Texas Gov Only GOV310L Credit by Exam

Capital of Texas

Austin

Constitution Texas government operates under

The Texas Constitution of 1876

Texas Constitution reputation

Long, restrictive, and heavily amended

Plural executive

System where most top executive officers are elected separately, limiting the governor's power

Officer NOT elected in the plural executive

Secretary of State (appointed by the governor)

Statewide elected executive officers

Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Comptroller, Land Commissioner, Attorney General (plus elected but separate: Ag Commissioner, Railroad Commissioners)

Who is often considered more powerful than the governor

The Lieutenant Governor

Why the Lieutenant Governor is so powerful

Presides over the Senate and appoints its committees

Governor's key powers

Veto bills, call special sessions, command state militia, fill judicial vacancies, appoint boards

Who can call a special session

Only the governor (as often as desired)

Special session length limit

30 days

Special session topic limit

Only subjects the governor submits

Comptroller of Public Accounts

Chief tax collector and accountant; certifies the state budget

Attorney General role

State's chief lawyer; handles civil legal matters for Texas

Secretary of State duties

Chief election officer; publishes Texas Administrative Code and Texas Register

Texas Legislature structure

Bicameral (two chambers)

Texas House members

150

Texas Senate members

31

Who presides over the Texas House

Speaker of the House

Who presides over the Texas Senate

Lieutenant Governor

How often the Legislature meets in regular session

Every two years (biennial), odd-numbered years

When regular sessions start

Noon, second Tuesday of January

Regular session length limit

140 days

Legislature's key strength

Power of the purse (controls state spending)

Number of high courts in Texas

Two (a split/bifurcated system)

Texas Supreme Court handles

Civil cases (highest civil court)

Texas Court of Criminal Appeals handles

Criminal cases (highest criminal court)

How Texas judges are selected

Partisan elections

Who fills judicial vacancies

The governor, by appointment

Most active courts in Texas

Municipal courts

Number of counties in Texas

254 (most of any state)

Body that runs each county

The Commissioners' Court

Commissioners' Court makeup

Four commissioners (single-member precincts) + one county judge (at-large)

County judge's vote power

Votes with commissioners and breaks ties; cannot veto

Are county elections partisan

Yes

Do Texas counties have zoning power

No (with limited exceptions)

Consolidated city-county governments in Texas

Not allowed

Does Texas have townships

No; areas are either incorporated or unincorporated

Two classes of Texas cities

General law and home rule

Home rule city

A city over 5,000 population that adopts its own charter; has broad powers

General law city

A smaller city with only powers granted by the state

Are Texas municipal elections partisan

No, they are nonpartisan

Most common special district

Independent school district (ISD)

Agency that governs Texas public education

Texas Education Agency (TEA)

Examples of special districts

School districts, river authorities, water/hospital/road districts, community colleges

Historic dominant party in Texas

The Democratic Party (from Reconstruction until the late 20th century)

Why the Democratic primary once mattered most

Democrats won nearly all general elections, so the primary was the real contest

Current dominant party in Texas

The Republican Party

Realignment

A lasting shift of voters from one party to the other

1961 watershed election

Republican John Tower won a U.S. Senate seat, signaling two-party competition

First Republican governor in over 100 years

Bill Clements (elected 1978)

When Republicans gained full statewide control

By the early 2000s; won all statewide offices and a trifecta by 2003

Trifecta

One party controlling the governorship, House, and Senate

Type of primary Texas uses

Open primary (no party registration required to vote)

Runoff election

A second election between the top two candidates when no one wins a majority in the primary

Does Texas have a state income tax

No (constitutionally prohibited since 2019)

Texas's largest source of state tax revenue

Sales tax

Texas state sales tax rate

6.25% (up to 8.25% with local add-ons)

Main tax funding local governments and schools

Property tax (collected locally)

Texas budget cycle

Biennial (a two-year budget)

Largest categories of state spending

Education and Medicaid/health

Franchise tax

Texas's main statewide business tax

Political culture of Texas

Traditionally described as a mix of individualistic and traditionalistic

Dillon Rule

Principle that local governments only have powers granted to them by the state