What You Never Knew about The States of Texas and California

The states of Texas and California make up 20% of U.S. citizens. These states possess a lot in common including diverse populations, sunny climates, Mexico in the south, long coasts, and plenty of oil in the ground. However, these two states diverge mostly in their governance. Based on the Census Bureau of the U.S. from the year 2000 to the year 2010, California lost a total of 519,600 jobs, whereas Texas gained a total of 1,093,600 jobs. This caused Californian’s net domestic out-migration of the middle-class families, with approximately two million more citizens of America migrating out from the state of California rather than in. Texas, on the other hand, saw a net increase of up to 781,542, from domestic migration with around a thousand individuals moving into the state each day in the year 2009. In March, the state of Texas was able to add around 27,900 jobs. The unemployment rate of Texas nationally is at 7.1% compared to 8.3% of California. The model of the government-led prosperity of California assisted by the good weather of the state is under serious threat of collapsing. Whereas Texas’ model of allowing jobs creator to do as they wish best through less regulation, better lawsuit climates, and low taxes is getting stronger each month (California V. Texas).

The state of California and Texas are more alike than either would like to admit, for instance, through blessed diverse natural resources. The Census Bureau of U.S. demonstrates that the equivalent of 1.76 million individuals worked full time for local and state governments in 2011 in the state of California. This is equivalent to one government worker for around 21 Californians. However, the Lone Star State hires one worker for the government for every 18 citizens of Texas. Texas possesses more government workers than California, however; it is the state of California that spends more on government with around 44% more share of the economy than the state of Texas. The state of California also pays its governments more and offers them more expensive benefits. The state also spends far more on welfare (Henton, 2013).

The states of Texas and California possess diverse spending priorities. The state of California has 12 million more citizens than the state of Texas. However, Texas hires more teachers and educators, with a total of 888,000, compared to the 865,000, of California. Only 49% of the local and state workers of California are in education while in Texas it is at 61%. This assists in explaining the estimates of the U.S. Department of Education which estimated that 88% of high school students graduate in the state of Texas while only 78% graduate in California. As for the corrections, fire, and police employees, Texas possesses more per capita in each of these categories than California.

The two states are run by veteran governors, politicians who possess personalities which are as diverse as their states. Rick Perry is the governor of the state of Texas and is the longest-serving governor of the history of this state, with him being in office since December 2000 consecutively. The governor of California is Jerry Brown and has more experience in the job compared to other chief executives in the history of the state of California. He also possesses another distinction where he was returned to the office in 2010 36 years after being elected governor first.

In 2012, Perry ran for office championing as an economic model. He highlighted the tax and regulation model of the Lone Star as that which had assisted in producing more jobs during the post-recession America, more than any other state. In January 2011, Brown inherited the narrative “California declining” as he returned to Sacramento. The Golden State was formerly the envy of the nation but had many problems which included persistent imbalances in budgetary, political dysfunction, and high unemployment in the capital of the state. Today, the fiscal situation of the state is stabilized, and people are describing Brown as the Democrat that is providing the country with strategies for progressive governance (California V. Texas).

The total population estimate of the state of California is 38,802,500, while that of Texas is 26,956,958. Regarding the economy, both states have been neck and neck regarding economic development. Despite the fact that Texas has had a higher rate of growth, the state of California had a strong start, with Silicon Valley growing and improving vastly. California is ranked at 11 by Business Insider when compared to other states and three by the World report and US News. This score is attributed to the vast growth rate and fitting business environment, which when juxtaposed with the unemployment rate that is relatively high. California possesses the highest state economy with a GDP of 2.6 trillion dollars. Texas, on the other hand, is ranked at number 4 by the Business Insider and number 6 by World Report and the US News. The state’s strong growth of the economy, lower rates of unemployment, and increasing the value of real estate account for the state’s high ranking. The state of Texas possesses the second highest state GDP at 1.6 trillion dollars. Both states are very close when comparing their economic profile. However, California is the leading state with 62% higher GDP (Henton, 2013).

Both governments of the two states have been fighting the issue of crime. Both states possess similar rates of violent crimes with Texas at 405.9 and California at 396.1. The highest crime in California often occurs majorly from the theft of motor vehicles. The overall incarceration rate in the state of California is 329 individuals per 100,000. In the state of Texas, there are unusually high rates of burglary, property crimes, and rape. The rate of incarceration in this state is 568. While the status of crime rates in both states is similar, it is evident that California excels in many areas though their rate of incarceration is considerably lower (Chronicle, 2017).

Regarding politics, the key interests of the voters of the state of California include social security, homeland security, healthcare, and education. This is mostly attributed to high rates of unemployment, high immigration levels, and poor education ratings. The main issues that interest the voters of Texas are unemployment, education, corruption, political leadership, and security. These states both share almost the same interests unsurprisingly. 

The governor of Texas continues to promote diverse narratives in his state as he believes his state is a big and powerful economic state. The governor pointed out that around twenty years ago, the state of California was an economic giant and each state wanted to be like them. However, this is not the current case of the state. The governor added that this is due to factors such as an unstable and unpredictable regulatory environment, the existence of public schools on a downward trajectory, and tax environments that are very burdensome. All of these are issues which he wished to tackle and end in his state. The recent Congress gridlock has been majorly blamed on political polarities which cause increasing antagonism of political ideologies between Republicans and Democrats.

The governing of both states tends to affect the population of the sate immensely. For instance, the state of Texas is led by makers while On. The elected officials of California are particularly adept at finding ways of spending other individuals’ money. As the state struggles with deficits that are interminable and are caused by years of careless spending, the Sacramento’s argument is not on how to lessen government spending; rather it is on how to raise taxes and on whom to raise it on. The governor of California pushes for tax increases of up to 6.9 billion dollars per year to be present on the ballot of November. In the meantime, the leaders of Texas are tackling the issue of fiscal which is an entirely different question to that raised by California.

A lot of states of America along with the nation itself have a lot to learn from the state of Texas. The government of Texas knows well how to find opportunities and maximize them, and this is what all other states and the nation included should learn from Texas. The government of Texas creates many job opportunities across the income spectrum of the state. Their rate of unemployment has managed to be much lower than the recorded national average each month for several years.  Their per capita individual income is 97% of the national average. Their median income for each household is also just below the country wide median. The growth of a population of the state indicates that people are becoming aware of this state. Between the year 2000 and 2010, Texas’ population increased by 4 million individuals with around 2 million of these individuals being American citizens from other states in the country (Crawford, 2013).

The economy of this state is doing quite well, which suggests that something is working very well in this state, and this is the structure of this states’ government which is well-versed in seizing opportunities, an attribute which would do other states and the nation well if they were to adopt it. This seizing of opportunities attribute of the state has enabled the state to do quite well. Their schools as the years go by are getting better and better. The state also has less funding per capita compared to many other states, and the outcomes in their public schools are impressive. When this state is compared to other big states in the country such as Illinois, and Florida, Texas is the best of them. Millions of Americans are moving to the state of Texas looking for greener pastures. This model of governing where the lawmakers can seize any opportunity that comes their way may prove quite beneficial to other states and the country at large. The economy of Texas was doing quite well in the year 2011 such that Gavin Newsom the lieutenant governor of California went to get advice from the Texas governor Rick Perry Newsom returned appreciatively returned and stated that the government of Texas knows what they want and they go after it (Crawford, 2013).

In conclusion, both the states of California and Texas have major differences in their form of governing, and this is majorly attributed to the lawmakers of these states themselves. However, the differences and similarities of these two states go beyond matters of their lawmakers’ preferences. Despite the many differences that the governments of these states possess, they do, however, share some other notable similarities, for instance, they are both warm yearly, they are Southwestern states, they both have a polluted city that is otherwise highly populated, and they are both big states. Their economies which are usually the topics of major debates are quite large, and their populations are large. Generalizing these two states is futile just like it is futile to generalize the U.S. politically speaking; these two states tend to go opposite ways, although there are some bits of conservatism in California and some bits of liberalism in Texas. However, both states possess entirely different government structures.