Texas Political Culture

Political culture, according to the text, “consists of the values, attitudes, traditions, habits, and general behavioral patterns that develop over time and shape the politics and public policy of a particular region.” Political culture is important as it provides a background for political experiences. Political scientist Daniel Elazar identified three forms of cultures that are apart of U.S. and Texas: moralistic, individualistic, and traditionalistic.1 Moralistic culture is rooted in New England Puritanism, where people view the government should promote the public good and it is the citizens’ duty to be active in governmental decisions.1 On the opposite end, the individualistic culture viewed the government as an “adversary that taxed and

regulated them.” Because of this, individualistic culture aims at limiting the government’s size and scope, believing government does not create a just society and should be limited in private life.1 Finally, in the traditionalistic culture, the government is there to maintain the “status quo” and its hierarchy. Traditionalistic culture formed from the Old South where property and income were vastly dispersed, and politics were engaged by the wealthy.

Those who were poor or a minority were disenfranchised.1 All states have features of all three political cultures. Due to the large and diverse nature of the state itself, it is hard to generalize the political culture of Texas. However, individualists and traditionalists have, in history, controlled the direction of the state of Texas’ political system.1 A vast amount of Texans descend from migrants of the traditionalistic states of the Old South where conservatism, upper-class superiority, and one-party politics reigned. Even today, this traditionalistic influence still remains. Texas’ individualism stems from the government structure that is still in place today. Compared to other densely populated states, Texas government is limited with restricted

powers.1
Texas has been a one-party state for a great amount of time. For a century after the Reconstruction, the Democratic Party dominated on all levels of Texas politics. By the mid-1990s, the dominant party shifted to favor Republicans. It is unclear how long Republicans will continue to control the state, however here are various political shifts happening in Texas currently that can lead to another Democratic domination, as well as the possibility of a change in the state’s political culture. Thirty years from now, it is possible for the state to experience a swing into moralistic culture. From 1970 on, there has been a substantial population influx from other areas of the nation and other countries that could contribute to this culture change. Many of these new residents come from areas with heavily moralistic political cultures.1 Due to this increase in moralistic influence, who is to say that it won’t overpower Texas’ traditionalistic-individualistic background. Additionally, the political-cultural identity of Texas faces the transformative power of urbanization, industrialization, education, and communication along with this population change.1
Another potential factor is the ever-increasing Hispanic population Texas faces.

The growth of the Hispanic population in Texas may be able to shift party alignments in the long run, as the Hispanic/Latino population generally favors the Democratic Party. Historically, Latinos, along with African Americans, sought to change the traditionalistic political structure of the state. 1 To better society and improve minority rights, Hispanic voters would prefer a moralistic culture over a traditionalistic culture. In the 2010 Texas census, of a population of 25 million, there were at least 11.3 million Anglo residents with 9.5 million Hispanic residents. By 2020, projections estimate a total population of 30 million, with 11.9 million Anglo residents and an increased 13 million Hispanic residents.2 This drastic increase in potential Hispanic voters versus Anglo voters could push the state into a Democratic-Moralistic state in the long run. Texas is in a constant state of change, which ultimately makes it hard to determine where the state’s political culture will lie years from now. However, with these patterns, there is always a chance that the traditionalistic and individualistic culture of the state will soon find themselves making way for a more moralistic

culture.