There’s a good case that the state of Texas has the best economy in the world. Its gross domestic product (GDP), which is over $2 trillion, is bigger than that of all but seven countries, and it’s growing like crazy. Since 2000, the population of Texas has risen 21.3%, more than any other state but tiny Idaho.
Texas is the number-one exporting state, and it’s tops for foreign direct investment as well. It’s home to more Fortune 500 companies than California or New York, and for 19 years in a row a survey of CEOs by Chief Executive magazine has ranked Texas first in the nation based on assessments of business climate, workforce and quality of life.
Indeed, Texas is a formula for success. It has five cities among the 12 largest in the U.S. (no other state has more than two), and I lived happily in one of them – Dallas – for four years. The success formula was obvious: a…
