Texas Legislation Research Paper

Texas political culture is one that can be described as a combination of three main ideas: individualistic, traditionalism and moralism. Considering Texas and its overwhelming 254 counties we can see these main ideas undoubtedly. The 254 counties each have their own general set of ideas, attitudes and beliefs. The whole state of Texas is simply not just considered individualistic, traditionalism, or moralism, it is considered all three. Individualistic, traditionalism and moralism are all strong values that coexist in our society and they all affect how we as the people live our lives. A political culture shapes a region’s politics.

The people of Texas are diverse and carry their “big can-do attitudes and accents” (Pearson); making Texas a bigger than life state. The political culture of Texas is impacted by two different subgroups of

On September 1, 2015 House Bill 11 became effective in the state of Texas. Mainly authored by Dennis Bonnen a Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives, House Bill 11 amends many laws and actions towards the security of the Texas-Mexico border. The bill mainly deals for a long term solution to human trafficking and the flow of illegal drugs that come through the border. Both parties of the Texas House of Representatives amended House Bill 11 through a 131-12 vote, since many believed organized crime fueled by illegal drugs have swept through communities across Texas. The main goal for House Bill 11 is to strengthen the border through three primary actions the first is for the state to enact harsher laws for the smuggling of people and illegal contrabands. The second is to strengthen the border patrol force through providing improved tools, more frequent border checkpoints throughout the land, and increasing the population of border patrol officers. The third action of House Bill 11 is improving the sharing of crime data throughout the state by law enforcement to connect crimes in identify large criminal enterprises and stopping organized crime.

When President of Mexico, Antonio Lopez Santa Anna, abolished the Constitution of 1824 and turned the government towards centralism; Texians and Tejanos rebel to bring back the Constitution of 1824. However, before they can begin their fight to Goliad and San Antonio, the men need a leader; someone with great fame and popularity in Texas. The man they choose is Stephen F. Austin, who has much renown in the region. Austin has an outstanding knowledge in many areas, whom the people of Texas will always follow. They are always willing to listen to his advice on certain situations and topics. Austin’s history is what makes him the great man that people still believe and love. Today, he is seen as the Father of Texas because his work and dedication lead to its future growth.

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).

1.  Should the Texas Legislature continue to serve as a part-time lawmaking body, only meeting in regular session for 140 days every two years, or should it change to a full-time body meeting in regular session each year?

Texas has a reputation throughout history of differing views from the federal government in laws and politics pertaining to social, fiscal, and educational issues. On the whole, Texas operates as a largely conservative state. Because of this, policy-making is often right wing. With the institution of a Democratic, liberal president, the State’s dissent from the Federal government has only increased over certain issues. One hot topic of the 2012 Presidential election was immigration. With the major increase in immigration, it is no surprise that the issue was so emphasized. Between 2000 and 2011 there was a 30 percent

Over the years there have been seven Texas Constitutions, which all include different things which is why the government remained making the constitutions. The Texas Constitution represents the structure and function of the government of Texas. Even though it’s a great representative of the state, the Texas Constitution is considered as a “perfect example of not how to write one” as said by John E. Paynter. Maybe it’s owning to the fact that some say the Texas constitution “is too long.” For example, the Texas Constitution has so many amendments making it very long, there are a total of six hundred and seventy-three amendments as of the year two thousand fifteen.

In the comparison of Texas to New Mexico, it can be believed that they share very common political views being neighboring states but that quickly diminishes when taking a closer look into their differences between political cultures, the state constitutions, and the branches of their government including legislative, executive, and judicial. The two states also differ in the issues that they face but they share many as well mainly due to their close proximity to the Mexican-American border.

Paying them only about $7,200 per year, Texas has what is known as a citizen legislature. They work for 140+ days every other year(depending on whether or not a special session is called), and have to try to get everything done in that limited amount of time. They do not get paid much, and cannot rely on being a legislator for a steady source of income. They have to be someone that is well off, have a flexible work schedule, and have other sources of income. Due to all of these requirements, the Texas legislature does not accurately reflect the demographics of the state of Texas.

All members of the Texas state legislature should have one common motive. That is, to represent the citizens of their state. Champagne et. al. states that “…members…are responsible for bringing the interests and concerns of their constituencies directly into the democratic political processes” (2017, p.211). In order to effectively do so, a member of the Texas House will represent roughly 168,000 citizens while a senator may represent more than 811,000 constituents (Champagne et al., 2017,

As the largest state by area in the continental U.S. as the second most populous, Texas has its significant share of public policy challenges with which to contend. And as the discussion hereafter will show, many of these challenges serve as a microcosm of the broader pubic policy issues facing the United States. The issues addressed here below help to provide a better understanding of the complexities of public policy maintenance in a large and diverse state.

Gaurav Sharma Professor Sherry Sharifian Texas Government 2306 SLO#3 April 24, 2017 Local Control in Texas In Texas, there are very many functional Interest groups and lobbyists that operate effectively influencing the policy-making processes. The Interest groups and lobbyists are in close association with policy-makers whereby they act as negotiators of democracy to the citizens who cannot reach the legislatures (Texas Vox: 1). This has impacted local control in Texas greatly. However, the nature of laws that have been passed recently in Texas shows that the policy-makers are diverging from interest from the citizens and favoring individual groups and companies. The following essay will address the impact depicted by Interest groups and lobbyists

Texas is a state that has always been recognized for its size and politics. Elections are a huge part of democratic societies that are intended for citizens to choose their public leaders and approve the policies set by candidates. Political parties and interest groups also play a key role in shaping opportunities for public participation. Most Texans and historians know that the Democratic Party’s historical dominance is important to state politics. It is less likely that people are not aware of the consequences of the one-party system for public participation and democracy in Texas. Like many of the rim South states, the white elitist belonged to the Democratic Party which stemmed from the end of Reconstruction until the late 20th