Plural Executive System

Plural Executive: A Progressive Form of Government
The plural executive form of government is one that allows state executive officials to be elected by popular vote of their citizens, which means the state Governor has less power, and the power is distributed throughout the executive officials. The system is effective, but on the contrary, weakens the power of the state Governor. This paper will focus of what a plural executive form of government is, what offices it encompasses, how is compares to the executive branch of the United States, and its political principles.
Some states such as California and Florida have some form of a plural executive system, but Texas a mile has the best example of a plural executive government system. In

Texas, after the Governor, the officials next in line include the Lieutenant Governor, State Treasurer, Comptroller, General Land Commissioner, and Attorney General. This means the Governor must share power with other popularly elected officials, which results in a weaker chief executive (Governor).
When comparing the Texas Government, which is run by a plural executive system, and the United States executive branch, there are many differences.

First of all, for the U.S executive branch, shall the current President experience death, resignation, or impeachment, the Vice President should take the reins and become the President. In the Texas Government, should the Governor experience the same event, the Lieutenant Governor should take over as the Governor. Another example of the differences is how judges obtain their positions. For the United States that follows the Constitution, judges are appointed by the President and approved by the Senate. For the plural executive systems in Texas, judges are voted on. This is one of many reasons why the plural executive form of government is seen as weak. For instance, when comparing the powers of the President and the Texas Governor in regards to abilities, the President wins that race. In Texas, the system of plural executive government enables the executive powers to be shared throughout the branch. In fact, the only major decisions that the Texas Governor can make include vetoing; appointment of Secretary of State and replacing judges until

the next upcoming election. The President on the other hand has too many responsibilities to name, but some of his/her main roles include Chief of State; Chief Executive, Chief Diplomat, Commander and Chief, Chief of Legislator, Chief of Party, and Chief Guardian of the Economy. Although, the President does seem to have too much authority, there is a separation of powers system in place to combat one federal branch becoming too powerful, called the Checks and Balances system. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, a Checks and Balances system is a, “principle of government under which separate branches are empowered to prevent actions by other branches and are induced to share power. Checks and balances are applied primarily in constitutional governments. They are of fundamental importance in tripartite governments, such as that of the United States, which separate powers among legislative, executive, and judicial branches.”(checks and balances). In essences, it’s almost the equivalent of a plural executive system, just on a much larger scale.
So why even have a plural executive system in place?

Because history suggests we need it. The sole reason why this system was created was so that the Governor does not abuse his power. Throughout history, the world has witnessed the rise and fall of Nazi Germany, the scare of the red Soviet Union, fear from Cuba, and currently North Korea, and Assad in Syria. These are all examples of the abuse of power. So, when comparing a plural executive system to these power abusers, one can see which one seems more empirically, and morally

right.
All in all, the concept of a plural executive form of government was created so that the Governor doesn’t abuse his/her power. This progressive form of government was put in place so that history doesn’t repeat itself. For the purpose of its implementation, it’s done the job of distributing the powers of the executive officials, which in turn makes the state government run smoother.