The Governor is the chief executive officer of the Texas government. It is widely reported that that the Governor of Texas holds a weak office. There exists a little truth in this statement as the Texas Constitution holds the gubernational power where the executive holds some power and as a result multiple centers for power and authority exists. The limitations imposed on the office of the governor can be resolved by the skill and strength of the individual’s personality who act as the governor. (McCall, 2010 pp 3). As per Paul Burka “The fundamentals of governing are candor, competence, loyalty, and leadership.” Thus, the power depends on the person who holds the office. The office of Governor of Texas as it exists today was established …show more content…
by Article iv, section 1 of the constitution of 1876. (Stuart,1964 pp 5) The Governor is elected by the citizens by an election held during the even numbered years when there is no presidential election.
For a person to be the Governor he/she must be at least 30 years old and a resident of Texas for the five years immediately before the election. The governor makes policy recommendations that lawmakers in both the state House and Senate chambers may sponsor and introduce as bills. The governor also appoints the Secretary of State, as well as members of boards and commissions who oversee the heads of state agencies and departments. (gov.texas.gov/governor-abbott/duties) As per the Texas Constitution there are no limits on the number of terms a person can serve as the governor. The governor can be removed from his office by the impeachment process set by the US Constitution. If a governor is impeached from his office, leaves the office before the end of the term or dies while in office the lieutenant governor replaces the governor until the next …show more content…
election. The governor of Texas enjoys vast powers.
The governor is not only the state’s chief executive, he or she is also the chief legislator, commander in chief, chief of state, chief intergovernmental diplomat, and chief administrator. The governor enjoys executive powers which are to execute the laws of the state, extradite fugitives from justice, serve as commander in chief of the military forces of the state, declare martial law, appoint numerous state officials (with the consent of the Senate), fill vacancies in state and district offices (except vacancies in the legislature), call special elections to fill vacancies in the legislature, fill vacancies in the United States Senate until an election can be held, submit the budget to the legislature, and serve as ex officio member of several state boards. The governor enjoys vast legislative powers which are to call special sessions of the legislature and submit the topics for legislation at such sessions, recommend measures, and submit emergency matters for consideration of the legislature at any time, sign or veto legislative acts, and veto specific items in itemized, general appropriation bills. The judicial powers are to grant or deny recommendations for clemency and remissions of fines and forfeitures made by the Board of Pardons and Paroles; revoke a parole or conditional pardon and grant one thirty-day reprieve in a capital case at his own discretion; and, with the consent of the legislature, grant reprieves,
commutations of punishment, and pardon in cases of treason. Greg Abbott is the present governor of Texas. He is the 48th governor of the state. Governor Gregg Abbott is a conservative leader who always fights to preserve Texas values like faith, family and freedom. Prior to his election in 2014 as the governor of Texas he was serving as the attorney general of Texas. He had also served in positions as the Justice of the Texas Supreme Court and as a State District Judge in Harris County. Governor Abbott is married to Cecilia in 1982 who is a former teacher and principal and the first hispanic First Lady of Texas. Their daughter, Audery, is a college student. In my opinion Gregg Abbott is an excellent governor. Under Governor Abbott’s leadership, Texas again leads the nation in job creation as a record number of Texans are employed even as the state’s population continues its record growth. (gov.texas.gov/governor-abbott) He had done a great part in cutting billions in taxes to stimulate job growth. He also plays a major role in the construction and improvement of Texas roads. Governor Abbott always focus on quality education. He also had done a major part in securing the border and expanding protection of Texans’ constitutional rights, the Texas economy is now the tenth-largest among the nations of the world.
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 office of president of the Republic of Texas was superseded and the state governor was first established in the Constitution of 1845 (“Phillip, Fry,” 2010) The Constitution of 1845 vested executive power in the governor and the election was done by the qualified voters of the State. In comparison, the Constitution of 1876 created plural executive, dividing the executive power among a governor, lieutenant-governor, Secretary of State, comptroller of public accounts, treasurer, commissioner of the general land office, attorney general and all of the officers of the executive department. All of these positions are elected by qualified voters except the Secretary of State who is appointed by the governor. The governor remains the commander-in-chief of the army and navy of the State and the militia in both the Constitutions. Also, the Constitution of 1845 placed a limit on the governor’s salary to two thousand dollars annually, which was amended on November 2, 1954 removing this limit. Although there has not been much change in the requirements to become a governor, the Constitution of 1845 limited the governor to two two-year terms in six years compared to the four-year term in the Constitution of 1876 (“Constitution of Texas,” n.d.; “Texas Constitution,” n.d.)
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,
Texas Constitution is long and detailed, containing a range of statutory provisions that specify exactly what the government is allowed to do and is prohibited to do. In case of any public policy challenges, public
Texas has a wide variety when it comes to sizes of its cities and towns, with the most populated city being Houston, with a population of 2,099,451, and the least populated city being Los Ybanez city, with a recorded population of only 19. (togetherweteach.com) With that in mind, it’s important to have different types of local governments to best accommodate the type of city or town. There’s one problem with that though. What if a huge corporation moves into a small town, increasing the population significantly and changing the dynamic of the city in a matter of 2-3 years? "Local community decisions about what government-types are chosen, and when, have lasting consequences for the future configuration of governments in an area. If cities are established earlier...then fewer government options are available later.” (Thomas, 1993) With the way local governments are determined now, it’s unlikely that the government would be able to quickly change how it functions and accommodates to its citizens. Even something like campaigning, which may not have been needed much during elections beforehand due of the closeness that tends to happen in people of small towns, would be a much bigger part of running for a local
The Governor of Texas needs to not only be a citizen of the United States, but also reside in Texas for at least five years immediately preceding the election in order to fully understand the policies Texas residents’ are dealing with, the culture of Texas, as well as how Texas’ political decision impacts the rest of the nation. Both the President and the Governor are required to give an address to the legislatures, which cover very similar topics. The President’s State of the Union address “…recommends to their Consideration such Measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient;” while the Governor of Texas gives the Condition of the State in which, “…he shall recommend to the Legislature such measures as
Texas went through a great amount of political change from being dominated by the Democratic Party during the 1960s and 70s, from the Republican Party taking over in the 80s. One of the big reasons for this change was due to the political party’s views. Throughout this essay I will discuss the changes of the political stances in Texas as well as the present day factors that affect America.
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.
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.
Sadly, Rick Perry did not win re-election because he represented his State well; he won because of name recognition and financial backing. Incumbents generally know their way around the political world and can finagle challenges that only an experienced leader can manage. Texas could get a strong community leader who is steadily pushing forward by securing the State with jobs, healthcare, crime reduction etcetera. To replace a governor like this, just when the momentum begins to pick up speed, would be a travesty. However, Texans do not have the luxury of taking a chance on the possibility of a formidable opponent leading the State without term limits. The longer a governor is in office, the more enticing it becomes to follow the money.
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
The government of the state of Texas is a difficult and complicated institution that is composed of many different levels. The question comes in to everyone's mind at one time or another whether or not to trust the government. It could be that people believe that the officials will take advantage of their power, or simply people don't like the idea of being controlled by someone who is not a family member or friend. To avoid this centralized power, the government is divided into stages and this is a reasonable ground for trusting the government. Government runs this state and it does deserve to be trusted.
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.