Texas Politics: Notes on Political Culture, Geography, and Economic Change
Political Culture in Texas
Political culture: broadly shared values, beliefs, and attitudes about how government should function and politics should operate.
American political culture typically emphasizes liberty, equality, and justice with support for democracy; meanings of these terms vary by time/place.
Texas-specific view (as described by political scientists): often categorized as having a traditionalistic, individualistic culture.
Traditionalistic: deference to political elites; culture influenced by the South.
Individualistic: government’s role limited to allow citizens to pursue economic self-interest.
Texas political culture is not monolithic—urban liberal norms (Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, Austin) coexist with conservative rural/suburban norms; subcultures vary across regions (south Texas border, Panhandle, etc.).
Alan Rosenthal’s concept: a state’s political culture is the product of its entire history; influences participation and interactions between people and institutions.
Three long-lasting patterns in Texas politics (and ongoing changes):
One-party state dominance (historically Democratic; modern era Republican dominance)
Provincialism (narrow, rural-based worldview, limited government tradition; regional intolerance has waxed/waned with social changes)
Business dominance (dominance of business groups and lobbyists shaping policy; cosmopolitan vs. local business interests; tension with social-conservative wing)
Contemporary dynamics complicate simple labeling: urban liberal areas vs. rural conservative areas; evolving influence of Latinos, Asians, and other groups.
Three long-standing patterns in Texas politics and changes
One-Party Dominance
Over 100 years: Democratic dominance; winning the Democratic primary often meant winning the election.
Break in 1978: Republican William Clements won the governorship; again in 1986 for a second term.
1990s: substantial competition for state Senate and House in Texas.
2002 redistricting: Republicans secured a 7-vote majority in the Senate and 24-vote majority in the House; subsequent years expanded those majorities.
2002–2024: Republicans controlled all major statewide elected offices.
Exception: One Court of Criminal Appeals justice switched to the Democratic Party in December 2013 after being elected as a Republican; defeated in 2016.
Implication: Republicans and conservative values are expected to continue to dominate in the near term.
Context: Urban areas (cities) have grown more Democratic; rural/exurban areas remain more Republican.
Provincialism
Definition: a narrow, limited, self-interested view of the world, often tied to rural values and limited government.
Historical manifestation: corn pone attitudes; suspicion of cosmopolitanism in large urban areas.
Recent shifts: increasing urbanization, rising influence of minorities, women, and LGBTQ people; stronger ties to the global economy have undercut provincialism in some parts of the state.
Resurgence in some pockets: episodes of intolerance toward transgender individuals, minority religious groups, and new immigrants (Asia, the Middle East, Latin America) show a revival of provincialist attitudes in some populations.
Personal reflection prompts: debates about provincialism, open-mindedness, and consequences for governance.
Business Dominance
Historically, business groups have been major political players in Texas (campaign contributions, lobbying, interest groups).
Modern trend: Texas-based business interests increasingly engage with national and international concerns (global supply chains, cross-border trade).
Tension: a growing social-conservative wing within the Republican Party seeks to promote a social agenda (gun rights, school-content controls, abortion, immigration, LGBTQ rights) at the expense of cosmopolitan business interests.
Overall effect: business influence remains strong, but faces pushback from within the party and from urban/policy stakeholders.
The Land and Texas’s Geography
Geography has deeply shaped Texas’s political life and institutions since its founding.
History of land ownership and policy:
When Texas became a republic in 1836, it claimed 216,000,000 acres (≈ 216{,}000{,}000 acres) of unappropriated land; it kept control of public lands on joining the Union in 1845.
Privatization of public lands was a central 19th-century policy in Texas; large-scale privatization helped structure economic development.
Mineral rights: Texas retained ownership of minerals under much of privatized land (oil and natural gas) which funded education through the Long-Term Permanent University Fund (PUF).
Boundary issues: post–Mexican–American War, Rio Grande established as southern border in 1848; Compromise of 1850 defined current western borders in exchange for $10 million in federal bonds, enabling Texas to pay debts and retain 98,000,000 acres in public lands.
Today, Texas is the second-largest state by area (after Alaska), and its vast geography matters for politics and policy.
Size and distances:
Longest north–south distance across Texas: 801\text{ miles}
Longest east–west distance: 773\text{ miles}
These distances contrast with distances in other states (e.g., NYC to Charleston vs. NYC to Chicago), illustrating internal diversity and dispersion.
Four physical regions shaping politics (Figure 1.1): Gulf Coastal Plains; Interior Lowlands; Great Plains; Basin and Range Province.
The Gulf Coastal Plains
Extends from the Louisiana border and Gulf of Mexico, along the Rio Grande to Del Rio, north to the Balcones Fault line.
Climate: drier as you move west; forests in the east (pine/hardwood); post oak and prairie lands toward the west, with brushlands in central Texas.
Subregions and economic roles:
East Texas: timber production; oilfields; birthplace of plantation slavery and Jim Crow.
Dallas–Fort Worth region: historical union movement support; growth of liberal Democratic influences in urbanized coastal counties.
Gulf Coastal Plains: post–World War II industrial growth (petrochemicals); urbanization and suburbanization in Houston and Dallas have added dimensions to politics; urban areas trend more Democratic; rural areas tend to be Republican.
Political dynamics: urban/suburban areas trending Democratic; rural areas generally conservative.
The Interior Lowlands
Extension of the lowlands from Canada through the Midwest into Texas; includes the Great Plains westward and the Interior Lowlands features around Dallas–Fort Worth.
Economy: predominantly agricultural in the interior lowlands; western portions include the West Texas Rolling Plains with cattle ranching; conservative politics historically dominant in rural areas.
The Great Plains
Major northern plains city: Amarillo; economy dominated by ranching and petroleum production; conservative political values persist, though urbanization is changing some dynamics.
The Basin and Range Province
Features mountainous terrain (Guadalupe Range, El Capitan); sparse rainfall and population.
Border region (south and east) has strong economic and demographic ties to Mexico; population in this border region is overwhelmingly Latino; the Border region (El Paso, McAllen, Brownsville) has remained a Democratic stronghold in the 21st century.
The Land: Enduring Issues in Texas Land Use and Environment
Privatization and mineral rights shaped development and revenue for education and state programs for more than a century.
Border and interaction with Mexico influenced identity, economic ties, and politics in the Basin and Range Province and border regions.
Economic Change in Texas: Three Waves of Technological Change
Three waves defined and redefined Texas’s economy since its founding:
Cotton and cattle era with extensive railroad networks; downstream effects on labor and politics.
Oil and gas era; transformation of energy, transport, urbanization, and government roles in the economy.
High-tech digital economy era; rapid growth in manufacturing, tech hubs, and global trade integration.
Cotton
Early staple crop; origins trace to missions and Native American land; scale expands after 1821.
19th century: cotton production boomed due to slavery; Texas led in cotton production by the late 19th century.
Tenancy and sharecropping: many farmers became tenants; crop lien system tied farmers to lenders and created dependency and debt cycles.
Social and political consequences: tenant farming and sharecropping spurred rural discontent and movements (Grange, Populists).
20th century shift: decline of cotton’s dominance with mechanization and diversification of the economy; 1980s onward: cotton’s share of the U.S. cotton production declined, though Texas remained a leading producer.
2022 cotton data: ~3.1\text{ million bales} produced; value around 1.3\text{ billion USD}; major exporters include China, Turkey, and Mexico.
Population and land ownership transitions affected politics and rural life; by 1940, 61% of Texas farmers were tenants, falling to 12% by 1987.
Cattle
Ranching and cattle closely linked to cotton eras; origins trace to Spanish colonial era; growth in the 1830s–1860s with cattle drives and railroads.
Today, Texas leads the nation in both livestock and cotton production, though industrial agriculture and agribusiness dominate.
The King Ranch is a famous example; historically large ranches cover thousands of square miles.
Modern shift: farming and ranching relative to other sectors has declined; the rise of agribusiness means fewer people live on farms/ranches.
2022 data: 246,000 farms; 420,000 farms in 1950.
Oil and Gas
Sparked by early oil discoveries (1894 Navarro County; 1901 Spindletop near Beaumont) leading to a Texas oil boom.
Oil and gas transformed Texas: cheaper energy boosted agriculture and manufacturing; spurred urbanization and road construction (I-35, I-45, I-10 forming economic heartland).
The Texas Railroad Commission (est. 1890) regulated oil/gas; expanded to energy regulation in 1917; by the 1930s, allocated production across wells to limit price fluctuations and waste.
Fiscal impact: oil production taxes (severance taxes) began in 1905; numbers grew from 101{,}403 in 1906 to nearly 6{,}000{,}000 in 1929; 2024–25 severance tax forecast around 12.5\text{ billion}; natural gas taxes around 5.3\text{ billion} (with fluctuations in recent years).
20th-century regulatory power and revenue shaped state finance and public services.
1980s decline and 2000s revival: oil/gas industry fluctuated; 2008–present brought new technology (horizontal drilling/fracking) and a Permian Basin resurgence.
Energy policy and environment: boom brought water needs and environmental concerns; ongoing debates about fracking, water use, and environmental protection.
Education funding: oil/gas royalties helped create the Permanent University Fund (PUF); by 2021, PUF held title to ~2.1\text{ million acres} in 24 counties with a market value of about \$32\text{ billion}.
High-Tech Industry
The 1990s saw a manufacturing growth surge tied to high tech; Texas rose from 7th to 2nd largest in U.S. manufacturing employment by the late 1990s.
Austin–San Marcos corridor: Dell, computer chips, PCs; Google, Meta, Flex, Apple, Oracle, IBM among major employers; seven of the area’s top employers are in tech/semiconductor.
Dallas area: major electronics and electronic-equipment companies; Texas Instruments significant.
Houston: renowned for its medical center and expanding biomedical research.
NAFTA, USMCA, and the International Economy
Texas’s economy is highly integrated with global trade, boosted by NAFTA (now USMCA).
2019 Texas exports: 328.9\text{ billion}; 2021: Texas exports represented 20.5\% of all U.S. exports; the Mexico–Canada market absorbed 41.5\% of Texas exports.
Mexico: top importer of Texas goods (~108.2\text{ billion} in 2021; up from 73\text{ billion} in 2012).
Canada: Texas imports from Canada around 28.3\text{ billion} in 2021.
USMCA (2018) replaced NAFTA with updated provisions to protect workers, enhance intellectual property protections, and adjust market access.
Border and immigration: concerns about porous borders influence trade and labor markets; some leaders advocate stricter border policing due to concerns about undocumented workers and security.
The Military in Texas
Military bases have been central to Texas’s economy and development since annexation; Forts in the 19th century, major military installations in WWII, and ongoing base presence.
Notable bases and impact:
Fort Hood: largest active-duty armored post; ~ 36{,}391 active duty personnel; significant regional economic impact (~30\text{ billion} annually).
Fort Bliss: large base spanning Texas and New Mexico; Fort Sam Houston/Lackland/Randolph integrated into Joint Base San Antonio (2010).
Total: about 150{,}000 active-duty/reserve/civilian personnel in Texas.
Military presence has boosted local economies and supported related industries and services.
Population, Demography, and Ethnic Change in Texas
Population growth and urbanization have reshaped political life; the state’s population is increasingly diverse.
1850: population ~210{,}000; enslaved population accounted for >25% of the population.
1900: urbanization still low (approx. 4% urban); by 2020: ~85\% urban.
Population growth factors:
Natural increase (births minus deaths)
International immigration (e.g., from Mexico)
Domestic migration from other states
Growth patterns by era:
2000–2010: natural increase ≈ 55%, international immigration ≈ 23%, domestic migration ≈ 22%
2010–2020: natural increase ≈ 48%, international ≈ 21%, domestic ≈ 31%
2020–2021: international ≈ 7.5%, domestic ≈ 55.3%, natural ≈ 37.2%
Latinos in Texas:
2021: ≈ 11.7\text{ million} Latinos in Texas; about 19% of all Latinos in the U.S.
Historical trend: Latinos concentrated along the border and in border counties; postwar migration to urban centers; growth in San Antonio and El Paso by late 20th century.
Political development: from 1950s–1960s: barriers to participation (White primary, poll tax); post–World War II era saw Latinos gaining political representation (e.g., Henry B. González in 1956; La Raza Unida in the 1960s–70s; growing Latino officeholders by 1980s and 2010s).
2021 NALEO: 1 Latino in U.S. Senate from Texas; 7 in U.S. House; 7 in the Texas Senate; 38 in Texas state legislature; 2,808 Latinos in local offices.
White population and diversity trends:
1950 White share: ≈ 74\% of Texas population.
2023 White statewide share: ≈ 39.8\%; Latino share ≈ 40.2\%; Black ≈ 13.4\%; Asian ≈ 5.7\%; Other/Multiple ≈ 2.3\%.
White population has declined as a share; new White immigration and mobility patterns have diversified the state’s electorate and politics.
Black population:
Early presence tied to slavery and Reconstruction; significant increases in urban areas post–1960s civil rights era; eastern Texas has historically higher Black populations; Houston and Dallas host sizable Black communities and leaders after the 1990s.
Segregation and disenfranchisement (e.g., poll tax, White primary) shaped Black political participation until civil rights reforms in the 1960s.
Asian Americans:
Rapid growth in recent decades; 2020 population ≈ 1.5\text{ million} (≈ 5.2% of Texas population), with clustering in west Houston, Fort Bend, Dallas suburbs, Austin area, and Gulf Coast pockets.
Urbanization and metro areas:
Four major metro areas drive growth and political life: Houston (Harris County), Dallas–Fort Worth (DFW), San Antonio (Bexar), and Austin (Travis).
City profiles (brief):
Houston: largest city in TX; diverse economy (oil, petrochemicals, healthcare, energy equipment); major port hub; urban political shifts toward more Democratic alignments in recent decades.
Dallas–Fort Worth: large, diversified economy; tech and manufacturing presence; political dynamics vary by county and suburb.
San Antonio: large Latino majority; military, education, tourism, and biomedical research drive job growth; lower per-capita incomes relative to Houston/Dallas.
Austin: government hub, UT Austin, and a thriving high-tech corridor; rapid population growth and high per-capita income; strong liberal/progressive political currents in urban core.
Poverty and wealth:
1990 per-capita income: 17{,}455; 2022 per-capita income: 62{,}586.
2019 poverty rate: 13.4\% of Texas population.
Age structure:
2020: about 32.4\% of the population under 18; 12.9\% aged 65 or older (compared with national figures of 28.3% and 16.5%, respectively).
Racial and ethnic diversity in the state has implications for political power, policy priorities (education, health care, border policy), and demographic projections (Latino growth, aging White population, Asian growth).
Confederate Monuments in Texas (Citizen’s Guide)
Why memory matters: historical memory shapes political culture; debates over what to remember and how to remember can unite or divide.
Timeline of monuments and memory:
Civil War memory was contested during the Civil Rights era (1950s–1960s); monuments to the Confederacy proliferated earlier in the 20th century with the Lost Cause narrative.
2017: Dallas removed a Confederate statue of Robert E. Lee; debates continued about monuments on state property.
2019: debates culminated in legislation to standardize monument policies; the Texas Senate passed a bill to regulate removal of monuments >40 years old; the bill died in the House committee.
2020–2022: George Floyd protests reignited debates about Confederate symbols; 2022 counts show 242 Confederate memorials/symbols in Texas public spaces (monuments, highways, school names, county names).
Numbers by dedication year (selected): Pre-1880: 12; 1880–99: 15; 1900–39: 93; 1940–69: 29; 1970–2015: 7; Unknown: 92.
Debate questions posed to readers:
Should Confederate monuments be removed from public spaces?
Who should decide: local governments or the state?
What other solutions might address concerns about glorifying the Confederacy in public memorials?
Resources: Texas Historical Commission, Baylor University, SPLC, etc. (recommended readings).
The Great Plains, Border Regions, and the Continental Outlook
The Great Plains region features the heartland of agriculture and cattle with Amarillo as a major city; oil and ranching play significant roles; rural conservatism persists, though urbanization is shifting some politics.
The Border region has strong cross-border ties with Mexico and a predominantly Latino population; this region has remained a Democratic stronghold in the 21st century due to demographic changes and urban political dynamics.
How Texas Compares with the Nation
Texas and the nation share urbanization trends, but Texas is notably more diverse and younger; Texas compares to states like California in terms of racial/ethnic diversity but differs in the composition and growth patterns of Latinos and Asians.
Table 1.2 (Race/Ethnicity in Texas and Largest Counties, 2023):
Texas statewide: White ≈ 39.8\%\,* Black ≈ 13.4\% Latino ≈ 40.2\% Asian ≈ 5.7\% Multiple Races ≈ 2.3\% Total population ≈ 30{,}029{,}572.
Harris County (Houston): White ≈ 27.1\%; Black ≈ 20.6\%; Latino ≈ 44.6\%; Asian ≈ 7.5\%.
Dallas County: White ≈ 26.8\%; Black ≈ 23.9\%; Latino ≈ 41.5\%; Asian ≈ 7.2\%.
Tarrant County (Fort Worth): White ≈ 42.8\%; Black ≈ 19.0\%; Latino ≈ 30.5\%; Asian ≈ 6.2\%; Multiple ≈ 2.8\%.
Hidalgo County: White ≈ 5.7\%; Black ≈ 1.0\%; Latino ≈ 92.5\%; Asian ≈ 1.1\%.
El Paso: White ≈ 11.2\%; Black ≈ 4.4\%; Latino ≈ 82.9\%; Asian ≈ 1.5\%.
Urbanization: by the 21st century, 85% of Texans live in urban areas; suburban growth continues; urban areas have become more Democratic, while rural areas remain Republican-leaning.
Regional diversity in political culture and voting patterns complicates statewide politics and policy choices (e.g., border policy, immigration, education, and social issues).
Key Takeaways for Texas Politics
Texas’s political culture is best understood as a tapestry of traditionalistic and individualistic elements, with significant regional variation and evolving demographics.
Three enduring patterns shaped politics for a century: one-party dominance, provincialism, and business influence; these patterns interact with rapid urbanization and demographic shifts to produce a dynamic political landscape.
Geography and land policy—private land privatization, mineral rights, and large-scale privatization—have funded education and shaped development and policy priorities.
The oil-and-gas economy, followed by a high-tech, globally connected economy, has redefined state finances, regulatory structures, and political power.
Immigration and demographic change, especially the growth of the Latino population and increasing urbanization, are redefining political coalitions and policy priorities for both major parties.
The debate over Confederate monuments highlights ongoing tensions between historical memory, public policy, and community values.
The future of Texas politics will be driven by demographic transformations, economic diversification, and evolving national and international trade relationships, with Latinos expected to play an increasingly central role in political life.
{216{,}000{,}000} acres of land claimed by Texas at the republic’s founding; {350{,}000} square miles in area; longest internal distances: 801\text{ miles} (N-S) and 773\text{ miles} (E-W). Major tax and revenue figures include severance taxes projected at 12.5\text{ billion} for 2024–25 and natural gas taxes at 5.3\text{ billion}; oil production taxes began at $101{,}403 in 1906 and rose to nearly $6{,}000{,}000 in 1929. The Permanent University Fund (PUF) held about 2.1 million acres with a market value near $32{,}000{,}000{,}000 in 2021. Population shares and changes use figures such as White ≈ 39.8%, Latino ≈ 40.2%, Black ≈ 13.4%, Asian ≈ 5.7% in 2023; 2020 urban share ≈ 85%. Latinos in Texas: ≈ 11.7 million in 2021; more than 1 in 5 Latinos in the U.S. reside in Texas. Per-capita income rose from $17{,}455 in 1990 to $62{,}586 in 2022, with poverty at $13.4\% in 2019.