Texas Executive Branch Research Paper

In comparison to the President of the United States and governors of other states the governor of Texas occupies a very “weak” office. The reason can be traced back to conditions surrounding the New Texas Constitution of 1876. The writers of the New Texas Constitution were cognizant of their experiences during Reconstruction after the Civil War. It was during the Reconstruction period that the Union Army helped enforce the Reconstruction Constitution of 1869. The governor of Texas was granted wide-ranging executive powers in fear that a possible rebellion would occur by former confederate soldiers and their supporters. At that time Edmund J. Davis, the new Texas governor, used his executive powers to demoralize his

The U.S. constitution and the Texas constitution have similarities and differences. Both constitutions have a Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights is a summary of the rights given to all people. These constitutions also talk about suffrage and taxes. Just like how both of these constitutions have similarities, they also have differences. The Texas constitution is longer than the U.S. constitution and discusses the rights first. It also deals with state and local issues not brought up in the U.S. constitution. Both constitutions have a Bill of Rights, but the Texas constitution discusses citizens’ rights at the beginning of article one. The Texas Bill of Rights has the same protections for citizens like the U.S. Bill of Rights does, but the Texas Bill of Rights extends beyond federal protections. The executive branch is the branch that the president is in charge of. The definition of the executive branch is “The branch of federal and state government that is broadly

The executive branch of Texas is like the federal government meaning that the governor is like the president because he is also the commander in chief of the military forces which is the police officers, the National Guard units, and the department of public safety. They also have the power to elect judges to fill in spots until the next election. The governor is paid one

We follow regulations everyday of our lives. Whether it be making a complete stop at a stop sign, paying our taxes, or refraining ourselves from cutting off the tag of a mattress. It’s important to know what rules we and our elected officials are held accountable for. Being aware and knowing the difference between the United States and Texas Constitution allows citizens to be apprehensive of what is happening in our government. The topics on the amending and impeachment system and the Judicial and Executive Branch grant insight of the proceedings in our governments.

The most common Governmental figure in Texas is the Governor. This power is nothing more than that of a celebrity status. Although the Governor has the power to appoint independent boards and commissions, the senate has to confirm these appointments. This is called senatorial courtesy What is meant when this job is more like a celebrity is because of the Governor‘s ceremonial roles as acting as Chief of State. This increases the Governor‘s popularity and prestige, and broadens the image of the office. One important power or role that the Governor is responsible for is coordinating relations between Texas and other states. This can definitely be an important factor. For example, the need of federal aid during the time of an emergency can require the help of other states. The Governor also acts as the Chief Budget officer of the state. Even though the presiding officer presides over this office, the Governor does have some control.

In the executive branch of Texas, the top official is the Governor. Texas has what is called a plural executive, where the power is distributed among several elected officials as well as various boards and commissions. The plural executive consists of the Governor; lieutenant governor; secretary of state, who is appointed by the governor; attorney general; comptroller of public accounts; commissioner of the general land office; commissioner of agriculture and railroad commissioners, which include three

One example of said positions is the Governor. Although one might assume that since the governor of Texas is the chief executive and symbol of our government, it is actually a weak, if not the weakest, position in Texas government. The powers of the governor are Chief of State, Commander in Chief of the State Militia, Chief Executive, Chief Budget Officer, Chief Law Enforcement and Judicial Officer, Party Chief, and the Chief Legislature. Although these positions sound very powerful in nature, the governor's duties are diminished by the other executives. One example of these executives is the Lieutenant Governor. The lieutenant governor is often considered the most powerful position in Texas government because he/she is charged with controlling the work of the Texas Senate and leading the Legislative Budget Board (LBB). By leading the LBB, the lieutenant governor controls the budget. These are just two examples of the myriad of political positions in

All three branches of the government contain a crucial role in creating laws step by step. The checks and balances make sure that each branch does not overpower the other branches. For example, the governor is allowed to call special sessions if some important items still need to be discussed for the legislative after the regular sessions. The governor also has the authority to veto a law, but it could be overridden by the legislature with a two-thirds vote. The judicial branch makes sure that the other two branches fulfill their duties properly. Also the judges can be impeached by the legislature as well as the governor from the Senate. These three branches of the Texas government are responsible for running the government with laws: the legislative, executive, and the judiciary.

The executive government is the main organ that exercises authority in and holds the responsibility for the governance of a state. The main objective of executive is to execute and enforce law. According to the principle of speration of powers, authority is distributed among several branches and those are; legislative, executive and judiciary. There are different subdivision of executive branch as well. It consists of Governer, Lieutenant Governer, Comptroller of Public Accounts, Land Commissioner, Attorney General, Agriculture Commissioner, the three-member Texas Railroad Commission, the State Board of Education, and the Secretary of State. Texas has a plural executive branch system which limits the power of the Governor.

In the beginning, it began as Texas became a state in 1845 with the separation of powers. According to Texas constitution “ The powers of the Government of the State of Texas shall be divided into three distinct departments, each of which shall be confided to a separate body of magistracy, Those which are Legislative to one; those which are Executive to another, and those which are Judicial to another; and no person, or collection of persons, being of one of these departments, shall exercise any power properly attached to either of the others, except in the instances herein expressly permitted.” (Article 2 Sec 1). The purpose of this is because they want to disperse the power in-between the people in power. Also, to give power to the people especially at a local level and in their

One major cutback in power for the governor in Texas is the fact that the governor, and lieutenant governor, must share their power with four department heads. These department heads are elected officials. Another way the governor’s power is limited is by a need for a two-thirds majority from each house of the legislature to remove a judge. It is almost like the framers of the 1876 Constitution did not trust the previous governor to run government with righteous intent. They made the chief executive work within and out of government to accomplish agendas. Moving on to the legislative branch, this branch of government was reduced in power and authority in ways similar to the governor. Salaries were lowered and terms were reduced, at least for Representatives. However, even Senators must randomly choose at least half of their members to receive only a two-year term. Perhaps the reason for this is to give legislators some time to get experience about the legislative process and yet also have fresh ideas and agendas. Most likely the most prominent way the legislature is leashed back is the biennial legislative sessions. This allows government to be slower when dealing with issues and was conceived for that express purpose by the framers of the 1876 Constitution. In the individualistic tradition, people should take care of themselves and not relay on legislators to make new laws to try to fix whatever problems people have. Lastly, the judicial branch. The judicial

The most common Governmental figure in Texas is the Governor. This power is nothing more than that of a celebrity status. Although the Governor has the power to appoint independent boards and commissions, the senate has to confirm these appointments. This is called senatorial courtesy What is meant when this job is more like a celebrity is because of the Governor‘s ceremonial roles as acting as Chief of State. This increases the Governor‘s popularity and prestige, and broadens the image of the office. One important power or role that the Governor is responsible for is coordinating relations between Texas and other states. This can definitely be an important factor. For example, the need of federal aid during the time of an emergency can require the help of other states. The Governor also acts as the Chief Budget officer of the state. Even though the presiding officer presides over this office, the Governor does have some control. This is a very effective example of a good trustworthy system.

In my analysis of the Texas Constitution I will assess the three branches of our State Government, the Legislative Branch, Executive Branch and finally the Judicial Branch. Our State Government resembles our National Government in various ways but also in very different ways which we will review in this essay. I will identify a handful of criticisms and problems associated with the provisions in each of these branches of our State Government and identify suggested reforms that many feel are needed.

The executive branch consists of the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Comptroller of Public Accounts, Land Commissioner, Attorney General, Agriculture Commissioner, the three-member Texas Railroad Commission, the State Board of Education, and the Secretary of State. Texas has a plural executive branch system, which limits the power of the Governor. Except for the Secretary of State, all executive officers are elected independently, making them directly answerable to the public but not the Governor. The executive branch also includes several boards and commissions that are made up of a mixture of elections and gubernatorial appointments confirmed by the Senate. In addition, there are many independent boards, commissions, and agencies that operate independently of the governor. Power is decentralized among many officials. Although the governor appoints over 3,000 individuals to 285-plus state boards and commissions, he has very limited removal authority and thus, has little control over the executive branch. Even with the Governor appointing several members of boards and commissions, the overall effect is a large network of administrative groups that neither the

There has been seven Texas Constitutions since 1827 including our current Constitution, which was established on 1876. Our current constitution has been amended hundreds of times because of its tight restrictions. The Legislative department is the dominant branch of the Texas Constitution it is subject to check and balances in the tripartite system. The Executive department limits the government’s power, and the judicial powers is divided into smaller courts. These three branches of the Texas are examples of how restricted and limited our constitution is.