Texas State Government: Structure, Institutions, and Policy Topics (Course Notes)

Texas State Government: Structure, Key Institutions, and Policy Topics (Course Notes)

• Overview of the state constitution and bicameral legislature

  • The U.S. has a constitution; states have their own constitutions. Texas has a bicameral legislature (House and Senate).
  • State numbers mentioned: state Senate = 31 members; House = 150 members. Total = 181 legislators (summary line indicates “about 200, almost 250” as a rough ballpark in the discussion).
  • Unlike the federal system, Texas features a plural (or semi–plural) executive rather than a unitary executive: multiple elected officials exercise executive power, not a single governor alone.
  • The governor (Abbott) has substantial power, but many executive offices are separately elected and not subordinate to the governor. Examples of elected executive roles include: attorney general, commissioner of agriculture, railroad commissioners, and the land commissioner; there are other independently elected officials as well.
  • The federal system elects the president and the cabinet, whereas Texas elects a broad set of executives at the state level, creating checks and balances within the executive branch itself.

• The “Big Three” in Texas politics

  • The three most influential figures are:
  • The Governor (Greg Abbott) – head of the executive branch with substantial power.
  • The Lieutenant Governor (Dan Patrick) – presides over the Texas Senate and wields significant influence over legislation.
  • The Speaker of the House (Dustin Burrows) – presides over the Texas House and shapes which bills move.
  • The lieutenant governor is especially important: unlike the U.S. vice president, the Texas lieutenant governor is elected statewide and leads the Senate, giving them substantial influence over what passes.
  • The three must generally align for major legislation to progress. In debates like the THC (THC product) regulation, the fighting dynamic is between the governor and the lieutenant governor.

• The current Texas legislature: session, timing, and special sessions

  • The Texas legislature meets every two years (one of only four states to do so this way).
  • The regular session lasts up to 140 days and runs from January through May/June.
  • The governor can call a special session at any time; this year the legislature is in its second special session.
  • Reasons for the current special session include: redraw of congressional maps and attempts to regulate THC products following a veto of a legislative ban.
  • All of this occurs while the legislature is in session; new laws are being debated and potentially enacted during these special sessions.

• Role of the state and its relationship to local governments

  • Local governments exist within the framework set by the state and are not sovereign entities of their own.
  • The state determines what cities and counties can and cannot do and how they are structured and funded.
  • This reflects the broader principle that state power shapes local governance rather than local governments being independent fiefdoms.

• Taxation, revenue, and major spending priorities

  • The state spends primarily on:
  • Roads (infrastructure)
  • Public health (including hospital systems)
  • Education and Medicaid (healthcare programs for residents)
  • About 70% of state spending goes to education, health care, and Medicaid. Other areas (like roads and public safety) receive remaining funds.
  • Funding sources for education are heavily state and local, with roughly 90% of education funding coming from state and local governments. Federal funding is not the primary driver for K–12 funding.

• Public education funding, standards, and policy

  • State and local governments determine per-student funding, leading to wide variation across states and districts.
  • In Texas, per-student funding is around $15{,}000$, while in New York it is around $25{,}000$ per student, with substantial variation across districts.
  • Historically, education funding evolved from local property tax bases, creating inequality across districts; states have tried to redistribute funds through different mechanisms.
  • Curriculum standards and graduation requirements are set by the state, including the STAR exams (state-m mandated tests).
  • School choice has become a major policy issue, with most states (including Texas) allowing charter schools and recent moves toward universal Education Savings Accounts (ESAs).
  • Texas ESAs (universal) are planned to roll out in 2026, with roughly $10{,}800$ available per eligible student to fund private school tuition and $2{,}000$ for homeschooling; total funding allocated is about $1{,}000{,}000{,}000$ (one billion dollars), prioritizing disabled students and then others.
  • A classroom management policy debated in the session requires attention management to be displayed in every classroom; this law is expected to take effect next week in most districts, though some districts may challenge it in court.
  • The structure of school governance and funding means state policy can significantly influence local education outcomes and equity.

• Higher education and ongoing policy topics

  • The state policy scope includes debates on higher education funding and governance, though most K–12 issues are emphasized in this course section.

• Constitutional amendments and the bail question (STR5)

  • Texas voters will consider 17 amendments to the Texas Constitution on the November ballot (e.g., STR5).
  • STR5: a proposed amendment to allow magistrates to deny bail for defendants charged with specific crimes; this is a response to ongoing debates about criminal justice reform and bail policy.
  • Context on bail in Texas: the Texas Constitution historically required bail to be offered in all cases except capital murder. There has been a push to allow denial of bail in more circumstances.
  • The question of “why amend the Constitution” is tied to existing constitutional requirements and historical changes to bail rules, reflecting evolving views on criminal justice and public safety.
  • The Texas Constitution is lengthy (the instructor notes it is not well organized and contains many provisions about limiting government power). The document reportedly runs on the order of hundreds of thousands of words, with frequent amendments over time.

• Criminal justice and the role of the constitution

  • The constitution governs bail, with current rules requiring bail in all but capital murder cases (historically). STR5 would modify this by allowing denial of bail for certain offenses.
  • The broader issue of criminal justice policy (including bail reform and pretrial detention) is a central political topic in state politics.

• Local government, state power, and governance structure

  • Local governments operate within the authority granted by the state; the state sets rules on what localities can and cannot do, and how they are structured and funded.
  • The relationship between state and local levels shapes public services, taxation, and policy outcomes at the community level.

• Public health, education, and social policy emphasis

  • Education and health care remain primary areas of state policy and spending, with significant ongoing debates about funding levels, equity, and access to services.
  • The course emphasizes state-level control over curriculum standards, graduation requirements, and the design of public school funding and policy.

• Why the focus on federal government vs state government in public discourse

  • The lecturer notes that mass media often prioritizes national/federal politics, leading to less public engagement with state and local governance.
  • This can be attributed to media coverage patterns, a sense of national/international relevance, and perceptions about the impact of federal policy on daily life.
  • There is also a cultural aspect of state identity (e.g., Texas pride) that figures into how people engage with state politics differently from national politics.

• Course logistics and structure (how this class works)

  • Instructor: Max Crook. Background: educated in the UK (University of Nottingham) and has lived in the US; focus on Texas public policy.
  • Textbook: Required text is embedded in the course page; access may come via Bearcat bundle or through purchase if not immediately available. A PDF version and quizzes accompany readings.
  • Course structure: four sections
  • Section 1: Structure of American government (focus on state vs federal) and why states matter.
  • Section 2: Federalism – how power is divided and evolves between state and federal levels.
  • Section 3: Local government and its role.
  • Section 4: How government is organized – the constitution and the three branches; this leads to the first exam covering sections 1–2.
  • Later sections cover taxation, spending, education, health care, criminal justice, and hot topics like abortion, immigration, and gender issues.
  • Assessments
  • Online reading quizzes: 16 quizzes total, each worth 1.5% of the final grade.
  • In-class exams: two exams (midterm for sections 1–2; second exam for sections 3–4). Exams are in-class, with multiple-choice and true/false questions; no final exam.
  • Attendance-focused quizzes: random in-class quizzes designed to encourage attendance; about 10 questions; typically administered at the end of class (mostly on Fridays, with some Monday sessions to encourage attendance).
  • Course logistics
  • Weekly structure includes a mix of reading assignments, quizzes, and occasional in-person activities.
  • The instructor schedules office hours (e.g., 12:00–13:00 on certain days) and is available via Zoom or appointments for one-on-one discussions.
  • The course is described as an embedded course with a focus on practical understanding of state governance and public policy.
  • Access and contact
  • Students are encouraged to contact the instructor if they have trouble accessing course materials.
  • The Bearcat bundle provides access to course readings; if not, reach out for accommodations.

• Key takeaways and implications

  • Texas showcases a plural executive model that distributes executive power across multiple elected offices, reducing the governor’s unilateral authority.
  • The “Big Three” (Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Speaker) shape nearly all major legislation; coalitions and conflicts among them determine policy outcomes.
  • Education policy is highly state-driven, with substantial variation in funding, standards, and school choice options across states; Texas is moving toward ESAs with significant public funding allocated per student.
  • Constitutional amendments (like STR5) are powerful tools that can alter fundamental rights and procedures (e.g., bail) and require a two-thirds majority in both houses to reach voters.
  • Local governance is constrained by state rules, highlighting the vertical structure of American government where state policy choices cascade to local implementation.

• Quick reference to key figures and numbers (LaTeX-ready)

  • Legislature composition: $31$ state senators; $150$ house members.
  • Session length: $140$ days per regular session; January to May/June; special sessions called by the governor.
  • Big Three: Governor (Abbott), Lieutenant Governor (Dan Patrick) – presides over the Senate, and Speaker of the House (Dustin Burrows).
  • Two-thirds requirement to amend the constitution: $rac{2}{3}{ ext{ of both houses}}$ for STR5.
  • Budget emphasis: about 70 ext{%} of the state budget on education, health care, and Medicaid.
  • Education funding: Texas ≈ $15{,}000$ per student; New York ≈ $25{,}000$ per student.
  • ESA funding (2026): $10{,}800$ per eligible student for private school tuition; $2{,}000$ for homeschooling; total program funding ≈ $1{,}000{,}000{,}000$ (one billion dollars).
  • Constitution length: extremely long (described as over 100{,}000 words) with frequent amendments.

• Instructor’s note on the course and context

  • The instructor emphasizes the complexity and breadth of state governance, arguing that in-depth study of state politics is essential for understanding the practical functioning of democracy, even if it sometimes seems less immediately engaging than federal politics.