Chapter 1 – The Political Culture, People, and Economy of Texas

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms from Chapter 1 on Texas political culture, demographics, regions, and economic history.

Political Culture

Broadly shared values, beliefs, and attitudes about how government and society should function.

Traditionalistic-Individualistic Political Culture

Texas’s blend of deference to elite rule (traditionalistic) and belief that government should limit itself largely to promoting private enterprise (individualistic).

Provincialism

A narrow, self-interested view of the world characterized by rural values and limited‐government ideology, once dominant in Texas politics.

Business Dominance

Long-standing influence of corporate interests in Texas politics through campaign contributions and lobbying, with few strong counter-weights such as labor unions.

One-Party Dominance

Historical pattern in which one political party controls most offices; in Texas, Democrats dominated for a century, then Republicans after 2002 redistricting.

Privatization of Public Property

Transfer of large portions of Texas public lands into private ownership.

Gulf Coastal Plains

Eastern Texas region noted for timber, historic plantations, major oilfields, Democratic urban centers, and Republican suburbs.

Interior Lowlands

Central Texas region with an agricultural economy, cattle ranching, and strongly conservative political values.

Great Plains (Texas)

Region focused on cotton, ranching, petroleum production, and conservatism; political influence waning as urban areas grow elsewhere.

Basin and Range Province

West Texas area of mountains and sparse population, large Latino presence, and Democratic Party strength (e.g., El Paso).

Tenant Farmer

Farmer who rents land to grow crops; 61 % of Texas farmers in 1930 were tenants.

Sharecropper

Tenant farmer who pays land rent with a share of the crop produced.

Spindletop (1901)

Site of the first major Texas oil strike that triggered statewide oil fever.

Boom-and-Bust Cycle

Economic pattern in oil and other Texas industries marked by rapid expansion followed by sharp decline in prices and activity.

Texas Railroad Commission

State agency whose authority expanded with oil regulation, illustrating industry’s impact on government power.

High-Tech Digital Economy

Third wave of Texas economic change, following cotton/cattle and oil, emphasizing electronics, computing, and biotech.

NAFTA (1992)

North American Free Trade Agreement creating a U.S.–Canada–Mexico free-trade zone; boosted Texas exports, especially to Mexico.

USMCA (2018)

United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement that replaced NAFTA while keeping most trade liberalization intact.

Military Bases in Texas

Installations that generate significant employment and economic activity; home to ~150,000 personnel in 2019.

Natural Increase

Population growth resulting from births exceeding deaths; one of three drivers of Texas population growth.

International Immigration

Movement into Texas from foreign countries, particularly Mexico, contributing to state population growth.

Domestic Immigration

Relocation of residents from other U.S. states to Texas, adding to population growth.

White Primary

Practice that excluded Black and Latino voters from Democratic primaries until struck down in the 1940s.

Poll Tax

Fee required to vote that suppressed minority turnout in Texas until abolished federally in 1964.

La Raza Unida Party

Chicano political party founded in the 1960s to advance Latino political representation in Texas.

Black Codes

Post-Civil War laws restricting the rights of formerly enslaved Texans.

Juneteenth (June 19, 1865)

Date when Union troops announced emancipation in Texas, ending slavery in the state.

Civil Rights Act (1964)

Federal law outlawing segregation and discrimination, expanding rights for Black Texans.

Voting Rights Act (1965)

Federal statute protecting minority voting rights and dismantling barriers such as literacy tests.

Barbara Jordan

First Black woman elected to the U.S. House from Texas (1972), civil-rights leader.

Urbanization

Shift of population into cities; by the 21st century, 85 % of Texans lived in urban areas.

Suburbanization

Growth of residential areas surrounding cities, now a major force in Texas politics.

Houston

Texas’s largest city; leading U.S. port by tonnage and global energy center.

Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex

Combined metropolitan area exceeding 7 million people; Dallas known for finance, Fort Worth for aviation.

San Antonio

Second-largest Texas city with growing Latino majority; economy based on military, tourism, and medical research.

Austin

State capital and tech hub; home to the University of Texas and higher-than-average incomes.

Tenant Decline

Fall in Texas tenant farming from 61 % (1930) to 12 % (1987) as agriculture modernized.

King Ranch

Iconic South Texas ranch symbolizing the historical importance of cattle in the state economy.

Oil Glut (2020)

Oversupply of oil that, combined with COVID-19 lockdowns, depressed prices and state revenue.

Demographic Melting Pot

Description of Texas’s increasingly diverse population of Whites, Latinos, Black people, Asians, and multiracial residents.

Traditional Provincialism Undercut

Erosion of narrow rural politics by urbanization, minority influence, women’s activism, and global economic ties.

Empresario

Land agent, such as Stephen F. Austin, who brought early Anglo settlers to Mexican Texas.

Tenant vs. Family Farm (2019)

By 2019, 98.6 % of Texas farms were family owned, reflecting shift from tenant farming.

Manufacturing Surge (1990s)

Period when Texas rose from 7th to 2nd in U.S. manufacturing employment.

Percent White in Texas (2020)

Non-Hispanic White share of the population declined to about 41.2 %.

Latino Political Gains

Growth of Latino elected officials from 1,466 (1986) to 2,521 (2011).

Asian American Concentration

Over 1.5 million Asian Americans (2020), primarily in Texas’s urban and suburban areas.

Young Population

Texas median age lower than U.S.; 32.4 % of Texans under 18 in 2020.

Income Lag

Texas per-capita income trails national average, partly due to younger population demographics.