The Political Culture, People, and Economy of Texas the Political Culture, People, and Economy of Texas Texas Political Culture

Chapter 1 The Political Culture, People, And Economy of Texas The Political Culture, People, and Economy of Texas Texas Political Culture • Poli.cal culture: broadly shared values, beliefs, and atudes about how government and society should funcon • Poli.cal culture in U.S. states: Daniel Elazar – Shaped by state founding origins and experiences – Defined by state orientaon toward: • Marketplace • Role of government • Who should par.cipate in government and poli.cs Texas Political Culture • Three state poli.cal culture categories: – Moralis.c – Individualis.c – Tradi.onalis.c • Some are a blend of two • Broad defini.ons for each category help understand state-level differences Not a literal/direct defini/on of all people in all states in contemporary society. Texas Political Culture • Moralis.c poli.cal culture – Rooted in New England Puritanism – The common good (expressed through poli.cs) is everyone’s concern. – Government should promote the public good. – Examples: MN, IA, WI, CA, WA, ME, VT, NH Texas Political Culture • Individualis.c poli.cal culture – Focuses more on commercial success – Government should provide order and protect property. – Bureaucracy viewed as interference – Less concern for mass par.cipaon in poli.cs – Examples: NY, PA, OH, IL, NV Texas Political Culture • Tradi.onalis.c poli.cal culture – Rooted in plantaon values of social hierarchy – Focused on tradi.on and maintaining exis.ng social order (keep standing arrangements) – Poli.cs engaged in by established wealthy families – Examples: TX, AZ, FL, MS, AL Texas Political Culture • Texas tradi.onalis.c–moralis.c mix – Low taxes and social service provision – Business interests dominate policy • Texas harder to generalize – Historical origins/development within state differ • Example: large ci.es (Houston, Dallas), border ci.es (El Paso, Laredo, Rio Grande Valley), rural regions sharply different histories, people, and industries Texas Political Culture • One-party state – Democrac Party dominated Texas for over a century. • Held all statewide offices, won presiden.al elec.ons • 100 percent of state legislature – Today, GOP dominates Texas poli.cs. • Democrats have not won statewide office since 1994. • Texas legislature majority since 2002 – Democrats remain popular in Texas ci.es, though. • See congressional, state legislature, and county offices Texas Political Culture • Business dominance – Unions are mostly absent – Consumer and environmental concerns not especially influen.al • Provincialism (narrow view of the world) – Associated with Jeffersonian no.ons of limited government and rural values – Low spending on social services and educaon – Intolerant of social hierarchy challenges, diversity Texas Political Culture The Land • Texas poli.cs shaped by state geography – Size, locaon, natural resources • 2nd largest state, 267,00 sq. miles – 800 miles north to south (about 11 hrs. by car) – 773 miles east to west (about 10.5 hrs. by car) • Largest border with foreign country • Gulf coast and rivers, fer.le and desert land, plains and mountains, oil and natural gas The Physical Regions of Texas Economic Change in Texas • Texas economic development .ed to resources and technology of the .me • Three phases of technological change: – Colon and cale – Oil – Technology innovaons • Facilitated state strengths in high-tech industry, medical research, energy industry, and banking Economic Change in Texas Colon cul.vaon began in the 1820s. • By 1880s, Texas was the largest producer. • Connected to naonal markets by railroads Economic Change in Texas • Coon – Labor-intensive cul.vaon led to tenant farming and sharecropping. • A system of social and economic dependency that trapped many Texans in rural areas – Crop-lien system could easily place households in debt from which they could not escape • Radical poli.cal discontent in rural areas led to support for Grange and Populist movements Economic Change in Texas • Cale ranching – Texas has dominated cale ranching industry for over a century. • Vast space, land suited for grazing and growing specialized feed – Increasingly operated by large agribusinesses • Many located in Texas, or agreements with cale ranchers in the state – Currently, only about 2 percent of Texas populaon is located on farms Cattle Ranching Economic Change in Texas • Oil – Took off in 1901 with Spindletop – By 1930s, oil replaced agriculture as the main contributor to its economy • Allowed America to move from coal to oil as primary energy source • Facilitates creaon of the naonal highway system – Energy industry develops in Texas • Oil, natural gas, produc.on, exploraon and research Oil in the Texas Economy Oil Production in Texas Economic Change in Texas • Oil led to a rise in industrialism along the coast and boomtowns near oil fields. • Texas Railroad Commission brought stability to the markets. – State agency regulang oil and gas industries – Allowed common pipeline carriers that served many different companies (efficient) – Regulated oil produc.on to smooth pricing Economic Change in Texas • NAFTA—North American Free Trade Agreement (1992) – Created free trade zone U.S., Canada, and Mexico – Texas increased exports to Mexico and Canada by $10b between 1992 and 1997. – 24 out of 32 industries that export to Mexico saw double-digit gains NAFTA The Changing Face of Texas, 1850–2010 The People: Texas Demography • Three sources of populaon growth – Natural increase (births) – Internaonal immigraon (outside the U.S.) – Domes.c immigraon (one U.S. state to another) • Texas has 2nd largest populaon – 25.5 million as of 2011 • California is 1st with 37.2 million – Between 2000 and 2010, grew by 4.5 million, 20 percent The People: Texas Demography • Six flags over Texas: over five centuries, Texas was part of six different sovereign en..es. 1. Spain: 1519–1685 and 1690–1821 2. France: 1685–1690 3. Mexico: 1821–1836 4. Republic of Texas: 1836–1845 5. Confederacy: 1861–1865 6. United States: 1845–1861; and since 1865 The People: Texas Demography • Anglos – Whites of European descent (except Spain) • Largest group during nineteenth and twen.eth centuries – First wave arrived before Texas Revolu.on (1835) • Both Spain and Mexico gave Anglos land grants to bring people to Texas. – Most notably, Moses Aus.n and son, Stephen F. Aus.n The People: Texas Demography • Anglos – Populaon surge aer Revolu.on (1835–6) – Mostly immigraon from southern states • Southern sellers brought slaves with them. – Most Texas farmers never owned slaves. • Yet, overwhelmingly supported secession/Civil War Anglos Anglo Population in Texas Counties, 2010 The People: Texas Demography • Hispanics/Lanos – Origins to any of 20 Spanish-speaking naons (Lan America and Spain) • Texas Lanos mostly Mexican origin – Historical overlap and proximity – 88 percent of Lano Texans are Mexican origin (2010) • Established presence in Texas – Sizeable Mexican origin populaon has always been the case The People: Texas Demography • Long-standing large Lano populaon regions – El Paso, San Antonio, all of South Texas • Pockets with less presence – Distance from large metro area and border • Historical and contemporary trend • Texas is 38 percent Lano (2010) – Increasingly urban, true for en.re state populaon – Opportuni.es in ci.es draw people Hispanic Population in Texas Counties, 2010 The People: Texas Demography • History of an.-Hispanic poli.cal discriminaon – Despite large populaons, systemac barriers • Segregated public facili.es • Targeted by poll taxes and white primaries • Vo.ng Rights Act (1965) demise of Jim Crow – Fewer par.cipaon/representaon barriers – 20 percent of Texas legislature is Lano (37 of 181) – By 2010, approximately 2,500 Lanos held elected office in various state and local posi.ons. The People: Texas Demography • African Americans – Black populaon origins in Texas reflects the state’s history with slavery • Growth in slave populaon – Mexican government an.slavery policies kept black populaon relavely low un.l the Texas Revolu.on (<5,000 in 1830s) – Post-Texas Revolu.on, southern sellers brought large number of slaves to the state The People: Texas Demography • 1860 (Civil War), over 182,000 slaves in Texas – Tripled in size in only 10 yrs. (1850=58,000) – Cons.tuted one-third of the state’s populaon – Concentrated in East Texas • Wharton and Brazoria coun.es highest numbers • Emancipaon and Reconstruc.on – Texas slaves freed three years aer Emancipaon Proclamaon (Juneteenth) – 100,000+ African American men registered voters African Americans African American Population in Texas Counties, 2010 The People: Texas Demography • By 1903, Jim Crow laws and violence toward blacks keep nearly all blacks from the polls. – Only 5,000 black registered voters • Civil rights and populaon changes – Numerous black elected officials, especially in the Houston and Dallas areas – 63 percent of Texas black populaon resides in Houston and Dallas areas (2010 Census) – Texas populaon is 12 percent African American The People: Texas Demography • Early urbanizaon – Towns were founded under Mexican rule as a means of colonizing the territory • Evidenced by the courthouse in the town center – Vast majority of state was rural, and small towns • 88 percent now reside in urban and suburban areas: Aus.n « Corpus Chris « Dallas « El Paso « Fort Worth Houston « Laredo « Rio Grande Valley « San Antonio Per Capita Income in Texas and the United States, 1990–2010 (in Nominal Nonadjusted Dollars) Urbanization in Texas, 1850–2010 WHO ARE TEXANS? How is the Texas Population Changing? CHAPTER 1 WHO ARE TEXANS? Race and Total

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