Review Questions Physical Setting Regions, rivers, cities, and features listed on practice map Rainfall patterns- east/west Major aquifers and problems associated with each Water supply problems and associated issues Impact of size of state on politics of Texas
Regions
Texas Rivers
Rivers Cities
Texas Features Texas Features S Galveston Matagorta Penn. Matagorta Isl Mustang / St Joseph Padre Island
Major Aquifers
Historical Settlement 1. Spanish-missions/forts, attempt to convert and make Native Americans agricultural 2. Mexico-land grants to Anglos who would agree to becoming Mexican citizens, Roman Catholic, and learning to speak Spanish 3. Settlement of Anglos- primarily from upper South Tenn, Ky, MO a) Early arrivals 1814 b) Land Grants c) Brazos and Colorado Valleys- cotton agriculture
Texas Economy Periods of economic development 1820-1860’s- cotton/subsistence/ trade 1865-1901- cotton/cattle/grain/trade 1901-1920’s- cotton/petroleum/refining 1920-1980’s- petroleum/natural gas/sulfur/chemical, agriculture 1980’s-present- high tech/biomedical/trade/government/service
Review Questions Population Population totals and growth rate Racial/ethnic distribution (current & projected) Urban/Suburban/Rural- patterns of growth Impact of water supply/transportation on future growth
Educational Relatively low levels of investment in public education (40th per capita spending) Bottom quartile in graduation/performance ratings of public school graduates Significant investment in higher education
Political Culture Definition- a shared system of values, beliefs, and habits of behavior with regard to government and politics.
Factors in Texas Political Culture Size of state & geographical isolation until 20th Century History: Independent Republic Mix of Old South & Western Cultures Reconstruction Extreme conservatism: social, economic, religious, political State patriotism
Texas Constitution History of Texas Constitutions Philosophies of constitutions- rationalistic vs realistic Efforts to revise Texas Constitution 1971-1975 Reasons for failure Future of revision efforts Piecemeal amendments Growing crisis of governmental efficiency