Texas is a large buyer of school textbooks and, therefore, what Texas wants in its textbooks has an enormous impact on the textbook market beyond Texas. It also affects the education of millions of students in Texas. In 2010, the Texas Board of Education approved new guidelines that highlight Republican historical contributions, as well as conservative philosophies. Because history and other social studies are never

“neutral,” how should decisions be made about what to include and exclude? Given the increasing use and importance of the Internet, will students seek out other histories and other views? Or will they stick with the information in the school textbooks?