Texas Political Culture and History

Flashcards covering key vocabulary terms related to Texas political culture, history, economy, demographics, and challenges, based on lecture notes.

Political culture

The attitudes, values, and beliefs that most people in a political community have about the proper role of government.

Moralistic subculture

A political subculture where government is viewed as a positive instrument for change and a means of promoting all citizens' general welfare, with citizen participation regarded as an obligation.

Individualistic subculture

A political subculture that emphasizes the democratic order as a marketplace, with government created for utilitarian reasons and intervention in the private sector kept to a minimum.

Traditionalistic subculture

A political subculture where the primary function of government is the maintenance of the existing political order, with participation confined to a small, self-perpetuating elite.

Classical liberalism

An ideology focusing on limited government, the rule of law, protection of individual rights, and a generally free market economy.

Mercantilism

An economic theory holding that government has a right and duty to regulate the economy and foster economic development to increase a country's wealth and power.

Invisible hand

Adam Smith's metaphor for the self-regulating market, where individual pursuits in a largely unregulated economy produce wealth on their own.

Social conservatism

An ideology in Texas that generally opposes abortion and same-sex marriage, supports religious liberty protections, prayer in public schools, and alternatives to evolution in education.

Populism

A political ideology calling for federal and state government help for small businesses, farmers, and ranchers against large corporations, historically characterized by distrust of banks and an anti-immigrant, anti-intellectual strain.

Progressives (Modern liberals)

An ideological group that is not skeptical of government intervention in the economy and sees government as a potent force for good, favoring a larger social welfare system and more business regulation.

King Cotton

The dominant cash crop in Texas from the 1820s to the 1860s, which helped finance state operations.

Spindletop field

The site near Beaumont where oil was discovered in 1901, initiating the transformation of Texas's economy from agricultural to industrial.

NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement)

An agreement that went into effect in 1994, removing trade barriers between the United States, Canada, and Mexico, significantly boosting Texas's economy and trade.

Service industry

The sector that now dominates the Texas economy, including trade, transportation, utilities, information, financial activities, real estate, professional and business services, education, health care, and leisure and hospitality.

Yellow Dog Democrat

A term coined to describe someone who would vote only for Democratic candidates, reflecting the one-party dominance in Texas politics from Post-Reconstruction until the mid-1970s.

Shivercrats

A faction of conservative Texas Democrats who supported Republican Dwight Eisenhower for president in the 1950s, led by Governor Allan Shivers.

Battleground Texas

A political action committee (PAC) launched by Democratic operatives in 2013 with the goal of revitalizing the Democratic Party in the state and 'turning Texas blue'.

Demography

The statistical characteristics of a population, typically developed from United States Census data.

Undercount

An error in census data where certain populations are not fully counted, particularly affecting minority or transient groups.

Urbanized Areas (UAs)

Densely populated areas consisting of 50,000 or more people, as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Urban Clusters (UCs)

Densely populated areas comprising at least 2,500 but less than 50,000 people, as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Majority-minority state

A state where racial and ethnic minority groups now form a majority of the population and outnumber the non-Hispanic white population, which Texas became in 2004.

In-migration

The movement of people into Texas from other U.S. states.

Tejanos

Spanish settlers and their descendants who originally settled the Rio Grande Valley and other parts of Texas, contributing a strongly traditionalistic culture.

Empresario land-grant system

A system begun under Spanish rule and continued by Mexico that provided generous land grants to families willing to settle in Texas.

Siege of the Alamo

A pivotal battle in February-March 1836 where Texan forces were hopelessly outnumbered and all 187 defenders died, providing motivation for the independence movement.

Battle of San Jacinto

The decisive battle on April 21, 1836, where Sam Houston's Texan army defeated Santa Anna, leading to Texas's independence from Mexico.

Treaty of Velasco

The treaty signed by Santa Anna after his capture at the Battle of San Jacinto, which recognized Texas's independence from Mexico.

Manifest Destiny

A belief gaining popularity in the United States that the nation was destined to expand across the continent, advocating for the annexation of Texas.

Adelsverein Society

An organization active in the 1840s that actively promoted German immigration to Texas to stabilize the economy, increase population, and protect unpopulated regions.

Unionist

An individual, such as Sam Houston, who opposed Texas's secession and believed the state should remain faithful to the United States Union during the Civil War era.

Balcones Escarpment

A natural geological feature that separates the Coastal Plains and pine forest regions of Texas from the middle and High Plains, limiting southern Anglo settlement west of it until after the Civil War.

Battle of Sabine Pass

A Civil War event in 1863 where a small Confederate force prevented a larger Union force from moving into Texas.

Battle of Galveston

A Civil War event in 1863 where Confederate forces recaptured Galveston from Union control.

Juneteenth

An annual holiday in Texas and other states commemorating June 19, 1865, when Union General Gordon Granger issued General Order Number 3 in Galveston, informing Texans of the emancipation of all enslaved people.

Thirteenth Amendment

A constitutional amendment ratified in 1865 that abolished slavery in the United States.

Fourteenth Amendment

A constitutional amendment ratified in 1868 that declared formerly enslaved people American citizens, mandated equal protection and due process, and restricted former Confederate leaders from holding federal office.

Fifteenth Amendment

A constitutional amendment ratified in 1870 that granted Black men the right to vote.

Carpetbaggers

A pejorative term used to describe Republicans who moved to the South from the North to be appointed to political office during Reconstruction.

Scalawags

A derisive descriptor for southerners who supported Reconstruction policies and the Republican Party.

Carpetbagger's constitution

The Texas Constitution of 1869, which was a drastic departure from previous Texas constitutions, granted African Americans the right to vote, and disenfranchised white people who participated in the Civil War.

1876 Constitution

The current fundamental law for the state of Texas, adopted after Reconstruction, demonstrating a strong distrust of government institutions and a heavy emphasis on citizen freedoms and liberties.

GDP (Gross Domestic Product)

The total value of all the services and goods created in Texas, reaching $1.8 trillion as of the third quarter of 2021, recovering to pre-pandemic levels.