Texas provides a looking-glass view of the national picture on the issue of guns — though with its own Texas flavor, of course. 

As many GOP leaders argue that passing comprehensive immigration reform is in the GOP’s best interest, some data suggests that the long-term interest of party strategists and the short-term self-interest of members of Congress are not necessarily in sync.

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio hit the Sunday talk shows to discuss an immigration reform plan that he said would not provide amnesty. In Texas, a strong majority of Texans oppose a comprehensive overhaul, with the "pathway to citizenship" a likely stumbling block.

Polls might show a low interest in public education cuts made by lawmakers in 2011, but some of the candidates who ran in 2012 found a very receptive electorate.

It's no shock that Texans tend to be more conservative when it comes to federal gun control measures. But Texans are also conservative in another, more literal sense when it comes to proposals seeking to reduce the requirements to carry a concealed handgun.

Polling over the last two years from the University of Texas/Texas Tribune suggests that education has not become more salient to Texas voters, nor have perceptions of school quality suffered significantly.

Many Republican officials are moderating their views on immigration reform that includes a path to citizenship for immigrants already in the U.S. Their voters, however, remain opposed to the idea. And Tea Party voters are strongly opposed.

Despite water’s saturation of the political priority list, the public still appears ambivalent about Texas’ water needs and out of step with state legislators on how to pay for it, according to the latest UT/Texas Tribune Poll.

By increasing our sample size and providing more analyses of the data in our blog, we hope to provide interested parties with what they seek: in-depth coverage of the actors and issues that are driving important parts of the political process in the state. 

There is less to those Rick Perry-Greg Abbott horserace numbers than you might think. It's early, for one thing, and campaigns and voter attitudes change things dramatically. Plus, the two might never face off on a ballot.

Water is a top issue with lawmakers, if not quite there with voters, according to the University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll. And voters prefer adding a surcharge, based on water usage, to help pay for water projects.

Texas voters remain concerned about the economy and immigration, according to the University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll. And three out of five Texas voters said the U.S. is on the wrong track.

Texans are generally against tougher gun control laws, according to the new University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll, but they overwhelmingly support criminal and mental health background checks for gun purchases.

A hypothetical head-t0-head matchup between Gov. Rick Perry and Attorney General Greg Abbott might be better understood by looking beyond the horse-race polling results in the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll.

It's not so much what Texans think about gaming in Texas — they're generally for it — but about how strongly they feel. And the people who don't want expanded gaming feel more strongly than proponents.

For this week's nonscientific survey of insiders in government and politics, we asked about which civic problems are most important in the country and the state, how things are going and about Rick Perry.