In the great state of Texas, the governor is the highest ranked official that is elected. Even though it is believed the governor has minimal power due to EJ Davis and his abuse of power in the 1800’s, the governor still has an influence on many things and has the power to implement things as well. According to the Associated Press (2011), “The governor’s chair is an increasingly powerful institution in most states, with the clout, control, and visibility that has long made it the leading stepping stone to the oval office.” (Associated Press [AP],2011). The governor of Texas is the head of the executive branch and the commander-in-chief of the state’s military forces. One key role the governor has is the power to appoint or select members to …show more content…
a majority of the boards. Appointing members are vital to the governor’s success because by selecting people who mainly share the same ideas and values as you, it allows you to get more things passed and gives you more control. The governor also has the ability to grant pardons. Even though it is very rare this power gets used, the governor has the power to declare martial law.
Martial law is where the military is put in control of normal civilian functions of government due to an invasion or disaster of some degree. Being able to call for military control shows the military power the governor can possess. Another power and duty the governor has in the state is formulating and submitting the state budget. Given these powers, this allows the governor to reveal his spending priorities. Given these budgetary powers, he can subsequently position the budget in his favor. The governor with the senates approval, has the power to appoint the three-member Public Safety Commission which governs the tasks of the Department of Public Safety. This is so significant because by appointing his people to oversee all of the Department of Public Safety, gives him police power and makes them more powerful. One role that defines and is said to be the most important power given to the governor, is the power to sign or veto a bill once it has been passed by the Texas Legislature. If the governor decides to veto a bill, it gets sent back to the legislature and they can override the veto if they get two-thirds vote in each chamber and if they are still in …show more content…
session. If the legislature is not in session, then they are not allowed to meet to vote on overrides. So that implies that any vetoes the governor proposes at the end of a session will be final. The governor can influence the policymaking process by convening a special session of the state legislature.
Special sessions can be called to complete unfinished tasks, discuss and outline the budget for the next fiscal year, cut the budget in an economic downfall incident, and if a war or natural disaster occurs. Last but definitely not least, the greatest power and influence the governor can have in office is by being what makes a politician so successful and popular, which is by building relationships and making friends within the bureaucracy. Since the governor of Texas has less formal power than most state governors have, they must develop collaborative relationships in order to construct their goals and achieve them. By developing relationships and appointing members to various boards, they can shift and reorganize the structure and environment of the bureaucratic system. Using the governor’s message power, which is any communication between the governor and the legislature, including the State of the State message, can be a great resource for the governor to use to promote and influence the legislature to pass certain bills or push for their agenda to be the top priority of
work. Overall, if you have a successful and excellent governor in Texas, they will be able to be very powerful and influential in the policymaking and implementation process. Rick Perry, former governor of Texas and now the current U.S. Secretary of Energy, held the position of governor of Texas for over 14 years. Perry created a Republican dynasty by electing and appointing his people throughout his 14 years. He was very successful in office because everyone that was elected or appointed were picked by him. When you control and have a heavy influence on all of the bureaucracy, your agenda will be successful and diligent. Every group and chamber were made up of many of his appointees at some point in his time as governor. The longer you are in office, the more things you will get done and the more influence you will have on policies, appointees, and the bureaucratic system.
The local governments in Texas are smaller units that form part of the larger state government. These local government extensions act as the administrative branch of the state government. The state of Texas relies mainly on its constitution of 1876 to establish the various local government jurisdictions. Currently, there are 254 counties, 50 cities, 1,100 education districts and 2,393 special districts in the state serving a population of 26 million people (Collier et al.). Each of these branches of the local government has specific roles, which they are supposed to play.
The government officials have a scope of duties that they are required deal. The governor may create the budget, appoint executive boards, and declare martial law, so the scope of the governor’s duties range from budget to martial law. I believe citizens will find the budget very important because that is where their tax money is and people typically want to know where that is going. The lieutenant governor is the president of the Senate, which according to the textbook by Benson, Clinkscale, and Giardino, “many political scientist believe…is the most powerful position in the state,” (218). The senate is a part of the Texas legislature, so making laws is very important to the public because the citizens are the ones who have to abide by the law. The attorney general is elected by the public and basically the state’s lawyer, so his issues are important to the people because he deals with making laws (Benson, Clinkscale, and Giardino 220). The comptroller is “the state’s chief accountant and financial officer,” so the public should be interested in the financial aspects of the state (Benson, Clinkscale, and Giardino 221). The land commissioner manages leases and the state’s public land, so the issues that are under the title may not be as important as the comptroller or lieutenant governor’s
...iminal code, and the Court of Criminal Appeals, both are equal in prominence and decision-making capability. M most positions in the US Government outside of the President and Congress are appointed by the President, confirmed by the Senate. In Texas, only the Governor's and Lt. Governor's aides and some cabinet positions are appointed, all other positions are elected, including that of the State Attorney General, Comptroller of Public Accounts (basically, the State Accountant and Tax Assessor), and Railroad Commissioner (who controls and regulates the state's land and mineral resources).
The people of Texas are diverse and carry their “big can-do attitudes and accents” (Pearson); making Texas a bigger than life state. The political culture of Texas is impacted by two different subgroups of individualistic and traditionalistic characteristics. The combination of traditionalism and individualism has had a huge impact on the state and Texas’ seven different constitutions. The shift in power between 1827 and 1876 has impacted the political diversity Texas has today. Looking at the specifics of these subcultures, the traditionalists believe government should benefit the wealthy and powerful, and that government services must be limited.
Our Legislative Branch has two chambers or as some will call it bicameral. The chambers consist of the Senate and the House of Representatives just like the National Legislative Branch. In our Senate we currently have a total of 31 members and there are 150 members in the House of Representatives. Senators hold their seat for 4 years and their election years are spread out while the House of Representatives are elected for two-year terms. In our Texas Legislature we have a few authority figures. “The Texas Constitution provides that the lieutenant governor shall serve as president of the senate, the presiding officer of that body. The lieutenant governor is elected statewide by voters of Texas and is the second-highest ranking officer of the executive branch of government”. (Texas Medical Associaton) In the House of Representatives we have a Speaker of the House who is chosen in each time a new legislature starts by its own members. “The speaker maintains order during floor debate, recognizing legislators who wish to speak and ruling on procedural matters.” (Joe Straus Speaker) There are also many committees who act as important gatekeepers and shape the proposed legislation. (University of Texas at Austin). The main pu...
The Texas government is a complex system whose ultimate purpose is to serve its citizens. Oftentimes, its complexity in certain aspects causes problems in its efficiency in serving. The way the Texas Constitution is written, how local governments run, the judicial, legislative, and executive branches’ efficiency, as well as Texas public policy and fiscal policy result in a government that is not set up to best serve its citizens. By 1875 the need to rewrite the Texas Constitution had become very evident, and a Convention was held to rewrite the Constitution.
The three different branches of government in Texas are the following: The executive branch, which is directed by the governor, executes the laws, the judicial branch, which is run through the supreme court and state courts, interpret the laws, and the legislative branch, which is bicameral, includes the 150 members of the house of representatives and the 31 members of the state senate that make the laws.
With wonderful learning opportunities, a team of sharp and intelligent classmates and teachers, and specialized equipment, the Governor’s School at Innovation Park is the ultimate dream of all determined math/science devotees. With my natural curiosity for mathematics and science and eagerness to take on challenging ideas, I can collaborate with the team at Governor’s School to develop our wide spectrum of ideas and abilities into a highly sophisticated product.
Unlike the United States Executive Branch, where the President of the United States appoints his cabinet, the Executive Department of the State of Texas is all elected by the public with the exception of the Secretary of State and the State Board of Education, which are appointed. With this power being distributed by the voters, it makes the Executive Branch less powerful than the other two branches in the state. This weakness in the branch was even stated in a Wall Street Journal article by Jonathan Weisman in 2011, “By constitutional design that dates to Reconstruction, Texas has a weak governorship. In addition to the legislature, power is diffused among 270 agencies, boards and commissions”. This statement alone certainly conveys that the Executive Branch has clearly been weaker than the other two branches of authority in the State of Texas.
Texas politics is an interesting ecosystem of power, rules and regulations. Of course, in typical Texas fashion, most of the politics we engage in we do our own way. From governors who stay in office for a decade to our extremely diverse demographics, Texas is extremely unique. This uniqueness of course comes with its critics, benefits, and downsides. This is particularly true with the Texas Court system compared to both the federal courts and many other states.
The constitution establish major governing institutions, assign institution’s power, place explicit and implicit control on power granted. All this gives the political legitimacy. The U.S constitution gives the base model for state constitution for Texas.
The Texas Revolution is one of the biggest events that contributed to the founding of this country. Texas’s fight for independence from the Mexican government was very beneficial to the young and growing United States. The effects of this war play a crucial role in how this country came to be
Our government here in Texas has three major parts that play a significant part in our decision making process. These levels have been deigned to decentralize power and make it more affective for the public's needs. The primary level is the Texas legislature. It is almost a given to say that everyone has at least heard of the legislature. Some variables that the legislature contains are the Lt. Governor, the Speaker of the house of Representatives and Committee Chairs. The Speaker acts as the presiding officer over the house and has two levels of power. These two levels are institutional powers which allow the officer to preside over the Legislative Audit Committee and Sunset Advisory Committee.
Democrats, Republicans, and Libertarians are perhaps three of the most prominent political parties within Texas. Within the pages of their party platforms, we see that each possesses a unique philosophy, with specific viewpoints and recommendations for shaping or reforming government policy. To be sure, the people of Texas face many challenges, two of the most compelling issues being the crisis in healthcare and in education. Not only are we lacking in these areas as Texans, but also on the national level. The parties’ stance on these two major issues defines them, giving us insight into the mind and intentions of each.
The Texas Revolution, also know was the Texas Day of Independence, was a day of Glory for the Texans and a Day of despair for the Mexicans. The conflict was between Mexico and settlers in Texas. There are some factors that causes the war, but the biggest factor is the Law of April 6, 1830. The Law of April 6, 1830 stopped immigration to Texas, which was the main cause Texas revolution because settlers wanted their family to come to Texas and now they could not come.