largest population in the
country it also has the second largest number of seats in the House
of Representative. These thirty six seats give Texas power in
influencing federal government decision making.

6. Lessons Learned
Something I learned this semester that I will carry beyond this course is how
the judicial system is structured. It was interesting to learn about the different
courts and what type of trials they conduct. I never knew there were trial
courts that specialized in drugs, prostitution, and DWI cases.
Another lesson I learned was what the other political parties beside the
Republican and Democratic stood for and the role they play in voting. For
example the Green Party stands on the principles of environmentalism and
nonviolence.
Finally, I learned how powerful special interest groups can be in this country,
and how they are used to influence governmental decisions by exerting
pressure on Congress.