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Texas Executive Branch
System in which executive power is divided several statewide elected officials
Line-Item Veto
The ability of a governor to vote part of an appropriations bill without vetoing the whole bill
Requirements for Governor of Texas
30 years of age, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the state for five years preceding election
Attorney General of Texas
Serves as the legal counsel to the governor, the legislature, and most of the state government
Gubernatorial Succession
Lieutenant governor, president pro tempore of the Texas Senate, the speaker of the house, and the attorney general
Texas Railroad Commission
State agency with regulation over some aspects of transportation and the oil and gas industry of the state.
Comptroller of Public Accounts
Chief tax collector and investor of state funds; the chief tax collector, revenue forecaster, and investor of state funds
Texas Secretary of State
Chief election official and keeper of state records; appointed by the governor
Commissioner of Agriculture
The TDA has the dual, and sometimes contradictory, roles of promoting agricultural products and production and regulating agricultural practices while also protecting the public health from unsafe agricultural practice.
Protect public health and promote Texas agriculture
Land Comissioner
Elected official responsible for administration and oversight of state-owned lands and coastal lands extending 10.3 miles into the Gulf of Mexico
Manages texas land; coastal land (makes money by renting texas land to the oil company)
State Board of Education
TEA is responsible for the oversight of public primary and secondary education in the state of Texas involving both over 1,000 individual school districts in the state as well as charter school
Formal/Official VS Informal powers of the Governor
Appointing people for jobs based on same interest/values/beliefs
Governor’s power of veto
Official say; 20 days to determine whether to sign bill, it automatically becomes law even without sign
Legislative Budget Board
State agency that is controlled by the leadership in the state legislature and that writes the state budget
Problems of the Texas Executive Branch
Decentralized and spread out that governor doesn’t have any real control over it
Plural Executive System
System in which executive power is divided several statewide elected officials
Pardon
A remission or cancellation of the legal consequences of an offense or conviction
Face what you did without the legal punishment
Clemency through reprieve
Act by an executive member of government of extending mercy to a convicted individual. Reprieves or commuting sentences
Giving you more time
Parole
The provisional release of a prisoner who agrees to certain conditions prior to the completion of maximum sentence period
Probation
You don’t have to go to jail; instead the government monitors you for a period of time
Texas Bureaucracy
Almost 200 separate entities, each following its own path of endeavor, often oblivious to the goals and ambitions of other (often companion) agencies (Enforce/carry out law)
How can the Texas Bureaucracy be described?
They know whats going on but it isn’t their problem
Problems concerning Texas Bureaucracy?
Problem with control
Have more power over elected officials
Own little world
How Texas Bureaucracy held accountable to the people and elected officials?
Sunshine laws (freedom of information) and Sunset legislation
Sunset Advisory Commission
Agency responsible for making recommendations to the legislature for change in the structure and organization of most state agencies
What law does Texas have to help the public keep track and watch the bureaucracy and government of Texas?
Open-meeting laws (Laws that require most records kept by gov to be open to the public)
Administrative discretion
Allows Bureaucrats to use their own judgement as to how the laws will be carried out
Clientele group
The cornerstone of an agency’s political clout is the relationship with its interest group (mutually beneficial - similar goals and interests)
Iron Triangle
A small and informal but relatively stable set of bureaucrats, legislators, and lobbyists who seek to develop policies beneficial to a particular interest
Benefit all (mutual reinforcement) B - leg - elites
According to the text, a stronger chief executive with more supervisory control would be _____
Positive; more ability to hire (give more responsibility) but make the system more accountable; hold someone accountable
Oversight and whistleblowers
Police Patrol Oversight and Fire Alarm Oversight
Regulatory Capture (Cooptation)
A situation in which bureaucrats favor the interest of the groups or corporations they are supposed to regulate at the expense of the general public
(Bureaucrats use power to help the companies they’re supposed to protect the people from)
The 3 principles of Bureaucracy are?
Hierarchical Authority, Job Specialization, and Formalized Rules
Hierarchical Authority - Principles of Bureaucracy
Chain of compand - everyone had a boss
Job Specialization - Principles of Bureaucracy
Defined jobs and a precise division of labor.
Formalized Rules - Principles of Bureaucracy
Established procedures and regulations by which a bureaucracy conducts its operations (There’s always a rule for something/everything)
Bureaucratic drift
Bureaucrats tendency to implement policies in a way that favors their own political objectives rather than following the original intentions of the legislation
Regulations
Rules
Red Tape
Excessive or unnecessary complex regulations imposed by bureaucracy
Texas Judiciary
The role of the courts in that they resolve individual conflicts by interpreting and enforcing existing rules and laws
Precedent
A legal norm established in court cases that is then applied to future cases dealing with the same legal questions
Civil Law vs Criminal Law
Responsibility vs Committed a crime
What is one of the main dilemmas faced by Texas due to electing judges through political campaigns?
People want out of the court's fairness (neutral and above politics) and responsiveness to the public
The Texas Supreme Court
Civil
The Court of Criminal Appeals
Criminal
What is the most important difference between trial and appellate courts
Guilt or innocent (facts of case) vs if law was carried out correctly
Trial Juries vs Grand Juries
If there should be trial vs outcome
Indictment
Formal charge from grand jury
Grand Jury says there’s enough evidence to send them to court for trial
Partisan election
Method used to select all judges (except municipal court judges) in Texas by using a ballot in which party identification is shown
Nonpartisan elections
Non political parties envolved
Felonies vs Misdemeanors
More than a year (major) vs less than a year (minor)
A court with “Original Jurisdiction”?
Extends to all criminal misdemeanors where the fine allowed exceed $500 or jail term may be imposed.
Pros and Cons of electing judges and judicial elections?
Plea bargain
Before going to court, government tells if you plea guilty, you’ll be charged with a lesser sentence
Public Utility Commission
Regulates the state's electric, telecommunication, and water and sewer utilities, implements respective legislation, and offers customer assistance in resolving consumer complaints.
Probate courts
Probates the wills of deceased person, declares the heirs od deceased persons who die without a will, established guardisnship for incapacitated persons and minors
Comptroller of Public Accounts can directly or indirectly be responsible for all things dealing with state money, especially when budget being determined by _______________
Legislature
“Pass bills giving me what I want, or I won’t give you money to do what you want”
What are the 3 categories of duties (TX secretary of state)
Elections, record keeping/information management, and in international protocol
The land commissioner’s office is responsible for _____________
Leasing state lands generating funds from oil and gas production Responsible for maintaining the environmental quality of the state’s open beaches along the Gulf Coast.
How is “threat of veto” beneficial to governor?
Threat of veto also powerful. Use to veto to make legislature negotiate with him more, helps him get more of what he wants.
Open-meeting laws
Law requiring that meetings of government bodies at all levels of gov be open to the general public with some exceptions.
Bureaucracy .
The system of civil servants and political appointees who implement legislative and state decisions; also known as the administrative state.
Regulation
A rule that allows the gov to exercise control over individuals and corporations by restricting certain behaviors
Who is head of the Executive Branch?
The governor
Who were the two female governors in Texas History?
Ma Ferguson (20s-30s) and Ann Richards (90s)
Has there ever been a Hispanic governor?
No, but Greg Abbort is the first Catholic
Who appoints the Chief election official and keeper of state records? (Secretary of State) .
The governor .
Military powers
Powers giving the governor the right to use the National Guard in times of natural disaster or civil unrest
The governor has unlimited authority over budget execution
False, very limited
Judicial Powers
The ability of a governor to issue pardons, executive clemency, and parole of citizen convicted of a crime
Crisis manager
The expectation that the governor will provide strong leadership in times of a natural or man-made disaster
Intergovernmental coordinator
The expectation that a governor coordinates activities with other state gorvernments
What does “going public” mean?
Governor uses bully pulpit to bring attention to the issues and policies he feels are most important
The governor is the most visible officeholder in the state and can command the attention of the news media, holding press conferences and announcing new decisions on policy issues.
True, a message from a member of the governor’s staff to a state agency is taken seriously.
Often a negative Attorney General opinion will kill a bill’s chance of passing
True
State capacity
The knowledge, personnel, and institutions that the gov requires to effectively implement policies
Standard operating procedures
Rules that lower-level bureaucrats must follow when implementing rules.
Bureaucrats: Power of control
A difficulty faced by elected officials in ensuring that when bureaucrats implement policies, they follow these official’s intentions but still have enough discretion to use their expertise
Because bureaucrats know things that elected officials do not and because bureaucrats have their own policy goals, it is hard for elected officials to evaluate what bureaucrats are doing
True
Privatization
The hiring of private contractors to carry out government programs, functions, and services
Contract spoils/Contract patronage
A practice in which politicians award contracts to their political supporters and contributors in the business community. AKA “crony capitalism
The Grand jury consist of
12 citizens who usually serve a three month term
The grand jury considers evidence brought before it by the prosecutor and decides if there is enough evidence to warrant a trial
True
Trail juries are
Panels of citizens who determine the truth or falsehood of claims and guilt or innocent
Iron Triangle: Special interest relation to Legislature
Special interest give money while Legislature is laws and politics
Iron Triangle: Special interest relation to Bureaucrats
Special interest gives information/ expertise (cheerleading) while Bureaucrats give rules and regulations
Iron Triangle: Legislature to Bureaucrats
Legislature gives tasks, function, and money while Bureaucrats carry out the laws
Note 
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