Chapter 1 – The Struggle for Texas: Demographics, Culture, and Political Power

Learning Objectives 1.1 Describe the settlement history of Texas 1.2 Assess the impact industries have made to the Texas economy from 1860 to today 1.3 Analyze how the changing demographics of the state affect government 1.4 Examine the source and impact of political culture in Texas

The Origins of Texas Native Americans Spanish Settlers Arrived 10,000 before Europeans Competed for land Disease and conflict with European settlers diminished population Spanish Settlers Glory, God, and Gold Established missions and military posts Protect against French settlers in Louisiana

The Origins of Texas Tejanos Anglos Mexican Texans Worked in ranching communities Embraced ayuniamiento (local self-government) Anglos Settlers from United States Empresarios granted the right to settle new land American settlers Immigration stopped 1830

The Origins of Texas Tejanos and Anglos African-Americans Friction immediately Both demanded independence Tejanos lacked direct representation after revolution African-Americans Brought to Texas as “contract labor” Population 38,753 after independence Slave codes before and after Civil War Freedmantowns heart of community

Continuity and Change in the Texas Economy Economy ranked tenth in the world Home to six of the top fifty companies in Fortune 500 Gross State Product second highest in the United States Balanced economy sustains stable growth Diverse industry Prior to 1980s Dependent on natural resources Oil and gas Created the “Big Rich” Oil prices dropped economic diversity promoted

Continuity and Change in the Texas Economy Food and Fiber (agriculture) East: corn, timber West: sorghum Northern High Plains: wheat South: citrus Coastal Prairies: rice King Cotton (most prominent crop) Fuel (energy) King Cattle, sheep and goats

Continuity and Change in the Texas Economy Manufacturing (second only to California) Military and Defense Industries (fifteen military bases) High Tech (“Silicon Hills” in Austin) Healthcare (Texas Medical Center) Recreation and Retirement (tops $70 billion)

Continuity and Change in the Texas Economy “Texas Miracle” 2001-2008 Jobs grew Public employment “McJobs” Median family income not increased Critics of Texas Miracle claims Underfunded public schools Lack of aces to heath care Underinvestment in transportation infrastructure Gap between rich and poor is large Fifth from top nationally in income inequality

Continuity and Change in The Texas Demographics State Population Growth Urbanization Suburbanization Implications of Population Shifts Challenges of Population Growth Infrastructure Affordable Housing Water Use Health Care Energy Use

Continuity and Change in The Texas Demographics Racial and Ethnic Trends in Texas Segregation Challenges of Shifting Racial and Ethnic Trends Education Income Housing An Aging State and its Challenges Income Security Medicaid Safety

Continuity and Change in Texas Political Culture Political Culture: shared values and practices held by people that informs their expectations of government and their vision of a just society. These sentiments give meaning to the political process and help explain political behavior

Continuity and Change in Texas Political Culture Individualistic Political Culture Personal achievement Individual freedom Individual Enterprise Loyalty to self Government accountable for protection of basic rights Minimal government Distrust of Government Trust in the Free Market

Continuity and Change in Texas Political Culture Traditionalistic Political Culture Maintain order and a hierarchical set of political elites largely determine public policy Law and Order (priority) Support death penalty Strict adherence to a fair and adequate criminal justice system and swift enforcement of laws Religion and Traditional Family Values support church and family structure Texans attend church often

Continuity and Change in Texas Political Culture Culture Conflicts College Funding Government should maintain equal playing field College education critical to individual advancement and building skilled workforce College is expensive and all groups should receive opportunity Morals and Money Taxes kept low (individualistic value) Some activities should be prohibited (traditionalistic value) Gambling Illicit drugs

Texas Takeaways Texas was first settled by Native Americans battling for territory and being pushed by other tribes and pulled by the roaming buffalo, then by the Spanish explorers looking for an expanded empire, then by the Mexican government anxious to provide a buffer between them and the United States. Texans revolted against Mexico because of anger over halted Anglo immigration, few legal rights, higher taxation, and a general sense of self-sufficiency If Texas were an independent nation, its economy would be ranked 10th in the world. Its 2014 gross state product (the sum of all goods and service produced in a state) topped $1.7 trillion, the second highest in the United States

Texas Takeaways The Texas economy has gone through several boom and bust cycles-first cotton and cattle, then energy (primarily oil), then manufacturing, then (again) energy (natural gas especially The “Texas Miracle” is what some have called the Texas economy from 2001 to 2008, which experienced a major boom: low unemployment, low inflation, and growing state coffers. The economy was not rosy for everyone, however, as many jobs were low income and many residents lacked access to health care Texas had the largest increase in population (more than 4 million people) of any state in the union. Even other large states like California and Florida did not add population as rapidly as Texas between 2000 and 2010

Texas Takeaways Texas’s recent population growth is younger, more Hispanic, and more urban not than in the past 10 years Pressure is on the state to educate a diverse population, a strain on state health funds for aging Texans, protecting equal opportunity housing, and ensuring racial tolerance are all challenges the state faces as the demographics change Political culture in Texas, according to political scientist Daniel Elazar’s analysis, involves two primary value dimensions: individualistic and traditionalistic Texans are religious, favor minimal government, approve of the free market, and embrace law and order. These values shape political beliefs on several issues like abortion, state spending, and illegal drugs