StudySpace: We the People ed. 6

The Governor

Texas governors do not have much power, but they do provide the Texas electorate (as well as the national electorate) with enormous entertainment, because many of the top executives have had larger-than-life personalities. The Texas governor is probably the most visible state official and is among the highest paid governors in the nation. The governor, however, is ranked next to last when it comes to executive powers.

I. How are gubernatorial campaigns and elections conducted in Texas?

• The constitutional requirements for becoming governor includes being at least thirty years of age, being a U.S. citizen, and living in the state for five years before the election.
• Texas governors have traditionally been white, Anglo-Saxon, Protestant, conservative Democrat males.
• Texas has elected two women to the governor’s office: Miriam (“Ma”) Ferguson and Ann Richards.
• William Clements became the first Republican to be elected since Reconstruction, and George W. Bush became the first two-term Republican governor since Reconstruction.
• A campaign for the governor’s office can cost $25 to $30 million, which means that the governor must have access to a significant amount of campaign funds—his or her own or from supporters.
• The term for governor was increased from two years to four years in 1974, with most governors elected to serve a maximum of two terms.
• Gubernatorial elections are held in off-year elections to minimize the impact of the presidential election on the governor’s race.

 

II. How can a governor be removed from office?

• The governor may be impeached and convicted, but the Texas Constitution is silent on the grounds for removal.
• James (“Pa”) Ferguson is the only governor to ever be impeached, convicted, and removed from office.

 

III. How is the governor succeeded?

• The lieutenant governor becomes governor if the governor is unable to serve due to death, resignation, impeachment and conviction, or incapacity.
• The lieutenant governor also serves as governor should the governor be absent from the state.
• The line succession includes the president pro tempore of the Texas Senate, Speaker of the House, attorney general, and the chief judges of the Texas Courts of Appeal, in ascending order.

 

IV. What resources does the governor possess?

• The governor is paid $115,345 annually, as well as use of an official mansion, a limousine, and a state-owned aircraft.   
• The governor has a staff to assist in carrying out the duties of the office.

 

V. What are the governor’s formal powers? How does the governor exercise these powers?

• The governor has executive powers of appointment (although limited due to the plural executive), budget powers (limited by the Legislative Budget Board), military power, and police power.
• The governor has the following legislative powers: message power, veto power (including the line-item veto), and the power to call special sessions and set the agenda.
• The governor has the following judicial powers: appoint judges to fill vacancies until the next election.

 

The Plural Executive

I. What offices are included in the plural executive?

• Unlike the president, the governor does not have the power to appoint individuals to serve in key offices of the executive branch but must work with those individuals elected by the voters in statewide elections.
• The elected members of the plural executive include the lieutenant governor, the attorney general, the land commissioner, the agricultural commissioner, and the comptroller.
• The governor appoints the secretary of state.  

 

II. How are they held accountable?

• Except for the secretary of state, each member of the plural executive is directly accountable to the people of Texas through elections.
• The legislature may impeach, convict, and remove from office any official for criminal activity or gross malfeasance in office.

 

Boards, Commissions, and Regulatory Agencies

I. How can one classify agencies within the Texas bureaucracy? What are some of these important agencies and what does each do?

• Most boards and commissions in Texas are headed by members appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate, serving staggered six-year terms.
• Examples of appointed boards and commissions include the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, the Department of Parks and Wildlife, and the Texas Department of Corrections, Texas Board of Medical Examiners, Texas Ethics Commission, and the State Commission on Judicial Conduct.
• The Public Utilities Commission (sets telephone and electricity rates) and the Texas Department of Transportation (highways) are probably the most visible state agencies.
• However, a few boards are headed by elected members.
• The State Board of Education with its fifteen-member board (elected to four-year terms) sets policy for public education (prekindergarten to twelfth grade) in Texas.
• The Texas Railroad Commission has three members, who are elected to six-year terms. It regulates intrastate railroads, trucks and bus transportation as well as oil and gas production/pipelines.

 

II. How are state agencies held accountable?

• The legislature has budget authority over the state bureaucracy.
• The Sunset Advisory Commission requires agencies to undergo periodic review and justify their continued existence.

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