Chapter 10: Executing the Law Flashcards
Gubernatorial Elections…
always partisan, always contested; incumbent advantage is a real phenomenon for modern governors
Governorships are Growing in Power
state governments playing larger roles; executive branch leadership is pertinent experience bc it’s composed of full-time, professional, experienced, and media loves a face – focuses on key personalities
Governor’s Career
governors are often more politically ambitious than other state and local officials; not everyone can become president, so those who remain in public service often seek other gov’t promotions (appointment to federal cabinet, run for US senate, appointment as federal judge)
2 Components of Gubernatorial Power
institutional and personal
Institutional Component of Gubernatorial Power
given by states constitution; weaker than expected in TX
Personal Component of Gubernatorial Power
varies with the person and circumstance; stronger than expected in TX
Institutional Power Types
appointment, Tenure Potential, Managerial, Fiscal, Legislative
Appointment Power Type
power to choose other statewide executive officials; key factor in determining “strength” of governor position in each state; TX among weakest: state constitution requires many statewide positions be elected instead
Tenure Potential Power Type
ability to remain in office, including any re-election restrictions, vary widely across states (length of terms, max # of consecutive terms, max # of non-consecutive terms)
Managerial Power Type
oversight of administration, coordination, executive orders direct agents in executive branch, reorganization (of executive branch), timing of appointments
Fiscal Power Type
in 48 states, governor supervises preparation of budget; not so in TX – has weakest fiscal influence
Legislative Power Type
all governors SIGN bills or can VETO them, TX governorship is above average: has line-item veto, too-frequent or heavy-handed use of veto has been used in past to paint TX governors as poorly skilled in politics
What Enables Governors “to get stuff done” DESPITE Institutional Limits?
dependent on personality and political skills; especially important for institutionally “weak” governorships
Key Statewide-Elected Leaders
Lieutenant Governor, Comptroller, Land Commissioner, Agricultural Commissioner, Attorney General
Lieutenant Governor
widely accepted as most powerful government position in TX, elected separately, most powerful legislator (4yr. term, appoints senate committees, assigns senate bills to committees: determines bills’ future)
Comptroller
4 yr. term, broad financial responsibilities make this a powerful office: tax collections, accounting, check writing, audits, treasurer of state funds and investments, estimating revenue for the state)
Land Commissioner
4 yr. term; heads General Land Office; power derives from managing large amount of public lands and resources; duties: issues permits for exploration and exploitation, collects royalties on oil and gas extracted, history and archives, state lands, coastal, protection, emergency response, veterans land board
Agricultural Commissioner
4 yr. term; heads TX Dept. of Agriculture; source of power: enforces all agricultural state laws for nation’s 2nd leading agricultural producer
Attorney General
chief lawyer for state: role is mainly civil, not criminal; most law enforcement and criminal issues handled at city/county levels; source of power: formal opinions (interpretations) of legality or constitutionality of proposed or enacted laws can make major impacts on public policy
Permanent Funds
state gov’t set aside millions of acres of state lands in late 1800s; purpose of these lands was to generate revenue to indirectly fund primary, secondary, and higher education in the state; 2 largest of these funds: permanent school fund and permanent university fund
Advantages of Agencies and the Bureaucrats that Staff Them
information, time, procedures, clientele, solid basis
Why is Information an Advantage for Bureaucrats?
staff members are in-house experts with command of very large amount of information
Why is Time an Advantage for Bureaucrats?
staff usually takes the “long view” of both history and future; not much is new to them — can predict outcomes; willing to wait — not going anywhere
Why are Procedures an Advantage for Bureaucrats?
agencies write them, so they will usually give advantage to the agencies
Why is Clientele an Advantage for Bureaucrats?
usually support the agency staff members
Why is Solid Basis an Advantage for Bureaucrats?
constitutional or statutory foundation; much of what agencies do cannot be changed without changing the law
