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This article is about the state rivalry. For the Supreme Court case, see California v. Texas.

Map of the United States highlighting      California and      Texas

The California–Texas rivalry (or the Texas–California rivalry) is a rhetorical rivalry between the two U.S. states of California and Texas. California and Texas are the United States' two most populous states. They are the two largest states in the contiguous U.S., with the two largest economies, and both have a significant amount of unique state culture.[1] The territories of both states were also once part of Mexico.[2]

The states are often opposed politically, with California being progressive and generally supporting the Democratic Party, while Texas is conservative and generally supports the Republican Party.[3][4] Texas is commonly seen as having little government intervention and regulation, while in California the state takes a larger role in public policies.[5] There are also exceptions, discussed as part of the perceived rivalry, in which Texas has increased state intervention against immigration and abortion whereas California has reduced state intervention.[6][7]

Politics

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Further information: Politics of California and Politics of Texas

One area in which the rivalry between California and Texas has been described is politics.

The Democratic Party has had a trifecta in California since 2011, while the Republican Party has had a trifecta in Texas since 2003.[8] Democrats have won the United States presidential elections in California in every election since 1992, while Republicans have won the United States presidential elections in Texas in every election since 1980.

California has enacted numerous progressive policies, such as Medicaid expansion, a $15-per-hour minimum wage, and significant actions to reduce climate change, hence being hailed as a global leader in climate action.[9][10][11][12] Meanwhile, Texas has adopted various conservative policies, such as reducing taxes (e.g., prohibiting an income tax[13]), restricting abortion rights, protecting gun rights, and fostering a business-friendly climate.[14][15][16][17]

Voters look to both states for examples of how policies from across the political spectrum would look if implemented nationally.[8] Many companies have moved to Texas due to lower regulations and significant tax incentives, as well as California's stricter response to the COVID-19 pandemic.[1] Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, Inc. and SpaceX, has symbolized such business migration—moving Tesla's "Gigafactory" and global headquarters to Texas. While Texas has largely welcomed new businesses, the fear of socially progressive attitudes migrating to the state from California has led to a degree of backlash in the state, including Texas Governor Greg Abbott running his re-election campaign in 2018 on the slogan "Don't California My Texas."[18]

Sports

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Due to the cultural differences, there often exist multiple rivalries between sports teams in either California or Texas, such as:

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Cowan, Jill (December 10, 2020). "Why We're Talking About the California-Texas Rivalry, Again". The New York Times. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
  2. ^ "The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo". National Archives. August 15, 2016. Retrieved January 30, 2024.
  3. ^ Miller, Kenneth P. (2020). Texas vs. California: A History of Their Struggle for the Future of America.
  4. ^ Herrera, Jack (December 4, 2023). "Why do California, Texas differ so much? Religion, priorities of white minority play huge roles, poll shows". Los Angeles Times.
  5. ^ Riquier, Andrea (October 19, 2021). "Texas vs. California: polar opposite public policies". MarketWatch. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  6. ^ Calkins, Laurel Brubaker and Mehrotra, Kartikay (June 19, 2017). "Battle Over Sanctuary Cities Pits California Against Texas". bloomberg.com.
  7. ^ Beam, Adam (May 23, 2022). "California aims to shield against Texas-style abortion laws". AP News. Retrieved October 13, 2022.
  8. ^ a b Miller, Kenneth P. (November 1, 2020). "America's political future is a California-Texas duel". USA TODAY. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
  9. ^ "California Releases World's First Plan to Achieve Net Zero Carbon Pollution". November 16, 2022.
  10. ^ https://www.ceres.org/news-center/blog/californias-scoping-plan-setting-path-climate-targets
  11. ^ "Celebrating the Expansion of Medi-Cal". June 28, 2022.
  12. ^ https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article270050742.html
  13. ^ "Texas Proposition 4, Prohibit State Income Tax on Individuals Amendment (2019)". Ballotpedia. Retrieved August 10, 2023.
  14. ^ "9 States with No Income Tax | SmartAsset".
  15. ^ "Texas Abortion Restrictions". March 14, 2024.
  16. ^ Goodman, J. David (October 26, 2022). "Texas Goes Permitless on Guns, and Police Face an Armed Public". The New York Times.
  17. ^ O'Donnell, Paul (June 26, 2023). "Texas ranks as best business climate for companies". dallasnews.com. Retrieved August 5, 2023.
  18. ^ Hooks, Christopher (March 2021). "Californians Could Ruin Texas—But Not the Way You Might Think". Texas Monthly.
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