Texas Democracy

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 Texas government overall ensures more limits on government because the constitution was written in direct response to Reconstruction and the actions of E. J. Davis. For example, the legislature meets every other year unless rare special sessions are called. The United States government’s legislative branch, on the other hand, meets once every year. Financial dealings associated with Texas sessions are subject to the comptroller of public accounts, an elected position within the executive branch rather than the legislative branch. This shows how the Texas government sought to further limit power associated with just one branch. In addition, Texas executive branch is a plural executive in which there are five elected officials and one appointed official. The excess of elected officials is also found in the judicial court system. The Texas court systems further differs from that of the United States in that it is bifurcated. Rather than the United States’ one supreme court, Texas has two higher courts for different

The power of the governor of Texas isn’t as powerful as many other states. There was a study done by two professors, Thad Beyle and Margaret Ferguson, and it showed that Texas tied 39th with four other in the overall institutional powers of the governor. The Texas governor must share the budget making responsibility with others. The Secretary of State is the only official appointed by the Governor.

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

“The Texas Legislature is the most important representative institution in the state” (TEXT 201). The Texas legislature performs a great number of functions, but one of the main functions is lawmaking. Hundreds of bills are drafted but it is not easy for that bill to become law. Roughly every two years, the legislature gathers to carry out laws about issues of allocating resources, benefits, costs, and the behavior of state residents. Policies and proposals for constitutional amendments are looked at ranging from small local issues to statewide issues. The state legislature also plays a significant role in state finances through its power to tax. It has the power to decide if tax increases or decrease are necessary, budgeting for and financing

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

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.

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 modern era there were three main ideological tendencies which were economic liberalism, social conservatism, and populism. These ideological tendencies have been expressed into a dominant political culture that tends to favor low taxes, low government services, and pro-business policies. These three ideological tendencies are observed to be the foundation of Texas’s political culture. For most of the modern Texas political history there has been an approach to the government that has been “low taxes, low services.” Anyone that wanted to raise taxes have always been politically dangerous to candidates and public office holders in Texas. Also asking for an increasing amount in the role and participation of government was not advised or

With every state comes a specific and distinctive history of politics, and, more often than not, a brief understanding of the cultural changes that occurred throughout the years. Texas has one of the most interesting shifts: an almost clean-cut shift from a Democratic, or ‘blue’, state, to a Republican, or ‘red’, state, after nearly 100 years of Democratic dominance. This is comparable to the state of Virginia, which also saw Republican representation after Democratic dominance for nearly 50 years. However, where Texas remains mainly Republican today, Virginia is an accurate embodiment of a “two-party state”. With this being said, that doesn’t mean Texas will stay this way. While the Lone Star state still votes red and has Republican

In catching up on my Texas Judicial Branch I found, “Texas Constitution establishes two high courts, one to hear civil cases and one to adjudicate criminal cases” (Two Constitutions: A Comparison). The civil jurisdiction is called the Supreme Court, where there are nine justices. The criminal cases go to the Court of Criminal Appeals where there are nine judges. In my opinion I would not change the way that the judicial system is set up. I believe the Supreme Court should not be used for civil cases unless

There are many aspects of Texas’s political culture that are in accordance with my personal viewpoints. One reputable aspect is “Texas’s traditionalistic political culture” which necessitates a demand for low tax rates and thus, results in poorly funded government programs (Tannahill 30;363). Because the government has less money to pay for government funded programs, individuals have to find other ways to help themselves. Thus, this lack of sufficient government programs is an example of the Texas economic environment depicting an aspect of adapting to

The judicial system in the U.S. government allows for only a Supreme Court, and they can create any lower necessary courts. The Texas government has a Supreme Court to hear civil cases and one court for criminal appeals to hear criminal cases, along with courts of appeal, district courts, commissioner’s court, and justice of the peace courts. For the U.S. judicial branch, the president appoints the judges with approval by the Senate, while in the Texas judicial branch the judges are elected by the voters.

To select the best possible candidate for the office of lieutenant governor, it is extremely crucial that voters become informed with who is running and the amount of power and responsibility the office holds. Although the position of the lieutenant governor is ranked the second-highest office it is more powerful than the governor's position, for this reason, voters should stay informed about the current lieutenant governor and the future candidates. To have a successful and efficient government people must ensure they vote for the best possible candidates for each office and know the amount of power each office holds. With the amount of power, the lieutenant governor holds it is important that Texas has the right person for this position that

The Texas Government is composed of three branches, the executive, legislative, and judicial branch, similar to the federal government. Each branch has its own duties and ways to check the other branches as to ensure no one has too much, or all, the power. The executive branch contains the governor, lieutenant governor, the secretary of state, attorney general, and several other commissioners and executives. The legislative branch contains the Texas House of Representative and the Texas Senate. The Judicial branch contains the Texas Supreme Court, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, and many other districts, counties, and appeals courts. The federal government operates under a similar separation of power and has done so since the