Why America will be more like Texas soon

Driving the news: The Economist published two stories last week examining Texas' booming population and economy to show how "Texas keeps getting bigger."

The big picture: Texas has the second largest population in the U.S. and is on track to surpass California in the 2040s, the Economist reports.

• That will enable Texas to become even more influential in the country's politics, economy and transition to renewable energy.

State of play: Gov. Greg Abbott has repeatedly made headlines for his views on immigration — and for sending busloads of migrants to Democratic states — but that hasn't deterred many companies and people from moving to Texas.

• Texas' population grew by almost 20% from 2010 to 2021. Its economy grew by 39%, 1.5 times faster than the national economy, per the Economist.

Lessons from Texas: Other states can take lessons from Texas on how to run a lean government and attract outsiders through business incentives and no state income tax.

• The state has also diversified its economy vastly since the oil bust of the 1980s, enabling its major cities to specialize in different areas of the economy.

• Austin has become a tech hotspot, Houston is known for its oil and gas, and Dallas is a financial hub.

Zoom in: This Economist story focuses on the allure of Dallas-Fort Worth, explaining how our region's reputation has evolved since the show "Dallas."

Yes, but: It's too soon to tell if Texas' divisive take on abortion or LGBTQ+ rights will make a long-term difference to its growth.

Worthy of your time: Lawrence Wright's "God Save Texas" explains how our complicated state has changed the U.S.