Don’t mess with Texas?

For reasons that are possibly too mundane to go into I have just read the special report on Texas from a summer edition of the Economist.

It is absolutely fascinating as a means of gaining a deeper insight into a rapidly changing state, and is a treasure trove of Americana.  Did you know for instance that Texas is one of four states where whites are a minority, or that tequila was invented there?

I recommend:

Lone Star rising
The best and worst of Texas
The red and the blue
The new face of America

Federalism: advantages and disadvantages

Readers may be aware that America operates a federal system where national and state governments are theoretically sovereign in certain spheres.  In practical terms this vertical separation of power is much more blurred, but it does mean that individual states have much more individual responsibility for policy within their territories than do the devolved regions in the UK.  The consequences of allowing states to essentially go it alone are mixed.  A magazine article in today’s Observer looks at the current crisis in California.  It is interesting, well written and contains lots of good examples for someone wishing to assess the pros and cons of America’s federal arrangements.

US revision: Obama and federalism

What is the new White House incumbent’s position on states’ rights?

“Marijuana law goes up in smoke”

Say the Guardian in an article which acts as a good example of federal state relations in the USA