By the state’s bicentennial in 2036, Texas’ population is expected to grow by about 10 million people—a boom that could have a huge impact on our economy, our society and our environment. But thanks to government silos, heated rhetoric and the “tyranny of the urgent” that drives our politics, the public remains largely unaware of what the state’s priorities should be to prepare for the challenges that Texans, their children and their grandchildren face in less than 20 years. And Texas is not alone: Short-term-ism afflicts state governments across the country, particularly given the speed with which elected officials must react to 24/7 news and the “crisis du jour.”
