Analysis of Texas Politics by Jim and Josh from the Texas Politics Project.
Texas Podcast Network is brought to you by The University of Texas at Austin. Podcasts are produced by faculty members and staffers at UT Austin who work with University Communications to craft content that adheres to journalistic best practices. The University of Texas at Austin offers these podcasts at no charge. Podcasts appearing on the network and this webpage represent the views of the hosts, not of The University of Texas at Austin.
All content for Second Reading Podcast is the property of Second Reading Podcast and is served directly from their servers
with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
Analysis of Texas Politics by Jim and Josh from the Texas Politics Project.
Texas Podcast Network is brought to you by The University of Texas at Austin. Podcasts are produced by faculty members and staffers at UT Austin who work with University Communications to craft content that adheres to journalistic best practices. The University of Texas at Austin offers these podcasts at no charge. Podcasts appearing on the network and this webpage represent the views of the hosts, not of The University of Texas at Austin.
James Henson & Joshua Blank consider the politics of the federal court decision throwing out the recently redrawn Texas Congressional map, and the MAGA crack-up trope.
James Henson & Joshua Blank talk about Gov. Abbott’s 2026 campaign kick-off, the public opinion context for property tax policy, and the still uncertain dynamics of the 2026 election.
The Texas Politics Project Poll team – Daron Shaw, James Henson, and Joshua Blank – discuss what their latest poll tells us about the current Texas landscape for the 2026 election.
Comparative constitutional scholar Zachary Elkins joins James Henson to discuss these state of Constitutional features like the separation of powers and checks and balances during the norms-challenging Trump presidency.
After catching up on the federal shutdown, James Henson and Joshua Blank look at the political dynamics around Gov. Greg Abbott’s fast deployment of Texas National Guard troops to Illinois at the order of President Trump, including a look at Texas attitudes toward Abbott’s response to Operation Jade Helm a decade ago.
James Henson and Joshua Blank look at the arc of the President’s standing in Texas and how his ratings intersect persistent economic concerns in the state. Plus, they consider approaches to (very) early polling in the 2026 U.S. Senate race.
James Henson and Joshua Blank look at latest Texas Politics Project poll results on redistricting, marijuana, property taxes, and other priorities in the recently-concluded special legislative sessions – and share some historical data on Texans’ view of political violence.
Gromer Jeffers, Jr., Brad Johnson, Mark Jones, and Harvey Kronberg joined James Henson for a roundtable hosted by the Professional Advocacy Association of Texas on the second special session of the Texas Legislature – plus a sneak peak at new Texas Politics Project polling data on the same subject.
Ross Ramsey joins James Henson and Joshua Blank to assess to consider the nature and durability of changes in Texas politics and institutions evident during the 89th Texas Legislature, including the partisan hostility recently on display in the lege, the strengthening of the governor’s office, and the influence of national politics on Texas politics.
In the wake of Texas House Democrats return to the legislature and the passage of the hotly contested new Congressional map by the reconvened House, James Henson and Joshua Blank talk over some of the political and institutional implications of the mid-decade redistricting in Texas.
James Henson and Joshua Blank discuss the uncertainty around Texas House Democrats’ quorum break over mid-decade redistricting, and what the ensuing politics reveal about Texas politics. While the podcast was being recorded, Democrats announced their intention to return to Texas “to take this fight to the courts.” So it goes. Note: in a rushed update, […]
With adopting the new Congressional maps ordered by Donald Trump and response to the July 4 floods at the top of the agenda, James Henson and Joshua Blank talk about the politics of agenda management as the Texas Legislature prepares to return to the Capitol next week for a politically-fraught special session.
In a webinar hosted June 26 by the Professional Advocacy Association of Texas, James Henson and Johsua Blank look at attitudes on issues and actors in the regular session of the 89th Texas Legislature in a special video edition of the podcast.
The UT/Texas Politics Project Poll team – James Henson, Joshua Blank, and Daron Shaw – look at the much-noted decline in President Trump’s job approval numbers in their June pol and how Trump’s standing intersects attitudes on the economy and immigration, as well as what can be read into the current positions of Senator John […]
James Henson and Joshua Blank talk about how immigration protests, the Trump administration’s push for redistricting in Texas, and the short-lived in-state tuition lawsuit have disturbed the post session lull in the Lone Star State.
From ESA’s to property taxes to hurled hemp, James Henson and Joshua Blank take a day-after look at the 89th Texas Legislature and what lawmakers did and didn’t do over the last 140 days.
James Henson and Joshua Blank talk about the progress made on major legislation this week and where the legislative leadership stands as the end of the regular session looms.
James Henson and Joshua Blank look at the big issues still pending in the Texas Legislature, including property taxes, education funding, water, the budget, bail, THC products, and more as legislative deadlines start killing bills.
James Henson, Daron Shaw, and Joshua Blank discussed what the newly-released UT/Texas Politics Project Poll reveals about Texas views of Donald Trump, major issues getting hammered out in the final weeks of the Texas Legislature, and the coming 2026 election in Texas.
Analysis of Texas Politics by Jim and Josh from the Texas Politics Project.
Texas Podcast Network is brought to you by The University of Texas at Austin. Podcasts are produced by faculty members and staffers at UT Austin who work with University Communications to craft content that adheres to journalistic best practices. The University of Texas at Austin offers these podcasts at no charge. Podcasts appearing on the network and this webpage represent the views of the hosts, not of The University of Texas at Austin.
