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TRANSCRIPT
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman
The Texas Executiveand Bureaucracy
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The Governor and the Executive BranchAssess the powers of the governor.
Elected Officials of the Executive BranchIdentify the key elected officials of the Texas executive branch.
The Texas Bureaucracy and Bureaucratic StrategiesOutline the main functions of the Texas bureaucracy.
Key ObjectivesClick on buttons to go to the relevant slide.
20.1
20.3
20.2
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The Governor and the Executive Branch
• The Office of the Governor is composed of a plural executive
Assess the powers of the governor.20.1
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20.1Executive Branch in Texas
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The Governor and the Executive Branch
• The office of the governor• Background and requirements for office• Salary and perks• Impeachment or incapacitation
20.1
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The Governor and the Executive Branch
• The governor’s staff– Loyal and share the governor’s basic political
attitudes– Some are hired for policy expertise– All function as surrogates– Collect, organize, and screen information. – Function as ‘gatekeepers’ and schedule the
governor’s time
20.1
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The Governor and the Executive Branch
• Powers of the governor– Legislative– Budgetary– Appointive and removal– Clemency– Military
20.1
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The Governor and the Executive Branch
• The Governor and the public– The mass media– Political parties– Interest groups
20.1
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The Governor and the Executive Branch
• Informal resources of the governor– Constitutional limitations can be mitigated
through a governor’s informal powers– Credit and blame for solutions or problems can
easily be attributed to a governor
20.1
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Which member is the only member of the executive office that is not elected? A. Attorney generalB. Education commissionerC. Railroad commissionerD. Secretary of state
20.1
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Which member is the only member of the executive office that is not elected? A. Attorney generalB. Education commissionerC. Railroad commissionerD. Secretary of state
20.1
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Elected Officials of the Executive Branch
• Lieutenant governor
• Attorney general
• Comptroller of public accounts
• Commissioner of the General Land Office
• Commissioner of agriculture
• Secretary of state (appointed)
Identify the key elected officials of the Texas executive branch.20.2
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Elected Officials of the Executive Branch
• Lieutenant governor– Serves as president of the senate– First in line of succession to the governor.– Chairs the Legislative Budget Board and is a
member of Texas Redistricting Board
20.2
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Elected Officials of the Executive Branch
• Attorney General– Serves as the chief legal officer for the state– The office of attorney general is the collector
and disperser of child-support funds– Provides advisory opinions on the
interpretation of law for state and locally elected officials
– Member of the Texas Redistricting Board
20.2
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Elected Officials of the Executive Branch
• Comptroller of public accounts• Texas’ accounting officer
– Collects state taxes– Estimates and certifies annual revenues– Ensures pay-as-you-go model is adhered to
• Serves as a member of the Redistricting Board
20.2
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Elected Officials of the Executive Branch
• Commissioner of the General Land Office– Manages all state-owned land – Oversees mineral leases– Manages Veteran’s Land Program– Serves as a member of the Texas Redistricting
Board
20.2
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Elected Officials of the Executive Branch
• Commissioner of agriculture– Implements laws and regulates the agricultural
sector of Texas’ economy– Enforces consumer protection respecting the
accuracy of weights and measures, packaging and labeling and marketing
20.2
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Elected Officials of the Executive Branch
• State Treasurer– Office abolished by constitutional amendment
in 1995 and duties were transferred to comptroller
20.2
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Elected Officials of the Executive Branch
• Secretary of State– Appointed by the governor– Keeper of the State Seal– Grants business charters– Processes extradition orders of prisoners – Administers state election law and archives
election results
20.2
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Elected Officials of the Executive Branch
• Elected Boards and Commissions– Railroad Commission
• 3 state-wide elected members serving 6-year staggered terms
– State Board of Education• 15 member panel elected in state-wide partisan
races
20.2
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Which member of the Texas Executive does not serve on the Redistricting Board?
A. Comptroller of public accountsB. Lieutenant governorC. Land commissionerD. Attorney general
20.2
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Which member of the Texas Executive does not serve on the Redistricting Board?
A. Comptroller of public accountsB. Lieutenant governorC. Land commissionerD. Attorney general
20.2
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The Texas Bureaucracy and Bureaucratic Strategies
• Growth of government– Many services performed by local
governments—including education, fire and police protection, and sanitation services—require large numbers of workers and substantial funds
– Efforts to curtail government growth and spending have met with only marginal success
Outline the main functions of the Texas bureaucracy.20.3
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20.3
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The Texas Bureaucracy and Bureaucratic Strategies
• Bureaucrats and public policy– The bureaucracy does more than carry out the
policies set by the legislature– The legislature attempts to control agencies
through oversight and appropriations
20.3
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The Texas Bureaucracy and Bureaucratic Strategies
• Policy implementation– Agencies are either appointed or if none
exists that are appropriate to do so, are created to implement policy
– Most agency employees take pride in their work and attempt to be conscientious in their duties of delivering goods or services to the public
20.3
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The Texas Bureaucracy and Bureaucratic Strategies
• Obstacles to policy implementation– The public tends to blame bureaucrats for
excessive red tape, inefficiency, poor management, or incompetence• Problem policies• Special interests• The revolving door
20.3
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The Texas Bureaucracy and Bureaucratic Strategies
• Strategies for controlling the bureaucracy– Legislative budgetary control– Sunset legislation– Performance reviews– Merit systems
20.3
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One of the legislature’s most effective means of controlling agencies is
A. appointing competent agency heads.B. annual sunset reviews.C. firing incompetent bureaucrats.D. limiting appropriations.
20.3
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One of the legislature’s most effective means of controlling agencies is
A. appointing competent agency heads.B. annual sunset reviews.C. firing incompetent bureaucrats.D. limiting appropriations.
20.3
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What do you think:Should the Texas Legislature abolish the
State Board of Education?
NO. The elected members of this body reflect the ideas and wishes of their constituents about what should or should not part of the public school curriculum
YES. Members elected to this body are not necessarily professional educators and have little understanding of curriculum and pedagogy.
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What do you think:Should there be a term limit on the office of
governor?
NO. It should be the electorate that determines the length of time a governor is returned to office.
YES. Not enough people pay attention and vote anymore and incumbents always have the advantage.
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Credits746 AP Images/L.M. Otero; 750 Roger Mallison/ MCT/Landov; 752 Richard Sobel/Sipa Press; 754 AP Images/Tony Gutierrez; 756 Brian Harkin/MCT/Landov; 757 Michael Stravato/The New York Times/Redux Pictures; 761 AP Images/The Houston Chronicle/Julio Cortez; 767, top to bottom: AP Images/Harry Cabluck; Bob Daemmrich;Texas State Archives;AP Images/Harry Cabluck