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CHAPTER 1
The Environment of Texas Politics


LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1.
Evaluate the meaning of power, politics, and public policy in the role of government.
2.
Describe the basic character of political culture and identify the two dominant political
cultures in Texas.
3.
Explain how the geography of Texas has fostered the development and growth of four
land-based industries and trace the development of each industry.
4.
Analyze the impact of the 2011 drought on the Texas economy.
5.
Compare the major racial and ethnic groups in Texas and the opportunities and
challenges presented by their growth rates.
6.
Identify the major challenges Texas faces in more effectively addressing immigration,
protecting the environment, developing educational programs, and formulating policies
for combating poverty and social problems.
SUMMARY OVERVIEW
Texas faces many challenges due to its enormous geographic size, its ever-growing population,
and issues involving immigration, education, pollution, and poverty. While these challenges exist,
individualistic and traditionalistic political cultures dominate in the state of Texas, which inhibit
response to social programs, and result in a political environment resistant to regulation. The
individualistic political culture prevalent in Texas maintains a belief in social and economic
conservatism, while the traditionalistic political culture in Texas has helped keep Texas a oneparty state. Texas ranks second in size to Alaska, and its geography has impacted the politics and
economy of this state. In the past, the economy was centered on cotton, cattle and crude. While
agriculture, livestock and oil continue to play a large role in the economy of Texas, hightechnology jobs and the service sector are now playing a greater role. The population of Texas
has steadily increased since it became a state, and that trend remains unchanged. Texas’s
population continues to grow each and every decade at a higher rate than the overall U.S.
average. Furthermore, the population is concentrated in urban areas across the state. Texas is
becoming more ethnically diverse with Anglos comprising 45 percent of the population. The
Latino population continues to grow while the African-American, Asian-American and NativeAmerican populations remain steady. As the number of ethnic minorities grow, so too does their
political and policymaking power.
Copyright © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.
2
Chapter 1: The Environment of Texas Politics

CHAPTER OUTLINE
I.
Political Behavior Patterns
To effectively participate in Texas politics, one must understand political action. Most of
the 25 million people in Texas participate—if by doing nothing more than hearing other
people talk about government and politics.
A.
Government, Politics, and Public Policy
Government is a public institution that has the authority to establish public
policy and allocate values in a society. Politics is the key to public policy. Public
policy is a product of political activity that may involve both conflict and
cooperation among legislators, between legislators and the governor, within the
courts, and among various governmental agencies, citizens, and others. The
general public determines the acceptability of public policy.
B.
Political Culture
The values, attitudes, traditions, habits, and general behavioral patterns that
develop over time and shape the politics of a particular region or state are called
political culture. Political culture is constantly changing as these characteristics
change. There are three distinct cultures that exist in the United States:
moralistic, individualistic, and traditionalistic. Texas is considered to be
predominately individualistic.
The moralistic culture views government as a force for good and places trust in
it because citizens hold government accountable. Although this culture has
spread from New England to the Pacific Northwest, it has had little foothold in
Texas.
Individualistic culture grew out of westward expansion throughout the nineteenth
century. The individualistic culture does not consider government a vehicle for
creating a just society and believes government intervention into public life
should be limited. Today, the individualistic culture is found in a majority of the
midwestern and western states.
The Old South influences Texas politics, where conservatism, elitism, and oneparty politics were long entrenched. Traditionalistic culture emphasizes the
prevailing social order and views government as a vehicle to maintain the status
quo and hierarchy. This is the dominant political culture throughout the south.
C.
Texas Political Culture
The political culture of Texas was established over a long period of time and was
developed under the flags of six national governments. In addition, Texas’
experience as an independent republic also played a large role in the shaping of
its political culture
1.
Texas Individualism. The political culture of Texas is strongly
individualistic and those roots can be traced to the frontier experience
of the early nineteenth century. Because of the hardships faced by many
early Texans, many of today’s Texans view themselves as being more
independent and self-reliant than most Americans. There is widespread
dislike and distrust of government, and many Texans would rather take
care of things themselves than rely on government to do it for them. The
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Chapter 1: The Environment of Texas Politics
3
1995 statute allowing Texans to carry concealed handguns is a reflection
of its individualistic political culture.
II.
2.
Texas Traditionalism. Many of today’s Texans are descendants of those
who lived here when the plantation system thrived and when much of the
state’s wealth was concentrated in the hands of a few families. As a
result, the traditionalistic influence of the Old South still lingers and is
evident in the racist views held by some, and in the state’s social and
economic conservatism.
3.
A Changing Culture? While individualism and traditionalism have
dominated in Texas since the nineteenth century, demographics are
changing and so, too, might Texas’ political culture. Since the 1979s,
Texas has seen an influx from other areas of the nation and even other
countries.
The Land
Texas’s diversity is reflected in the variety of geographic features of the Lone Star State.

How Do We Compare…in Area?
A.
The Politics of Geography
The vast size of Texas and its physical geography have influenced the politics
and policies of the state.
B.
1.
Size. Texas has more than 267,000 square miles of territory making it
second only to Alaska in square miles. Due to its great size, public policy
is affected. For example, there are more than 222,000 miles of roadways
in the state.
2.
Regions. Texas is a land where four major physiographic regions of
North America—the Gulf Coastal Plains, the Interior Lowlands, the
Great Plains, and the Basin and Range Province—come together.
Economic Geography
The foundation of the early economy of Texas rested with industries based on the
land—cattle, cotton, and oil.
1.
Cattle. The cattle industry thrived on plentiful land, open range, and the
relative absence of governmental regulation. Currently Texas leads the
nation in cattle production with an inventory of 13.8 million cattle
(including 425,000 dairy cows), more than twice as many as the next
largest producer.
2.
Cotton. Cotton has been an important crop in Texas since before the
Civil War. Texas produces almost half of the nation’s supply and
nearly one-tenth of the entire world’s cotton supply.
3.
Timber. Timber has played a large role in the economy of Texas since
the mid-1800s. By the end of the twentieth century, Texas was the
nation’s tenth largest timber producer; however, the drought and
consequential wildfires that occurred in 2011 have negatively impacted
timber production in our state.
4.
Oil. For most of the twentieth century, Texas’s leading industry was oil
but today the oil and gas industry accounts for less than 6 percent of the
state’s economy. The influence of this industry on Texas politics is much
Copyright © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.
4
Chapter 1: The Environment of Texas Politics
less now than what it was at the middle of the last century. Increasing
environmental concerns about oil spills and emissions have impacted the
Texas oil industry, which is regulated by the Railroad Commission of
Texas (RRC).
III.
The People
The population of Texas is rapidly increasing and is one of the most ethnically diverse in
the United States. In fact, since 1850 Texas has seen its population grown more rapidly
than the overall population of the United States.
A.
Demographic Features
As of 2011, the population of Texas totaled 25,674,681, which was an increase of
23 percent from the 2000 census total.

How Do We Compare…in Population?
B.
1.
Population Distribution. The diversity of the state is reflected by the
great contrasts in population—from the almost four million inhabitants
of Harris County to the 82 inhabitants of Loving County. Population
shifts in the 1990s reflected a continued movement from rural to urban
and from large cities to suburbs.
2.
Urbanization. Although long perceived to be rural, Texas has
become a predominantly urban state as people move to where the jobs
are. Texas was 80 percent rural at the beginning of the twentieth
century; by 1970 it was 80 percent urban. Today, 85 percent of
Texans live in urban areas.
3.
Metropolitanization. Metropolitanization concentrates large numbers of
people in urban centers, which become linked in a single geographic
entity. Texas’s metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas
(MSAs) contain more than 80 percent of the state’s population but less
than 20 percent of the 254 counties. This plays a significant role in the
legislature where those 48 counties account for about four of every five
votes cast.
Racial/Ethnic Groups
Texas is one of the most ethnically diverse states in the nation, with minorities
constituting more than 50 percent of its population. Texas has become a
“majority-minority” state; in other words, the number of Hispanics, Asians,
Native Americans, and African Americans combined is greater than Anglos.
1.
Anglos. The Anglo population is numerically the largest and has been
the largest in Texas for the last century and a half. According to the 2010
census, Anglos make of 45 percent of the state’s population. Although
Anglos have lost majority status, they continue to dominate government,
economic, and social institutions.
2.
Latinos. The Latino population is the largest ethnic minority group
in Texas and has contributed a rich heritage to the state. The
9.5 million Latinos in Texas compose more than one-third of the total
population and more than 84 percent of Latinos in Texas are of
Mexican origin. Their greatest proportion is in South Texas, but it is
increasing throughout the state. Latinos have been gaining political
power in Texas as evidenced by the more than 2,300 Latino-elected
Copyright © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.
Chapter 1: The Environment of Texas Politics
5
officials across Texas, which is the largest number of any state in the
United States.
IV.
3.
African Americans. The African-American population of Texas is
large in number and has migrated to the urban areas, especially to
Harris County, where its influence on local politics is great. They
number 2.8 million and compose more than 11 percent of the total
population. Houston and East Texas have over half of Texas’s
African-American population.
4.
Asian Americans. There are 948.000 people of Asian descent in
Texas. Most Asian Americans live in the state’s largest urban centers
including Houston and the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. While Asian
Americans account for less than 4 percent of the state’s total
population, they continue to add to the rich diversity of Texas.
5.
Native Americans. It is estimated that approximately 170,000 Native
Americans call Texas home. Although today small in number, Native
Americans have had a very strong influence on the development of
Texas. There are only three reservations in the state. Casino gambling
on their property remains controversial.
Searching for New Economic Directions
The economy, once dominated by landownership, is now diversifying. Texas has become
a middle-class state, similar to the remainder of the nation. The decline in oil prices has
spurred Texas to actively recruit new businesses. This has been a very successful effort.
Not only are new businesses coming to Texas, they are thriving. In 2010, Texas tied
California in the number of Fortune 500 companies. Houston and Dallas are second and
third on the list of cities with the most Fortune 500 companies, after New York City.
A.
Energy
Texas has some of the largest energy-related corporations in the United States.
Companies like Exxon-Mobil and ConocoPhillips lead the pack. Exploration for
cleaner sources of energy has resulted in reaction to environmental concerns.
Natural gas is one the options being sought and as a result, hydraulic fracturing
has become commonplace across the state with more than 216,000 active wells.
Wind-generated power is another alternative energy source being developed and
accounted for 8 percent of the state’s electricity in 2008.
B.
High Technology
High technology applies to research, development, manufacturing, and
marketing of electronic products. In 2005, the Emerging Technology Fund was
created, providing $200 million to invest in emerging technology, but hightechnology businesses employ less than 6 percent of the labor force in Texas.
Even though that is a small percentage, Texas ranks second only to California in
the size of its high-technology workforce.
C.
Biotechnology
The number of biotech jobs has increased four times faster than the overall
increase in employment in Texas, and there are more than 4,500 biotechnology
firms across the state.
D.
Services
One of the fastest-growing economic sectors in Texas is the service industry,
employing one-fourth of all Texas workers. Various service industries have
Copyright © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.
6
Chapter 1: The Environment of Texas Politics
provided many new jobs in Texas, but most of these jobs pay low wages. One
segment of the service industry, health care, has seen steady growth in
employment due to the aging population of the state, the availability and use of
new medical procedures, and the rapidly increasing cost of prescription drugs and
other medical services.
V.
E.
Agriculture
Texas overall is second in the nation in agricultural production. Texas also leads
the nation in many agricultural categories and exports many of its products. Of
concern to Texas policymakers is the fact that the value-added segment of
agriculture—processing—is done outside the state. Texas agriculture is a $16
billion industry.
F.
Trade
More than 60 percent of U.S. exports to Mexico are produced in Texas or
transported through the Lone Star State from other states. The North American
Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was passed in 1993. By reducing and then
eliminating tariffs over a fifteen-year period, the agreement stimulated U.S. trade
with both Canada and Mexico. Recent political and economic crises have raised
serious questions concerning the future of NAFTA, namely the escalating
violence along the border involving drug gangs.
Meeting New Challenges: Social and Economic Policy Issues
This century will see Texans faced with public policy decisions concerning
environmental protection, public and higher education, immigration, and the restructuring
of the Texas economy.
A.
Immigration: Federal and State Problems
Congress has attempted to reduce the flow of undocumented aliens by penalizing
employers and by adding more enforcement personnel. The 1996 reform of
federal immigration legislation continued this trend. In 2006, the federal
government began constructing 700 miles of fencing along the border from
California to Texas. Although legislation has been enacted at the federal level to
address the issue of undocumented aliens, this issue continues to be a major
controversy in Texas and the nation.

Students in Action: One Family’s Story of Immigration
B.
Water
The state likely does not have enough water to meet projected population
increases, meeting only an estimated 65 percent of demand in 2060. While
conservation and alternative management are probably the only way to meet
rising demand for water, the Texas legislature failed to pass legislation that
would create the first permanent funding source for the state’s water plan
in 2011.

Point/Counterpoint: Should Fracking Be Continued?
C.
Environmental Protection
Poor air quality and impure water are causing serious health problems for many
Texans. Texas leads the nation in hazardous waste generated, air pollution
emissions, amount of carbon dioxide emissions and greenhouse gases released,
amount of toxic chemicals released into water, and amount of recognized cancercausing carcinogens released into air.
Copyright © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.
Chapter 1: The Environment of Texas Politics
VI.
7
D.
Education and Economic Development
Texas is ranked at the bottom of the states in education and in the literacy of its
residents. Both students and teachers are dropping out in significant numbers.
Every year, approximately one-fifth of teachers in Texas quit. Students are not
developing the literacy skills they need to compete and approximately one out of
every three Texans cannot read or write well enough to complete a job
application. Despite these difficulties, the Texas legislature cut education funding
by $5.4 billion in 2011.
E.
Poverty and Social Problems
Texas faces a number of social problems including high numbers of children
living in poverty and in single-parent homes, births to unwed teenagers, juvenile
arrests, and violent acts committed by teenagers and preadolescents. Texas
continues to rank near the bottom of the fifty states in governmental response to
poverty and social problems.
Conclusion
As demographics, economies, and environmental conditions change in Texas,
policymakers and citizens face a variety of challenges.


CRITICAL THINKING QUESTIONS
1.
How did living life on the frontier impact the current individualistic political culture that
dominates in Texas today?
2.
How is Texas going to meet the increased demands placed on it by the ever-growing
population? How will the traditionalistic and individualistic political cultures make it
difficult to meet those challenges?
LECTURE LAUNCHERS
1.
In class, go to the following website: http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/48000.html.
This website provides an overview of 2010 census data for the state of Texas. Show
students the overall demographic changes that occurred in the state since the 2000 census.
Then, click on counties, and look at your current county to see the changes that occurred
as well. Ask your students if they found any of the information surprising. If not, why
not? If so, why so?
2.
Due to our ever-growing population and the recent droughts Texas has experienced,
water conservation has come to the forefront in Texas politics. Discuss the impact the
recent drought has had on the state of Texas in terms of the economy, agriculture,
forestry, and wildlife. Visit the following website of the Texas Water Resources Institute
to help facilitate this discussion: http://twri.tamu.edu/. Be sure to click on the tab
“Publications.” There you will find up-to-date information about current drought
conditions across the state. Get your students to begin thinking how the state can best
address this problem. Should Texas focus on conservation, building more reservoirs, or
all of the above?
Copyright © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.
8
Chapter 1: The Environment of Texas Politics

IN-CLASS ACTIVITIES

1.
Establish a discussion on political culture. Allow the class to identify how they got the
values they hold in order to see the diversity.
2.
Assign the class a research paper on one of the defined regions of the state.
3.
Have students read selected chapters on the moralistic, individualistic, and traditionalistic
political cultures in Daniel J. Elazar’s American Federalism: A View from the States
(New York: Thomas Y. Crowell, 1972). Divide the class into five groups (one for each of
Texas’s five regions), and assign each group the task of determining the political culture
and the reasons for this culture for each region.
4.
The first chapter of Robert Caro’s The Years of Lyndon Johnson: The Path to Power
(New York: Random House, 1981) provides an excellent description of the Texas Hill
Country and the early settlers of this area. Have your students read this chapter, view the
film Lone Star: Living the Legend, and write a paper comparing the image with
the reality.
5.
Have students read the following article from the Texas Observer:
(http://www.texasobserver.org/cover-story/whose-water-is-it-anyway). Have them write a
response paper discussing their reaction to the article.
6.
Watch the following segment of 60 minutes in class:
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F01eO2GTbQg&feature=related). Discuss how this
could affect NAFTA, immigration policy, and Texas’s own political culture and policies.
7.
Watch the following video from Houston PBS:
(http://www.houstonpbs.org/shows/localproductions/rwb/1120-as-texas-goes.html). This
will launch a discussion of our current political culture, current issues faced by Texas,
and how Texas’s large geographical size and population can impact national politics.
KEY TERMS
African American A racial classification indicating African ancestry.
alien A person who is neither a national nor a citizen of the country where he or she is living.
Anglo A term commonly used in Texas to identify non–Latino white people.
Asian American A term used to identify people of Asian ancestry (such as Chinese,
Vietnamese, Korean).
Basin and Range Province An arid region in West Texas that includes the Davis Mountains, Big
Bend National Park, and El Paso.
combined statistical area(CSA) A geographic entity consisting of two or more adjacent core-based
statistical areas.
“Jim Crow” laws “Jim Crow” laws were ethnically discriminatory laws that segregated African
Americans and denied them access to public services for many decades after the Civil War.
frontier experience Coping with danger, physical hardships, and economic challenges tested the
endurance of 19th-century Texans and contributed to the development of individualism.
government A public institution with authority to allocate values by formulating, adopting, and
implementing public policies.
Copyright © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.
Chapter 1: The Environment of Texas Politics
9
Great Plains A large area in West Texas extending from Oklahoma to Mexico, this region is an
extension of the Great High Plains of the United States.
Gulf Coastal Plains Stretching from the Louisiana border to the Rio Grande, this area is an
extension of the Gulf Coastal Plains of the United States.
high technology Technology that applies to research, development, manufacturing, and marketing
of computers and other electronic products.
individualistic culture This culture looks to government to maintain a stable society but with
minimum intervention in the lives of the people.
Interior Lowlands This region covers the North Central Plains of Texas extending from the Dallas–
Fort Worth Metroplex westward to the Abilene area and northward to the Wichita Falls area.
Latino This is an ethnic classification of Mexican Americans and others of Latin American origin.
When applied to females, the term is Latina.
maquiladoras An assembly plant that uses cheap labor and is located on the Mexican side of the
U.S.–Mexican border.
metropolitan division County or group of counties within a core based statistical area that contains
a core with a population of at least 2.5 million.
metropolitan statistical area (MSA) A freestanding urban area with a minimum total population
of 50,000.
metropolitanization Concentration of people in urban centers that become linked.
micropolitan statistical area (MSA) An area that has at least one urban cluster with a population of
at least 10,000, but less than 50,000.
moralistic culture This culture influences people to view political participation as their duty and to
expect that government will be used to advance the public good.
Native American A descendent of the first Americans, who were called indios by Spanish explorers
and Indians by Anglo settlers who arrived later.
North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) An agreement among the United States,
Mexico, and Canada designed to expand trade among the three countries by reducing and
then eliminating tariffs over a 15-year period.
patrón system A type of boss rule that has dominated areas of South Texas.
physical regions An area identified by unique geographic features, such as the Gulf Coastal Plains
and the Great Plains.
political culture Attitudes, habits, and general behavior patterns that develop over time and affect
the political life of a state or region.
political inefficacy The inability to influence the nomination and election of candidates and the
decision making of governing bodies. In Texas, this has been a major problem for minorities
and low-income groups.
politics The process of policymaking that involves conflict between political parties and other
groups that seek to elect government officials, or to influence those officials when they make
public policy, such as enacting and interpreting laws.
population shifts Within Texas, changes in population density have featured demographic
movements from rural to urban areas and from large cities to suburbs and back.
Copyright © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.
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Chapter 1: The Environment of Texas Politics
public policy Government action designed to meet a public need or goal as determined by a
legislative body or other authorized officials.
Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) A popularly elected, three member commission primarily
engaged in regulating natural gas and petroleum production.
Spindletop Field Located near Beaumont, this oil field sparked a boom in 1901 that made Texas a
leading petroleum producer.
suburbanization Growth of relatively small towns and cities, usually incorporated but outside the
corporate limits of a central city.
Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) A board that conducts statewide water planning as
mandated by state law.
traditionalistic culture A product of the Old South, this culture uses government as a means of
preserving the status quo and its leadership.
undocumented alien
A person who enters the United States in violation of federal
immigration laws.
urbanization Migration of people from rural areas to cities.

WEB LINKS
Alabama Coushatta (http://www.alabama-coushatta.com/). The official website of the AlabamaCoushatta tribe.
National Weather Service, Southern Region Headquarters (http://www.srh.noaa.gov). This is the
National Weather Service’s home page for the Fort Worth Southern Regional Headquarters. It
contains information on the state’s climate.
Office of the United States Trade Representation (http://www.ustr.gov/trade-agreements/freetrade-agreements/north-american-free-trade-agreement-nafta). This website provides an
overview of NAFTA and the impact it has had on trade.
PBS (http://www.pbs.org/search/?q=texas+history&mediatype=Video). Worst Drought in Texas
History as covered by PBS News Hour.
Texas Politics: Video (http://www.laits.utexas.edu/txp_media/pr/speaker_series_files/video_pages/
200904_bjordan.html). “When Barbara Jordan Talked, We Listened” This video was part of the
Speaker Series hosted by the University of Texas at Austin Libraries and is devoted to the topic
of Barbara Jordan, who in 1972 became the first African American since the Reconstruction era
to represent Texas in Congress.
Texas State Data Center (http://txsdc.utsa.edu/). This site contains population statistics and
projections.
Texas State Historical Association (http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/pkaan).
This website is a page from the Texas Handbook Online that discusses the history of African
Americans in our state.
Texas State Historical Association (http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/pqmue).
This website is a page from the Texas Handbook Online that discusses the history of Mexican
Americans in our state.
Texas Tribune: Texas Politics (http://www.laits.utexas.edu/txp_media/pr/speaker_series_files/
video_pages/201102_murdock.html). Change in Texas: Implications of the 2010 Census. This
Copyright © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.
Chapter 1: The Environment of Texas Politics
11
video captures a discussion held by Professor Steve H. Murdock of Rice University who also
serves as the Director of the Hobby Center for the Study of Texas also housed at Rice University.
Texas Water Development Board (http://www.twdb.state.tx.us/). The stated mission of the Texas
Water Development Board is as follows, “To provide leadership, planning, financial assistance,
information, and education for the conservation and responsible development of water for Texas.”
Tigua Indians: Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo (http://www.ysletadelsurpueblo.org/). The official website
of the Tigua tribe.
Time Photos (http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1651420,00.html). Hosted by Time
Magazine, this website contains a photo essay documenting the drug war in Mexico.
United States Census Bureau (http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/48000.html). An overview
of the 2010 census data for the state of Texas. Information for each Texas county is also
accessible from this page.
Window on State Government: Susan Combs, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
(http://www.window.state.tx.us/specialrpt/tif/population.html). A page from the official
website of the State Comptroller, it provides an in-depth look at the impact the increasing
population is having on the state in the areas of water, energy, transportation, education,
and economic development.

INSTRUCTOR RESOURCES
Brady, Marilyn Dell. The Asian Texans. College Station, TX: Texas A&M UP, 2004. Print.
Cunningham, Sean. Cowboy Conservatism: Texas and the Rise of the Modern Right. Lexington,
KY: UP of Kentucky, 2010. Print.
Fehernbach, T.R. Lone Star: A History of Texas and Texans. New York: Wings Books,
1991. Print
Immigration Reform. One of a series from The Constitution: That Delicate Balance, co-produced
by the American Political Science Association. Films Incorporated, Chicago, Illinois.
Living the Legend. One of a series from Lone Star. Public Broadcasting Service.
Maril, Robert Lee. The Fence: National Security, Public Safety, and Illegal Immigration along
the U.S.-Mexico Border. Lubbock, TX: Texas Tech UP, 2011. Print.
McEnteer, James. Deep in the Heart: the Texas Tendency in American Politics. Westport, CT:
Praeger, 2004. Print.
McKenzie, Phyllis. The Mexican Texans. College Station, TX: Texas A&M UP, 2004. Print.
Texas: More Than a State of Mind. Check the Regional Education Service Center.
(http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online). Hosted by the Texas State Historical Association,
this is the electronic version of the Handbook of Texas. Topics can be found by simply searching
for terms or by using the helpful menu on the left side of the screen where they have been
organized into different categories.
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Chapter 1: The Environment of Texas Politics
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