Texas Government
Essay by review • March 19, 2011 • Essay • 1,011 Words (5 Pages) • 2,847 Views
The government of the state of Texas is a difficult and complicated institution that is composed of many different levels. The question comes in to everyone's mind at one time or another whether or not to trust the government. It could be that people believe that the officials will take advantage of their power, or simply people don't like the idea of being controlled by someone who is not a family member or friend. To avoid this centralized power, the government is divided into stages and this is a reasonable ground for trusting the government. Government runs this state and it does deserve to be trusted.
Our government here in Texas has three major parts that play a significant part in our decision making process. These levels have been deigned to decentralize power and make it more affective for the public's needs. The primary level is the Texas legislature. It is almost a given to say that everyone has at least heard of the legislature. Some variables that the legislature contains are the Lt. Governor, the Speaker of the house of Representatives and Committee Chairs. The Speaker acts as the presiding officer over the house and has two levels of power. These two levels are institutional powers which allow the officer to preside over the Legislative Audit Committee and Sunset Advisory Committee.
The procedural powers include those of appointing most committee members, assign bills to committees and schedule legislation. As you can see, the speaker has powers but these powers are limited and leave no room for error. As mentioned earlier, the legislature is divided into several different committees that make for a good spread between authority. Legislative Committees provide orders and handle proposed legislation. Standing Committees are permanent and handle several different things. This permanent institution allows for some sort of solidity since things are rapidly changing. Even further simplifying this are sub-committees which are divisions of the standing committees. This simplification process has a lot do with why the government is trustworthy. If you take into consideration the amount of levels that it takes to get something done, then there is almost no possible way that the power can be obtained by one person. If issues are brought about, or arguments are carried out, then the Conference Committees are there to resolve these differences.
The most common Governmental figure in Texas is the Governor. This power is nothing more than that of a celebrity status. Although the Governor has the power to appoint independent boards and commissions, the senate has to confirm these appointments. This is called senatorial courtesy What is meant when this job is more like a celebrity is because of the Governor's ceremonial roles as acting as Chief of State. This increases the Governor's popularity and prestige, and broadens the image of the office. One important power or role that the Governor is responsible for is coordinating relations between Texas and other states. This can definitely be an important factor. For example, the need of federal aid during the time of an emergency can require the help of other states. The Governor also acts as the Chief Budget officer of the state. Even though the presiding officer presides over this office, the Governor does have some control. This is a very effective example of a good trustworthy system.
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