Overview

Read on for some statistics and insights about the level of civic engagement, political engagement and a “state of the state” overview of Texas.

 

Civic and Political Engagement

According to the Corporation for National and Community Service for 2018:

  • 28.4% of residents volunteer, ranking them 37th among the 50 states and Washington, DC.
  • 6,036,702  volunteers
  • 563.3 million hours of service
  • $13.5 billion worth of service contributed

Looking at political engagement specifically, according to this 2018 Wallethub.com study, Texas ranks #41 based on a weighted average across the following metrics:

  • Percentage of Registered Voters in the 2016 Presidential Election
  • Percentage of Electorate Who Actually Voted in the 2014 Midterm Elections
  • Percentage of Electorate Who Actually Voted in the 2016 Presidential Election
  • Change in Percentage of Electorate Who Actually Voted in the 2016 Elections Compared with the 2012 Elections
  • Total Political Contributions per Adult Population
  • Civic Education Engagement, CIRCLE
  • Voter Accessibility Policies, Ballotpedia

Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected from the U.S. Census Bureau, Center for Responsive Politics, Ballotpedia and Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, CIRCLE.

 

Women in Texas Politics

As of 2018, there are 29 women legislators in the Texas House of Representatives, and 8 in the Texas State Senate – for a total of 37 out of 181 seats in both chambers. This equals 20.4% of the legislature (Source: NCSL).

See how many women serve in Texas’s executive offices here.

Texas ranks 48th in women’s equality in 2018 – based on workplace environment (pay, unemployment and entrepreneurship rate disparity), education environment (education levels and math and reading scores), and political empowerment (disparity in elected offices) (Source: Wallethub).

 

What Color is Texas?

Texas has 38 electoral votes, the second largest amount after California. According to 270towin, “From 1872 to 1976, Texas went Democratic in the vast majority of elections. However, that changed in 1980, and Texas has sided with the Republicans ever since. Having a Bush on the ticket each election from 1980 through 2004 (except 1996) helped make Texas a reliably ‘red’ state. In 2016, Donald Trump won the state by a margin of 52 percent to 43 percent over Hillary Clinton.”

 

State of the State

State Government Structure

The Texas Legislature is made up of an upper chamber, the Texas Senate, and a lower chamber, the Texas House of Representatives.  There are 31 members in the state Senate, and 150 in the state House. The legislature meets in regular session on the second Tuesday in January of each odd-numbered year. Regular session is limited to 140 calendar days, per the Texas Constitution.

After the 2016 election, Texas became a Republican state government trifecta, meaning that a single political party (in this case the Republican party) holds the governorship, a majority in the state senate, and a majority in the state house.

Each member of the state House represents an average of 167,637 residents, as of the 2010 Census.  Representatives serve two-year terms, with no term limits. Each member of the state Senate represents an average of 811,147 residents, as of the 2010 Census. Senators serve four-year terms, with no term limits (Ballotpedia).

 

 

Budget Process

The state operates on a biennial budget cycle. The sequence of key events in the budget process is as follows:

  1. Budget instructions are sent to state agencies beginning in March.
  2. Agencies submit their budget requests to the governor from July through September.
  3. Agency and public hearings are held from July through September.
  4. The governor submits his or her proposed budget to the state legislature on the 30th day of the regular session.
  5. The legislature typically adopts a budget in May. A simple majority is required to pass a budget. The fiscal year begins in September.

Texas is one of 44 states in which the governor has line item veto authority.

The legislature is legally required to adopt a balanced budget. Similarly, the governor must sign a balanced budget into law (Ballotpedia).

 

Business Climate

 

A 2018 CNBC study ranks Texas as America’s top state for business:

Freedom

Texas ranks 21st in Cato Institute’s 2018 Freedom in the 50 states. The overall freedom ranking is a combination of personal and economic freedoms.  

 

Additional Resources

  • PEW Fiscal 50: State Trends and Analysis
  • PEW Women in Leadership  – see analysis of women in leadership on a national scale
  • National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO) Fiscal Survey of States
  • Compare 50 – pick what stats you want to compare with what states here
  • State Data Lab – compare a variety of factors among states here
  • Freedom in the 50 States 2018  – Cato
  • Tax Foundation facts and figures app is available for download

 

What You Can Do

As detailed above, Texans have expansive potential for engaging in civic-minded and fiscally responsible activity.  By forming Policy Circles across the state, women can lead the way in ensuring that policies are working and responding to individual needs at the local level.

Here’s what you can do:   

  • Click “It’s easy, start now” at www.thepolicycircle.org  to start a circle in your area.  
  • Read our “Year of Conversation” for an overview of policy briefs on key issues affecting the country and your state.
  • Connect with Texas Public Policy Foundation,  your state think tank and best resource for state level information on key policy issues.  
  • Tell a friend or family member about The Policy Circle by sending them to www.thepolicycircle.org. Any woman who believes in the power of free markets to unleash human creativity can start a Policy Circle in her area.