Blog
Second Reading Podcast: On the structural context of the politics of immigration and border security in Texas
In a new Second Reading Podcast, Jim Henson and Josh Blank consider the broader context of immigration and border security politics _ and why those politics are so persistent.
Second Reading Podcast: A conversation with Ross Ramsey about the big issues facing Texas
In a new Second Reading Podcast, Jim Henson talks with Ross Ramsey about how Texas is tackling the fundamental issues facing the state, and how he's thinking about them as he writes his last set of regular columns as Executive Editor of The Texas Tribune.
Second Reading Podcast: The Politics of Abbott Snarling Truck Traffic on the Texas-Mexico Border
In a new Second Reading Podcast, Jim Henson and Joshua Blank talk about Gov. Abbott's response to recent border policy annoucements by the Biden administration, and speculate on how Abbott's recent order increasing truck inspections, and the possible economic fallout, plays into the gubernatorial campaign.
Public Opinion Context for Partisan Efforts to Shape the 2022 Election Agenda in Texas
Public opinion data from University of Texas/Texas Politics Project polling provides ample opportunity to assess which issues and themes might resonate with voters in the upcoming 2022 general election campaigns. Results from the latest poll and other recent surveys in our polling archive suggest that the public opinion landscape – at least barring unexpected, major events that bring new issues to the fore or shift the attitudes of large blocs of voters, which is rare – adds yet another advantage to an already long list of Republican assets going into the 2022 general election.
With attention elsewhere, Abbott extends his emergency powers related to COVID and the border
Last week, Governor Abbott quietly issued two little-noticed declarations renewing his emergency powers in two key policy areas – the COVID-19 pandemic and border security. However different the policy problems targeted by the declarations and their respective contexts, Abbott’s declarations reflect two consistent characteristics of his approach to being governor: sustained efforts to strengthen the position of the governor’s office in the state’s political system (especially vis-a-vis the legislature and other statewide elected officials), and a habit of strategic caution at the intersection of politics and governance.
Second Reading Podcast: A Conversation with Perla Trevizo and Andrew Calderón about Operation Lone Star
In a new Second Reading Podcast, Jim Henson talks with journalists Perla Trevizo of The Texas Tribune and ProPublica and Andrew Rodriguez Calderón of the Marshall Project about their team's collaborative reporting on Operation Lone Star.
Second Reading Podcast: A Conversation with Robert Vitalis, author of OIlcraft
In a new Second Reading Podcast, Jim Henson talks with Robert Vitalis, author of Oilcraft: The Myths of Scarcity and Security That Haunt U.S. Energy Policy, bout the reemergence of misconceptions and myths about oil and geopolitics in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Second Reading Podcast: A Conversation with Lauren McGaughy of the Dallas Morning News
In a new Second Reading Podcast, Jim Henson talks with Lauren McGaughy of the Dallas Morning News, where she is an investigative reporter focused on gender, sexuality and politics, about recent clashes in Texas over the governor's order to investigate parents who provide gender affirming care to transgender children.
The 2022 Texas Primaries Answer Some Questions, Raise Some Others as the Winners Move On Amidst a lot of Run-Offs
The first round of the Texas primary election is behind us, though many of the campaigns will continue with significant statewide, legislative, and Congressional run-off elections in both parties. While there have already been a lot of hot takes and some floating of big themes, we provide a few questions and observations that have occurred to us in the post-election haze. There will be more to come.
Resources for the 2022 Texas primaries and the State of the Union Address
We've compiled a brief list of Texas Politics Project resources for those who, out of vocation or avocation, will be keeping an eye on the 2022 Texas primary elections and President Joe Biden's State of the Union address. There are of course a ton of shared crib sheets and Twitter accounts to follow out there, but I’ll let you sort that out per your preferences. But if you have sources you think are particularly good and might be flying under the radar, by all means, send them along