Chapter Study Questions
Chapter One: The Social, Economic, Ecological, and Political Systems of Texas
1 What percentage of Texans live in urban areas (cities & suburbs)? 2
75%
2 Name the three cities in Texas that are three of the largest in US? 2
Houston, San Antonio, Dallas
3 What are the three diverse economic businesses in Texas? 4
Oil and gas producer now work alongside high-tech companies, telecommunications giants, and other important business sectors.
4 In what areas does Texas consistently rank at the bottom in state spending compared to other states? 4
Student Spending (Education), well-fare, and health care
5 Is Texas a high-tax, high-business regulatory state or is it low-tax, low-regulatory? 4
Low-tax, low-regulatory
6 Are Texas well informed about government and elected officials? Do they trust government? 4
Most Texans are ill-informed about the decisions that the government makes regarding their lives, and have little interest.
7 Does Texas have a regressive or progressive tax system and what do these mean? 5
Regressive tax system, it means that for low-income wage people they don’t bypass the burden but only reap what the tax system in Texas has to offer.
8 What is meant by economic diversification and has Texas done this? 6
Development of new business activities, business relocated to Texas after the oil and gas boom which is the base of the state’s economy
9 What is meant by ‘cowboy rugged individualism’ and how has this impacted Texans’ views of government as a solution to problems? 7
The cowboy rugged individualism, with strong connotations of self-help and independence, symbolizes a political culture in Texas that does not like to look to government as a solution to many of its problems. It is the kind of individualism that continues
10 What impact did having a frontier have on Texans? 8
11 What three