An interesting article from the Texas Tribune appeared today about the gap between the two parties in Texas. A study conducted by a Rice political scientist shows the divide clearly. What the scientist, Mark Jones, found was that there is no middle ground or crossing of parties at all. The most conservative democrat and the most liberal republican are vastly separated ideologically. This trend not only exists in the U.S. house for Texas representatives, but in the Texas Senate and the Texas House as well. There are no democrats more conservative than the most liberal republican, and vice versa. The author of the article, Ross Ramsey, blames district line drawing; redistricting to keep party’s power in specific districts only furthers the issue of more extreme positions for both parties. What the article fails to provide is an opinion for what the growing divide will mean for Texas. That opinion is up to the reader; so read the article and decide for yourself if this gap is a problem for our state.

Analysis: The Center Did Not Hold, Texas Tribune, Ross Ramsey