Eleanor Finch
Political culture refers to broadly shared values, beliefs, and attitudes about how a government should function. In his book, *American Federalism: A View from the States*, Daniel Elazar identifies three political subcultures which combine to form the American political culture: moralistic, individualistic, and traditionalistic. Elazar asserts that Texas's political culture is a combination of traditionalistic and individualistic elements. The traditionalistic aspects of Texas politics include a long history of one-party dominance, low voter turnout, and social and economic conservatism. The individualistic nature of Texas politics can be seen in the support for private business, opposition to big government, and faith in individual initiative. These political cultures have shaped the Texas Constitution, which has provisions for issues such as eminent domain, bureaucracy, and political economy.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Political Culture | Traditionalistic and Individualistic |
| Voter Turnout | Low |
| Government Activity | Limited |
| Government Spending | Low |
| Taxes | Low |
| Political Competition | Partisan |
| Political Parties | Dominance by one party |
| Citizen Involvement | High |
| Citizen Engagement | High |
| Bureaucracy | Viewed negatively |
| Corruption | Tolerated |
| Economic Attitudes | Conservative |
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What You'll Learn
Texas's political culture: traditionalistic and individualistic
Political culture refers to broadly shared values, beliefs, and attitudes about how a government should function. In his book, *American Federalism: A View from the States*, Daniel Elazar identifies three political subcultures which combine to form the American political culture: moralistic, individualistic, and traditionalistic. Elazar's theory claims that Texas is a mixture of traditionalistic and individualistic political cultures.
The individualistic political culture focuses on individual achievement and sees the government as a mechanism for addressing issues that matter to individual citizens. In states with this political culture, the government's role is limited, primarily to keep the marketplace functioning. Politicians' motives for running for office are based on material self-interests and to advance themselves professionally. Bureaucracy is viewed negatively because it hinders patronage. Corruption is tolerated because politics is dirty. Political competition is partisan, and elections are oriented toward gaining office rather than dealing with issues. The individualistic nature of Texas politics can be seen in the support for private business, opposition to big government, and faith in individual initiative.
The traditionalistic political culture represents the Southerners who migrated to East Texas and brought the values of a hierarchical society with traditional moral values. This political culture discourages government activity except to keep the power in the hands of those dominant groups. In states with this political culture, voter turnout tends to be lower, in part because there may be more barriers to participation. For example, voters may be required to produce a photo ID at the time of voting. Competition will be between the factions within the dominant party. Between the 1870s and the 1970s, the Democratic Party dominated Texas state politics and the competition was between the urban and rural Democrats. After the civil rights movement and the Republican realignment that took place in the South, Republicans are the dominant party in Texas today. The traditionalistic aspects of Texas politics are exemplified by the long history of one-party dominance in state politics, the low level of voter turnout, and social and economic conservatism.
Both of these cultures describe Texas today—a conservative state with little governmental interference in the economy, keeping taxes low, and spending little. However, we must also recognize the tension between the two cultures. While individualistic political culture stresses individual freedom with little government intrusion, traditionalistic political culture promotes the values of the traditional social order.
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Redistricting: gerrymandering and political influence
Redistricting is the process of redrawing the boundaries of electoral districts, and it can have a significant impact on political influence. In the United States, each state has its own process for redistricting, which occurs every ten years after the census.
Gerrymandering is a tactic used in redistricting where district boundaries are manipulated to favour a particular political party, individual, or constituency. The term was coined in 1812 when Massachusetts Governor Elbridge Gerry signed a state senate district map that "consolidated the Federalist Party vote in a few districts, giving disproportionate representation to Democratic-Republicans". The practice of gerrymandering can reduce the competitiveness of elections and dilute the voting power of certain communities.
In Texas, Republicans have controlled the redistricting process and have been accused of gerrymandering to solidify their political power. For example, in 2011, Republicans redrew the district map to minimise the number of Democratic seats. They divided heavily Democratic areas like Austin among multiple districts, breaking up diverse suburban districts, and diluting the voting power of fast-growing racial and ethnic minorities. This resulted in a map that heavily favoured Republicans, giving them a 25-11 advantage in the state's congressional delegation.
The impact of gerrymandering in Texas has been significant. It has contributed to the state's low voter turnout and has ensured Republican dominance in state politics. While litigation has been pursued to challenge discriminatory maps, the process is slow, and unless stronger protections are put in place for communities of colour, they will continue to be underrepresented in Texas politics.
Efforts have been made to address gerrymandering in Texas. The Department of Justice has sued the state, alleging that the legislature's gerrymander is intentionally racially discriminatory and violates the Voting Rights Act. Additionally, proposals have been put forward to ban partisan gerrymandering and give courts greater power to intervene in the redistricting process. However, implementing these changes faces significant political obstacles.
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Voter turnout: historical and modern trends
Texas's political culture is a combination of traditionalistic and individualistic elements. Traditionalistic political culture is characterised by low voter turnout, and this has been the case in Texas, where there is also a history of one-party dominance in state politics. In the 2020 United States presidential election, Texas was won by Trump with 52.1% of the vote. This was a narrow margin, with Biden improving on Clinton's 2016 vote share by 3.24 points, achieving a 46.48% vote share—the largest percentage in the state by a Democratic presidential candidate since 1976.
Voter turnout in the 2020 election in Texas reached its highest level since 1992. By October 25, over 80% of 2016 votes had been cast, and by October 29, 50% of registered voters had cast ballots by early in-person and absentee ballot. This high level of voter turnout was achieved despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. To mitigate infection risks, voting access was expanded with measures such as voting by mail, expansion of early voting accessibility, and the introduction of drive-through voting.
However, these voter-friendly measures were challenged by local Republican activists and officials, who filed multiple legal actions. One such action was a petition to the Texas Supreme Court, which was denied because the case was not brought promptly. Another action sought to invalidate drive-through ballots, arguing that this form of voting was only authorised for voters with disabilities. This petition was also denied by the Texas Supreme Court, which did not resolve the legal argument.
Historically, Texas has experienced low voter turnout, which is a characteristic of traditionalistic political culture. This low turnout can be attributed in part to barriers to participation, such as the use of poll taxes to diminish the minority vote. Today, requirements such as producing a photo ID at the time of voting can create obstacles for voters.
The individualistic political culture, on the other hand, values citizen engagement and participation in political affairs. In states with this culture, laws tend to make it easier for residents to register and vote. This culture is reflected in Texas's support for private business, opposition to big government, and faith in individual initiative.
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Government's role: moralistic vs. individualistic
In the context of political culture, the terms "moralistic" and "individualistic" refer to two of the three political culture categories proposed by 20th-century political scientist Daniel Elazar. According to Elazar, the unique political cultures of individual states can be largely attributed to the differing political and religious values of early settlers, which influenced their beliefs about the proper role of government, the need for citizen involvement, and the role of political parties.
Moralistic Political Culture
In Elazar's framework, states with a moralistic political culture view the government as a means to better society and promote the general welfare. Citizens in these states expect political officials to be honest, to put the interests of the people they serve above their own, and to work towards improving the area they represent. The political process is seen in a positive light, and corruption is not tolerated. Moralistic states tend to support an expanded role for the government and are more likely to believe that the government should allocate funds to programs that benefit the poor and marginalised citizens. They are also more open to third-party participation and are more likely to support individuals who earn their positions in government based on merit rather than party loyalty.
Individualistic Political Culture
Individualistic states, on the other hand, view the government as a mechanism for addressing issues that matter to individual citizens and for pursuing individual goals. Politics in these states are defined by barter and negotiation, with various factions and interests balancing their interests when creating policies. People in individualistic states interact with the government as they would with a marketplace, expecting the provision of essential goods and services. They support private business, oppose big government, and have faith in individual initiative.
Texas's Political Culture
Texas's political culture has been described as a combination of traditionalistic and individualistic elements. The traditionalistic aspects include a long history of one-party dominance, low voter turnout, and social and economic conservatism. The individualistic nature of Texas politics can be seen in its support for private business, opposition to big government, and faith in individual initiative.
In summary, the government's role in a moralistic political culture is seen as a positive force for societal improvement and the promotion of general welfare, while in an individualistic political culture, the government's role is more limited, focusing on creating opportunities for individual achievement and ensuring a functioning marketplace.
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Political competition: partisanship and elections
Texas's political culture is a combination of traditionalistic and individualistic elements. The traditionalistic aspects of Texas politics include a long history of one-party dominance, low voter turnout, and social and economic conservatism. The individualistic nature of Texas politics can be seen in the support for private business, opposition to big government, and faith in individual initiative.
The individualistic political culture in Texas is characterised by a focus on individual achievement and the belief that government activity should focus on creating opportunities for individuals to achieve. This culture sees politicians' motives for running for office as based on material self-interest and advancing themselves professionally. Bureaucracy is viewed negatively, and corruption is tolerated. Political competition is partisan, and elections are oriented toward gaining office rather than dealing with issues.
The traditionalistic political culture in Texas represents the Southerners who migrated to East Texas and brought with them the values of a hierarchical society with traditional moral values. This culture discourages government activity except to keep power in the hands of dominant groups. Voter turnout tends to be lower in this culture, and there may be more barriers to participation, such as poll taxes or photo ID requirements.
The combination of these two political cultures in Texas has resulted in a conservative state with low voter turnout, low taxes, and minimal government interference in the economy. Texas has a long history of involvement at various levels of governance, and the state's unique political culture has shaped its government, public policy, and the challenges it faces today.
The political culture of Texas has influenced the state's constitution by shaping the role of government and the expectations of its citizens. The individualistic and traditionalistic cultures emphasise limited government involvement and the importance of individual initiative, which may result in a constitution that outlines a limited role for the government and emphasises economic freedom. The low voter turnout and partisan political competition may also impact the way the constitution is drafted and amended, with special interest groups and dominant political parties influencing the process.
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Frequently asked questions
Political culture refers to the broadly shared values, beliefs, and attitudes about how a government should function.
Daniel Elazar, in his book, *American Federalism: A View from the States*, categorises three types of political cultures: moralistic, individualistic, and traditionalistic.
Elazar defines individualistic political culture as one that focuses on individual achievement and limited government intervention.
Texas's political culture is a combination of traditionalistic and individualistic elements. Traditionalistic aspects include a long history of one-party dominance, low voter turnout, and social and economic conservatism. Individualistic elements include strong support for private business and opposition to big government.
