Texas Government Essay

The state bureaucracy administers/implements the laws of Texas. It is run by executives whose job is to see that the laws of the state are implemented according to the will and intent of the Legislature. Ideally, these executive branch officials or bureaucrats are to administer their duties and implement the laws in a neutral manner, uninfluenced by politics. In reality, state bureaucrats are important players in not just implementation, but also policy making. In Texas, there is no overall central governing or controlling authority. Government authority in Texas is very decentralized, and rests within many independent state agencies.

First, the strengths need to be acknowledged; Texas has always been about their own freedom and their own individuality and the constitution reflects that. The constitution establishes rights such as “freedom of speech, press, and assembly” (Collier et al 62). This is great because it provides a sense of security for the

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

Despite, all of the revisions the Texas Constitution still has its strengths and weaknesses. The strengths it has a clear definition of restrictions on what government officials can and can’t do. It has the Bill of

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.

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

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

Despite the powers the Texas governor has, the governor is still considered weaker than other governors. The reason for the Texas governor being more limited than other governors is the Constitution of 1876. The Texas Constitution of 1876 was part of the “ Reconstruction government that existed

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 core function of the Texas Legislature is to formulate and enact laws. Apart from the enactment of laws, the legislative body is also mandated with the functions of shaping the state’s political agenda, performing checks and balances on state of the state’s government, pass the state’s budget, as well as oversee the functions of the administration. Similarly, the body also sets the critical details or a court’s organizational procedures when it comes to matters that pertain to impeachment and court disputes regarding election petitions. It is equally important to mention that the body is also mandated with the function of informing and educating the electorate regarding the critical functions the body is required to deliver to the people as provided for by the laws of the State of Texas (Dautrich and Yalof 684).

The fourth power is the power to appoint reps to conference committee. The fifth power is the power to recognize points of orders/amendments. The sixth and last power is the power to interpret procedural rules. However, all the power is concentrated with the leaders of the House and Senate respectively. All the other power is held when the individual legislators get to vote or act in defiance. Within the Texas House of Representatives and the Senate there are power restraints. The presiding officers may have all the power, however, their power is balanced and checked. This is similar to the Judicial, Executive and Legislative branches of our federal government because they all balance the power within each other. Presiding officers can have their power checked by the governor threatening to veto, not support, or simply gut the bill taking away its teeth. Another way a presiding officer can get his power limited is by group efforts to solve issues of getting bills passed or even block them in the house or senate.The political/economical ambition of the Texas Governor, those beneath him, or of those found in the legislative bodies, is another way of power

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.

Texas might be a small-government state, but it is a proud and stubbornly independent one. With the 84th legislature imposing state will on local policies, politicians of all sorts are unhappy. Regardless, there are arguments both for and against local control, and overall, they have the public’s best interests at heart.

For instance, the Speaker of the House must set the agenda, appoint chairs of committees and, have an impact over what gets voted on in the legislature (Champagne et al., 2017, p.209). Another important persona in the state legislature is the lieutenant governor; the president of the state senate. He is held accountable for setting the legislative agenda and appointing committee chairs (Champagne et al., 2017, p.210). Moreover, the committee system of the state legislature must work together to perform more common governmental tasks. Such as, when the Texas Senate and House members work together to pass a new law (Champagne et al., 2017, p. 211-212).

The Texas governor in compared to other states governors doesn’t actually have very much power this is because in the 1875 Constitutional Convention powerful interest groups like the Grangers were determined to eliminate big government so they deiced to limit the governors powers creating what is called a plural executive meaning no one holds too much power. In Texas the governor has the power to appoint, military power, and