How did California gain 7 electoral votes in the 1980's?

[Obama-Biden Democrat]

Between the 1980 and 1990 census, California had an astonishingly high growth rate. It went from 47 EV's to 54. People must have been flocking there in droves. In comparison, people say that Texas has a lightning fast growth rate, but it had a comparatively paltry growth of 3 EV's between 2000 and 2010.

What happened to cause such growth and why is it growing so much slower now?

[Obama-Biden Democrat]

California has also been a cultural institution from its founding. You could drop whatever problem's you had in the cold rainy east and a start fresh new life in sunny California. California has always been a trendsetter and the definition of 'cool'.

I think part of the reason why things started slowing down is the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the defense industry. Basically since 2000 there has been a negative population growth of movement from other parts of the country. A lot of it could be white flight with people moving to cheaper states, angry at the state's leftward turn or high immigrant population.