The Executive - Texas Constitutional Design
- What offices comprise the plural executive? Why are these specific powers divided?
- Which offices in the Texas executive are elected? Which ones are appointed? Again - why?
- Why is the Texas executive branch weak? What factors make it weak? What factors have made it stronger over time?
- What are the specific powers of the governor? What does the office
have control over? What does powers does the governor share with other
offices?
- What legislative powers does the governor have?
- What boards and commissions can the governor appoint members to? Which are appointed by other officials?
- What are the relative powers the governor has over the judicial branch?
- Be familiar with the nature of the governor's veto powers.
- What are the job descriptions of the other executive positions established in Article 4?
- What relationships exist between the elected executive positions? Does the governor have ant powers over them?
The Texas Bureaucracy
- What is a bureaucracy? What are the pros and cons of the bureaucracy?
- How much detail does the Texas Constitution provide for the Texas bureacracy?
- What is the source of bureaucratic power?
- What qualifications best explain why certain people are appointed to bureaucratic agencies?
- What best explains why certain people are appointed to bureaucratic positions?
- What problems does a professional bureaucracy pose for democracy?
- What problems are posed by a democratically responsive bureaucracy?
- What factors can best control the bureaucracy?
- What is the Sunset Review process?
- What is a captured agency? Why might interest groups be interested in the activities of a bureaucratic agency?
- Which groups are least likely to be able to control an executive agency?
- Which agencies does the governor have the most control over? Why?
- How much control does the governor - or any other person in an executive position - have over the bureaucracy?
- How large is the Texas bureaucracy? How many federal employees work in Texas? How many people work for the local bureaucracy?
- What relationship exists between the state bureaucracy and the
national government? What leverage does the national government have
over the state bureaucracy?
