The politics of ensuring that Texas becomes an economically empowered state is traced back to the 1990s where a neoliberal theory was initiated. The government-initiated policies to ensure that the states are devolved. This would reduce poverty and dependency among the people in all the states. (Harvey, 2013, 18).
Texas was the most affected nation with the number of economic and social inequality being persistently high. Social inequality systems are dated back to education matters and access to other social amenities where disparity exists. The state has implemented some measures with some having a negative and positive implication to both the economy and the society. Texas believes that it is an epitome of progress based on the policies initiated and the strides made in different sectors. However, some of the practices that are undertaken by the state are not a true reflection of the Texas miracle. Succinctly, the paper will delineate the economic and social disparages in Texas that are not about the Texas miracle and make a comparison to the federal government.
One of the efforts that Texas accredits itself is its ability to cut the spending, low taxes, lower regulations and ensure that one does not spend all the money that he or she (Longman, 2014, 2-3) However, the underlying fact is that these measures cannot be considered useful when there is a social class. Before the implementation of reforms that favors the citizens, social and economic inequality. The gap between the poor and the rich has widened (Campbell, 2018, 1-2). The level of poverty in Texas had risen. Facts indicate that despite the efforts made to improve the state of living in the state, much is required to salvage the situation.
In comparison to other states, the Senator believes that the rampant movement of people from other states such as California is due to the progress made. Hispanics and blacks are believed to be the poorest among the social groups that live in Texas (Daniel and Ura, 2018, 3). Imposing regulation and implementation of tax reforms cannot help an individual who is living below the poverty index level.
A poor individual is not subject to savings due to economic saving based on the circumstances. As a result, the inequalities remain prevalent. The measures should focus on both parties. A common regulation cannot solve all issues without factoring both divides. The assertions that were made by Perry makes it believe that indeed it was a Texas miracle if the poor were subject to taxation, yet they are surviving below the threshold. The state authority saw reducing taxes, imposing regulations and tort reforms as a measure that reduces social inequality and empowers the people economically.
The instances of crime reduction served as the basis of improvement in the security measures. Texas implemented policies that could regulate crime in the state (Allan, 2018, 4). The policies could ensure that the state remains responsive to the laws. Protection through maintenance of law and order showed the progress that was made by the state. The state worked with the Federal government to initiate policies that could favor both sides. The latest development of the program that is seen as one of the measures of empowering prisoners is giving them access to jobs. The Texas Department of criminal justice in partnership with Texas correctional industries offer employees to prisoners. The efforts depict the seriousness that Texas has given to improve the social welfare and the economic state of the inmates.
Creation of jobs to the inmates is seen as a way of reducing poverty. The ability to give opportunities to the inmates to be involved in the training programs where they learn apprenticeship that is translated to practice shows the seriousness that Texas has done to improve the conditions of prisoners (Industries and labor, P. 2018, 2-3). The underlying fact behind the developments is that there is no clear plan for the inmates who leave prisons upon the expiry of their term. The federal government has policies that are enshrined on matters of crime. Texas perceives itself as a miracle state based on the developmental progress it has undergone. When the prisons are guaranteed jobs upon expiry of their life sentence, there it will be easier to assert that there has been progress made. The inmates stand to benefit when working in the prison territories. It is debatable that crime rates are still constant as the inmates upon release revert to the previous crime activities undermining the general aspersions that Texas is a miracle state.
The disobedience of the international law that gives individuals consular rights caused a center of conflict with the UN and the international bodies. The federal government intervened to have the death penalty rescinded. However, the actions that Texas showed are a clear indication of how conflicts can arise. Other international bodies blamed the U.S when it failed to solve the issue resulting in loss of life.
It is a clear indicator of how Texas regards itself as an independent state at the expense of other States (Campbell, 2011, 642-644). The other instance, where the federal courts of government played a significant role was when it intervened for equal protection on education matters of children. Previously, Texas had limitations to undocumented children (Belejack, 2018, 8). However, the courts intervened when one case presented to the court had barred an undocumented child from access to education. Despite the developments that have been made by Texas to promote education by the provision of funds and other amenities, the ability to limit education to any party does prove that the state had disparities in the social welfare.
The federal government does not have laws that limit pollution through mining and fracking instances. Most regions in the U.S with south Texas being an example of areas that suffer due to the poor disposal of wastes. Research by Johnston, Werder, and Sebastian, (2016, 553) posits that waste disposal is a national disaster with areas affected being South Texas among others. Most disposal sites are within rural areas. Environmental injustice is based in areas of a particular race and color. This shows the degree of segregation that exists both in Texas and in the U.S as a whole. The poverty levels in these areas are high as the wastes affect their economic life. Productivity in such areas as low as the environment is polluted.
On the other hand, human health is at stake as the health complications that arise due to pollution are evident. Ideally, it is a precise measure of how social welfare varies between people residing in urban and rural areas. Enactment of laws by both the state and the federal government can help solve the environmental injustices that affect the people in South Texas and other states.
The US government has policies that allow for taxation of systems within the government. Taxation is mainly done to support the systems and ensure that the operations in the country are effective. The efforts by Perry to regulate taxes was aimed at ensuring that the state was able to run the systems and reduce the economic disparities that exist. Contrary to the U.S government, which has taxes on all the products and services, Texas believes in establishing an economically stable nation. According to McNichol (2018, 4), the incomes due to taxation have benefitted affluent households at the expense of lower and middle-income individuals.
The American economy has contributed to disparities in the incomes by asking more from the lower and middle-income individual at the expense of the wealthy individuals. Texas has set policies that ensure that the high-income earners pay their share whereas other groups are not subject to increased responsibility. Other measures that have been taken by Texas in reducing inequalities of both the social class and economy is through expansion of taxes on inherited wealth, increasing taxes on corporations as well as capping itemized deductions. Through such approaches, inequalities have reduced.
Texas encouraged the creation of systems such as hospitals, educational Centers among others. This could lead to monetary flow in the state. Policies were initiated for the benefit of the state. When systems are initiated, the government stands to benefit through taxation processes (Kelton, 2018, 2). Texas cut government spending in most of the programs for sustenance. Whereas the federal government receives tax from Texas, it was barred from spending in some of the sectors with the notable sector being the health sectors. Democrats at first opposed the policy, but it had an impact (Abrahamian, 2018, 8). Cutting government spending in the health sector was a threat to women health care.
The national government funds the health sector in all the states, however, the efforts by Texas proved useful to the state as it survived on a constrained budget. The politics of abortion in the U.S are traced back to the 1990s. To date, there is little or no abortion in Texas as the State opposed the funding from the government. Most women were supported under the Medicaid fund. When the state passed a motion to ban government funding, it was a threat to the women. Politics arose, as the people were not of the opinion that such a practice should be abolished. To date, the number of abortions in Texas are minimal in comparison to other government states (Tolentino, 2018, 4-5). This shows the impact of the policy on the health sector in Texas.
In conclusion, Texas has made economic strides by implementing policies that benefit the state. However, their areas that have not been addressed sufficiently by the government and state at large. Both the federal government and the state should implement laws and policies that aim to fight the environmental injustices that are prevalent in parts of south Texas and other regions. Fighting social inequalities requires much efforts and the government as the policies existent favor a particular group at the expense of others. However, some of the efforts made by the state indicate that Texas is fighting hard to prove to the government that it has made progress. In doing so, it can be termed as a miracle state based on the developments.
