The Texas legislature consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate. These two bodies of legislature work together to file bills and review them to ensure they are beneficial to the state and its residents. In the House of Representatives, the districts they represent are smaller, and the Representatives tend to be younger with more moralistic political cultures and more partisanship that serve only two years. The House is lead by the Speaker of the House who is elected by the members and appoints committees to serve for every issue presented in future bills. The Senate represents larger districts meaning less partisanship, and senators tend to be older white males who serve four years. The Senate is led by a statewide elected official, …show more content…
Lieutenant Governor who appoints committees. In the Texas legislative process, only a member of either the House of Representatives or the Senate can file a bill, which then undergoes a process to become law.
Firstly, the bill is filed by a member and assigned a number, for example, SB6, meaning it was filed in the Senate. Then it is referred to a committee to which it falls under. After this there is opportunity for the public to weigh in on how the bill will affect them or their community by writing letters, calling their representatives, and other public testimony. Lastly the bill must go through both chambers to be signed into effect. Statewide elected officials play an important role in the legislative process as well because their actions reflect those of the ones who voted them into office. For example, the Governor has the power to call special sessions, that last 30 days that can review bills that may have been beneficial but did not get addressed in the regular session. Another very important statewide elected official is the Comptroller whose department tracks all state money. The Comptroller provides the framework for developing the state’s biannual budget. This can then be signed by the Governor and back to the Comptroller to at least balance out the budget that the State of Texas is constitutionally obligated to adhere …show more content…
to. The current Texas Constitution sets up our state government. Explain why the constitution decentralizes power. Name and explain the duties of the statewide elected offices. The Texas Constitution sets up our state government because it shows the power that each office can possibly have and how our budget needs to be set up.
The constitution in itself decentralizes power because in the Reconstruction of 1869 the main goal was to avoid the happenings of past constitutions that allowed too much power to be given to the Governor’s office that caused corruption and turmoil. Because of the money that was stolen, the lost property of citizens, and businesses, the Texas Constitution made the office of the governor weak. The government structure is now referred to as a Plural Executive, meaning the power is spread out throughout executive positions. These executives are now state wide elected officials that represent the values of the percentage of the population who vote, who are mostly white, of higher income and higher education. The agriculture commissioner is responsible for varieties of programs that promotes agricultural economy and encourage healthy living. The land commissioner serves as the head of the Texas General Land Commission which manages land and mineral rights. The comptroller heads the department that tracks all state money and they provide the framework for developing the state’s biannual budget which can then be signed by the governor and back to the comptroller to at least balance out the budget that the State of Texas is constitutionally obligated to adhere to. Until the comptroller certifies that the budget is balanced or a
surplus is achieved, then it can be put into effect. The lieutenant governor presides over the senate and has the power to appoint committee and committee members. The governor, whose office was weakened in our Constitution to avoid fraud, does have the power to call special session that last 30 days. The governor can call, as many special sessions as he or she wants and can also pick whichever bill will be addressed. The attorney general defends Texas in federal cases. Critically think about and describe civic engagement in Texas and your social responsibility as a Texas resident. Civic engagement is very low in Texas, especially in Hispanics, which immediately explains why most of the issues being addressed in the Legislature are those only important to the ones who vote or engage which are white resident of higher income and higher education mainly from the north Texas region. This troubles one and makes one think about how powerful Texas would be if most Texan residents did talk to their representatives, involve themselves and have concern for their community, and most importantly vote. Because of our diversity, so many voices could be heard from all cultures, and the potential Texas has is overwhelming. Public policy follows the needs of those who vote, however, because of Texas’ low civic engagement, the needs being addressed comes from only one specific demographic. As a Texan resident myself, I hope to change this one day. Firstly, currently I volunteer around my community at community health centers, shelters, and my school. I hope to continue this throughout my life because when I become eligible to vote, I will register and keep myself informed about the issues and bills being drawn up to make an informed decision on what to cast my vote on. If I see something in my neighborhood or community that troubles me I will contact my public officials that are there to help with these issues and see what solutions they offer. Because the sales tax essentially funds these officials’ salaries, they are there to help residents with concerns about their communities. Beyond just myself, I hope to change the views of my demographic on voting and civic engagement in general. The Hispanic community can be such a powerful one when we all come together, but on matters such as voting, we couldn’t be more far apart. I hope to begin with my family in convincing them that voting is our opportunity to get our voices heard by those who can make a difference for our lives and us.
Manages and administrate mineral leases and state lands. Comptroller of Public Accounts serves as the chief tax collector and accounting officer and is also responsible for certifying the biennial budget of the state. Is elected by the people to 4 years terms. Other members of the Texas Plural Executive are the Commissioner of Agriculture, Railroad commission, State Board of Education, Elected/Appointed Boards and Commissions, and Appointed Agency Directors. The pros and cons of having a plural executive system the con of this system is that it lacks cohesion, leading political officials chasing after many different goals. The governor has much less power to lead the group in any unified direction. As well, voting prevents governor bias, leaving voter not electing qualified candidates. While the pros are it prohibits the governor from abusing its power. As well the governor omits can be covered by the other officials. Therefore, distribution of the power to some extent enhances the quality of
The law making process is a lengthy process. First, a representative must have an idea for a new law and they become the sponsor of this bill. The representative must present to the bill to the Clerk of the House if it is in the house (H.R. Bills), or in the Senate (S Bills). The Government Printing Office, GPO, then prints the bill and distributes it to each representative. The Speaker of the House, for further study, then assigns this bill to a standing committee within the house. The standing committee studies the bill and its contents and has two options, either to release the bill with a recommendation to pass it or lay it aside so it cannot be voted on. If the bill is released, it may be voted on or sent into debate within the house and needs a majority vote for the bill to move onto the Senate. Within the Senate, the bill must go through one of the Senate’s sixteen standing committees, and as with the House of Representatives, the bill is either released or pigeonholed. If it is released, a simple majority passes the bill. The bill takes another step into a conference committee, which is made up of members of the Hou...
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
Daniel Elazar created a classification scheme moralistic political culture of individuals, and traditionalistic to describe the political culture of the state. According to Elazar, Texas can be described as traditionalistic and individuals. Historically, the Texas political parties demonstrated a strong tradition, provincialism, and business dominance. The models, however, may weaken as the Republicans increase its power in the state and urbanization continues. Texas is the second largest state in the country and there are four different geographical regions: the Gulf coastal plain, the interior lowlands, Great Plains, and the basin and range province,
For almost fifty years, from 1827 to 1876, seven constitutions were adopted and implemented for Taxes and each one has its set of laws and contained specific ways, aimed at correcting the deficiencies and drawbacks of the previously adopted order. The Constitution of 1876 is the sixth one, which set the rules and laws for Texas government since the state has achieved its independence from Mexico in 1836. The constitution established the principles of Texas Democratic Government and specified the laws, which were applied to the three branches of government: legislative, juridical and executive.
Texas and Federal Constitutions contain the principles needed for a representative democratic government and both arose from different historical situations; for instance, the U.S. Constitution was made to replace the Articles of Confederation, a weak decentralized form of national government with no president or taxes, which made the government not powerful enough to start a war. The U.S. Constitution was made to improve these weaknesses by proposing a degree of centralization which increased government power. On the other hand, Texas Constitution was made to reverse or avoid the ideas of the U.S. Constitution. On one part, the U.S. Constitution wanted to empower government action whereas the Texas Constitution wanted to weaken government action. The Texas Constitution is more geared toward protecting people’s rights whereas the U.S. Constitution protects the nation’s interest. The Texas Constitution has been amended more than 300 times whereas the US Constitution includes the Bill of Rights and the subsequent
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 United States Constitution is one of the most used documents in American History, as it is the foundation of American democracy. Within the constitution, the tenth amendment grants, “…The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.” Thus, Texas also has a Constitution, which outlines important powers within the state, itself. Both of these documents are extremely important to understand together, but to also understand their differences. Some examples of the differences between the Texas State Constitution and the United States Constitution include, the powers of the President and the Governor, the varying Legislative sessions,
The Senate has the power to approve treaties proposed by the president as well as confirming the president's choice for judges, cabinet members and other officials.(Burns, 308) It also has the power to perform hearings, after the House has voted to impeach a president or federal judge. The House of Representatives has the authority to propose taxes, but the Senate must approve the bill first. In the House of Representative, the Speaker has a lot more say in how things are run than Senate leaders, who have to rely on persuasion to manage business.(Burns, 306) The House members form committees and subcommittees to debate issues. "Congress tends to have more power in domestic than foreign affairs."
The Legislative Department’s primary function is to enact laws to provide for the health, welfare, education, environment, and economic and general well-being of the citizens of Texas. It also establishes public policy through the passage of bills and resolutions and proposes amendments to the state constitution, which are then submitted to the voters for approval or disapproval. This amount of power does not appear on the surface to be tremendous, however, with the ability to put into place all laws and public policy’s it makes it the strongest of the three
In the Texas court system, judges are elected instead of appointed like in the federal government. In the federal government, the president appoints members to the Supreme Court. This appointment then heads to Senate where the members of Senate will take a vote
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.
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.
Not only is the state governor the most prominent and noticible state official and needs to have several qualification to represent the state. He or she also acts as the central point of the politics of the state government. This puts a lot of pressure on the governor to be powerful leaders, which is a fairly difficult challenge. The negativity from colonial abuse during the American revolution led several states limited the power of their respective governors. During the reconstruction speculation of power abuse has also lead to give limitied formal powers to several former confederate state governors, including Texas. The governor of the state of Texas has formal and informal powers in various areas ranging from legislating, judicial, law