Encyclopedia of Texas Government

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Texapedia is your guide to becoming a more informed, confident citizen and voter. Explore articles about Texas’ laws, government institutions, and elected officials. Texapedia is the most reliable, comprehensive, up-to-date civics resource in the Lone Star State.

Texapedia is meant to be a simple, readable encyclopedia, which serves as a resource for teachers, school children, college students, civil servants, voters, and the general public. Moreover, Texapedia is a good source of documents, data, and background information, which can guide and inform researchers and policymakers.

Texapedia provides a level of detail and reliability that you won’t find elsewhere. Our articles focus on what’s most important to understand about the present-day government realities; while we may include brief historical context, we avoid overwhelming readers with dense amounts of historical trivia.

Information in this online encyclopedia is based on primary sources, including Texas laws, government publications, and data. Visit our About Us page for more information about our research methods, team, and mission.

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Recently Added Articles

Texas Business Courts

Specialized courts handling complex commercial litigation

Types of Local Government in Texas

Understand the differences between different local governments

Texas Bill of Rights: An Overview

Summary of the state Bill of Rights and comparison to the U.S. Bill of Rights

Special Sessions of the Texas Legislature

Understanding the role of special sessions in Texas politics

The Influence of Spanish Law in Texas

Texas’ legal system is based on Anglo-American foundations, but there are vestiges of Spanish law, dating to Texas’ time as part of New Spain and the Republic of Mexico.

Community Supervision

Understanding the role of probation and deferred adjudication in the criminal justice system in Texas