Texas Goverment

Gov’t 2306-Summer 2013

Professor Rolison

June 11, 2013

Hoyt Patterson

Writing Assignment #1

Firearms Manufacturing Growing the Texas Economy

Texas is truly a unique state, it is enormous in size, carries a diverse population, and has vast natural resources. Economic growth plays a critical role in the well-being of all Texans by generating jobs. People generally assume the bulk of their economy is derived from oil and agriculture, when actually it is the high tech industry that is the driving force. According to Ginsberg “In 2009 computer and electronic products accounted for $35.2 billion in exports from the state of Texas” (p. 734). During the eighteenth and nineteenth century Texas was heavily involved in the cattle ranching and cotton industry, and “produced more cotton than any other state” (Ginsberg, p. 728). The oil boom came around the early 1900s transforming the economy for years to come. “The industry transformed the social and economic fabric of Texas by providing cheap oil and gas it made possible a new industrial revolution in the twentieth century” (Ginsberg, p. 731). As the world began to evolve so did the Texas economy moving into the technological ear in the late eighties early nineties. Ginsberg described the transition, as simply “In contrast to the 1980’s, the 1990’s was a period of rapid growth. Unlike early periods of speculative booms, the heart of this particular boom was a fast growing manufacturing sector tied to high tech” (p. 735). Given all this history of economic booms the firearms industry is in the mist of one themselves. Despite all the gun violence that has erupted over the past four years, despite legislation being put into the works to possibly limit or even ban the sales of certain brands the firearms industry continues to grow and prosper. “Almost 9.4 million new guns were sold in America in 2011, an increase from 8 million in 2010. After adding in re-sales of guns made in...