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Latest Analysis
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A Public Opinion Cheat Sheet for the (First) Special Session of the 89th Texas Legislature
July 23, 2025
Legislators face the usual obstacles to holding the public's attention during the just-commenced special session – a loud news environment likely, as usual to crowd out state legislative happenings, and what has historically been a consistently low level of pubic attention to the legislature, even during times of crisis. But whether or not most Texans are attentive to what some of us find the best game in town, public opinion shapes the incentives, priorities, and strategies of the participants in the process. We have gathered relevant public opinion data from University of Texas/Texas Politics Project polling.

Second Reading: The tricky politics of agenda management as the Texas Legislature reluctantly returns for a special session
July 17, 2025
With adopting the new Congressional maps ordered by Donald Trump and response to the July 4 floods at the top of the agenda, James Henson and Joshua Blank talk about the politics of agenda management as the Texas Legislature prepares to return to the Capitol next week for a politically-fraught special session.

Second Reading Podcast: Texans' views of the 89th Texas Legislature in the June 2025 UT/Texas Politics Project Poll
July 09, 2025
In a webinar hosted June 26 by the Professional Advocacy Association of Texas, James Henson and Johsua Blank look at attitudes on issues and actors in the regular session of the 89th Texas Legislature in a special video edition of the podcast.

Second Reading Podcast: Interpreting Trump's Standing in Texas in the New UT/Texas Politics Project Poll
June 26, 2025
The UT/Texas Politics Project Poll team – – Joshua Blank, Daron Shaw, and James Henson – look at results the much-noted decline in President Trump's job approval numbers in their June poll, and how Trump's standing intersects attitudes on the economy and immigration, as well as what can be read into the current positions of Senator John Cornyn and Attorney General Ken Paxton in anticipation of Paxton's challenge to Cornyn in the 2026 GOP primary.


Texas Data Points
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    Respondents were asked, "How do you feel about the following statement: Generally speaking, the way state government runs in Texas serves as a good model for other states to follow?"

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    Respondents were asked, "How do you feel about the following statement: Generally speaking, the way state government runs in Texas serves as a good model for other states to follow?"

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    Respondents were asked, "How do you feel about the following statement: Generally speaking, the way state government runs in Texas serves as a good model for other states to follow?"

  • More Respondents were asked, "Below are some proposals that the Texas Legislature considered this year. Please tell us whether you would support or oppose each of the following? Outlawing the production and sale of hemp-derived cannabis products in Texas, including consumables."
  • More Respondents were asked, "Below are some proposals that the Texas Legislature considered this year. Please tell us whether you would support or oppose each of the following? Outlawing the production and sale of hemp-derived cannabis products in Texas, including consumables." Measurement of Party ID for this figure is based on two questions. First, respondents were asked whether they consider themselves to be a Democrats, Republicans, independents, other, or not sure. Those who responded that they are independents or "other" were then asked if they lean toward either the Democrats or Republicans. If they indicated that they lean toward one party or the other, they are considered Democrats or Republicans for the purposes of this figure. Only "pure" independents or members of a third party who indicate that they have no preference for Democrats vis-a-vis Republicans are considered independents. Respondents who answered that they are "not sure" for either of the two aforementioned questions are not incorporated into this figure.
  • More Respondents were asked, "Below are some proposals that the Texas Legislature considered this year. Please tell us whether you would support or oppose each of the following? Outlawing the production and sale of hemp-derived cannabis products in Texas, including consumables." Party identification is calculated according to the PID7 variable, a seven point scale of party identification.
  • More Respondents were asked, "Below are some proposals that the Texas Legislature considered this year. Please tell us whether you would support or oppose each of the following? Outlawing the production and sale of hemp-derived cannabis products in Texas, including consumables." Party identification is calculated according to the PID7 variable, a seven point scale of party identification.
  • More Respondents were asked, "Below are some proposals that the Texas Legislature considered this year. Please tell us whether you would support or oppose each of the following? Outlawing the production and sale of hemp-derived cannabis products in Texas, including consumables." Ideology is measured on a scale of 1-7, with 1 corresponding to "extremely liberal", 7 corresponding to "extremely conservative, and 4 corresponding to "in the middle." For the purposes of this table, respondents who placed themselves at or between points 1 and 3 on the scale are considered "liberal," respondents who placed themselves at point 4 on the scale are considered "moderate," and respondents who placed themselves at or between points 5 and 7 on the scale are considered conservative.
  • More Respondents were asked, "Below are some proposals that the Texas Legislature considered this year. Please tell us whether you would support or oppose each of the following? Outlawing the production and sale of hemp-derived cannabis products in Texas, including consumables." Ideology is measured on a scale of 1-7, with 1 corresponding to "extremely liberal", 7 corresponding to "extremely conservative, and 4 corresponding to "in the middle." For the purposes of this table, respondents who placed themselves at or between points 1 and 3 on the scale are considered "liberal," respondents who placed themselves at point 4 on the scale are considered "moderate," and respondents who placed themselves at or between points 5 and 7 on the scale are considered conservative.
  • More Respondents were asked, "Below are some proposals that the Texas Legislature considered this year. Please tell us whether you would support or oppose each of the following? Outlawing the production and sale of hemp-derived cannabis products in Texas, including consumables." Ideology is measured on a scale of 1-7, with 1 corresponding to "extremely liberal", 7 corresponding to "extremely conservative, and 4 corresponding to "in the middle." For the purposes of this table, respondents who placed themselves at or between points 1 and 3 on the scale are considered "liberal," respondents who placed themselves at point 4 on the scale are considered "moderate," and respondents who placed themselves at or between points 5 and 7 on the scale are considered conservative.
  • More Respondents were asked, "Below are some proposals that the Texas Legislature considered this year. Please tell us whether you would support or oppose each of the following? Outlawing the production and sale of hemp-derived cannabis products in Texas, including consumables." Race is calculated according to the race variable.
  • More Respondents were asked, "Below are some proposals that the Texas Legislature considered this year. Please tell us whether you would support or oppose each of the following? Outlawing the production and sale of hemp-derived cannabis products in Texas, including consumables." Gender is calculated according to the GENDER variable.
  • More Respondents were asked, "Below are some proposals that the Texas Legislature considered this year. Please tell us whether you would support or oppose each of the following? Outlawing the production and sale of hemp-derived cannabis products in Texas, including consumables." Community type is based on the following question, " Would you say that you live in an urban, suburban, or rural community?"
  • More Respondents were asked, "Below are some proposals that the Texas Legislature considered this year. Please tell us whether you would support or oppose each of the following? Outlawing the production and sale of hemp-derived cannabis products in Texas, including consumables." Age is calculated according to the AGEG variable.
  • More Respondents were asked, "Below are some proposals that the Texas Legislature considered this year. Please tell us whether you would support or oppose each of the following? Outlawing the production and sale of hemp-derived cannabis products in Texas, including consumables." Education is calculated according to the EDUC variable.
  • More Respondents were asked, "Below are some proposals that the Texas Legislature considered this year. Please tell us whether you would support or oppose each of the following? Outlawing the production and sale of hemp-derived cannabis products in Texas, including consumables." Religiosity is calculated according to the IMPORT variable.
  • More Respondents were asked, "Below are some proposals that the Texas Legislature considered this year. Please tell us whether you would support or oppose each of the following? Outlawing the production and sale of hemp-derived cannabis products in Texas, including consumables." Fundamentalism is calculated according to the LITERAL variable.

Latest Poll
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Data Archive
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