California–Texas rivalry
{{Short description|Rivalry between the U.S. states of California and Texas}}
{{about|the state rivalry|the Supreme Court case|California v. Texas}}
{{use mdy dates|date=January 2021}}
File:US State map containing the top 2 states colored differently with respect to their political leanings.png highlighting {{legend0|#0b63b0|California}} and {{legend0|#dc1919|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. The territories of both states, located in the Sun Belt, were also once part of Mexico, and both states are over 39% Hispanic.{{cite web | title=The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo | website=National Archives | date=2016-08-15 | url=https://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/guadalupe-hidalgo). | access-date=2024-01-30}}
The states are often opposed politically, with California being liberal or progressive and generally supporting the Democratic Party, while Texas is conservative and generally supports the Republican Party.{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2023-12-04/why-do-california-texas-differ-so-much-religion-priorities-of-white-minority-play-huge-roles-poll-shows|title=Why do California, Texas differ so much? Religion, priorities of white minority play huge roles, poll shows|date=December 4, 2023|website=Los Angeles Times|first1=Jack|last1=Herrera}} Texas is commonly seen as having little government intervention and regulation, while in California the state takes a larger role in public policies.{{Cite web |last=Riquier |first=Andrea |date=October 19, 2021 |title=Texas vs. California: polar opposite public policies |url=https://www.marketwatch.com/story/texas-vs-california-polar-opposite-public-policies-11634668519 |access-date=2022-07-09 |website=MarketWatch |language=en-US}} 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.{{Cite web |last1=Calkins |first1=Laurel Brubaker |last2=Mehrotra |first2=Kartikay |name-list-style=and |date=June 19, 2017 |title=Battle Over Sanctuary Cities Pits California Against Texas |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-06-20/battle-over-sanctuary-cities-pits-california-against-texas |url-access=subscription |access-date= |website=bloomberg.com}}{{Cite web |last=Beam |first=Adam |date=2022-05-23 |title=California aims to shield against Texas-style abortion laws |url=https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-politics-california-texas-2664d1378ea503b2b81becc202ebd796 |access-date=2022-10-13 |website=AP News |language=en}}
Politics
{{further|Politics of California|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. 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.{{cite web | url=https://www.gov.ca.gov/2022/11/16/california-releases-worlds-first-plan-to-achieve-net-zero-carbon-pollution/ | title=California Releases World's First Plan to Achieve Net Zero Carbon Pollution | date=November 16, 2022 }}https://www.ceres.org/news-center/blog/californias-scoping-plan-setting-path-climate-targets{{cite web | url=https://www.chcf.org/blog/celebrating-expansion-medi-cal/ | title=Celebrating the Expansion of Medi-Cal | date=June 28, 2022 }}https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article270050742.html Meanwhile, Texas has adopted various conservative policies, such as reducing taxes (e.g., prohibiting an income tax{{Cite web|title=Texas Proposition 4, Prohibit State Income Tax on Individuals Amendment (2019)|url=https://ballotpedia.org/Texas_Proposition_4,_Prohibit_State_Income_Tax_on_Individuals_Amendment_(2019)|website=Ballotpedia|language=en|access-date=2023-08-10}}), restricting abortion rights, protecting gun rights, and fostering a business-friendly climate.{{cite web | url=https://smartasset.com/taxes/states-with-no-income-tax | title=9 States with No Income Tax | SmartAsset }}{{cite web | url=https://www.texastribune.org/series/texas-abortion-restrictions | title=Texas Abortion Restrictions | date=March 14, 2024 }}{{Cite news |last=Goodman |first=J. David |title=Texas Goes Permitless on Guns, and Police Face an Armed Public |work=The New York Times |date=October 26, 2022 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/26/us/texas-guns-permitless.html |url-access=subscription}}{{Cite web |last=O'Donnell |first=Paul |date=June 26, 2023 |title=Texas ranks as best business climate for companies |url=https://www.dallasnews.com/business/2023/06/26/texas-rates-as-best-business-climate-for-companies-looking-to-relocate-or-expand |access-date=August 5, 2023 |website=dallasnews.com}}
Voters look to both states for examples of how policies from across the political spectrum would look if implemented nationally. Many companies have moved to Texas due to lower taxes and regulations, significant tax incentives and "eye-popping" cheap housing, as well as California's stricter response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, Inc. and SpaceX, has notably moved 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." However, A New York Times Upshot analysis in 2024 found that partisanship itself, whether intentional or not, plays a powerful role when American domestic migration. California has contributed to this trend by exporting Republicans en masse and more Republicans have moved out of California than any other state and made the states they moved to redder in the process especially Texas, Arizona, Florida and Nevada.{{Cite news |last=Kaysen |first=Ronda |last2=Singer |first2=Ethan |date=2024-10-31 |title=Millions of Movers Reveal American Polarization in Action |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/10/30/upshot/voters-moving-polarization.html |access-date=2025-02-27 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}
Sports
Due to the cultural differences, there often exist multiple rivalries between sports teams in either California or Texas, such as:
Similarities
Despite the rivalry, the two states share much in common, and only began to diverge significantly by the end of the 20th century.{{Cite book |last=Miller |first=Kenneth P. |url=https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=dIbxDwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA3 |title=Texas vs. California: A History of Their Struggle for the Future of America |date=2020-07-14 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-007738-9 |language=en}}