Executive Branch
The Plural Executive
Attorney General
Greg Abbott
Elected 2002/6
Phil Wilson – Perry Appointee
The Executive Branch
• Topical Scenario
• Elected State Officials
• Appointed State Officials
• Bureaucracy Organization
• Controlling the Bureaucracy
• Bureaucracy and Change
• Bureaucracy and Democracy
Topical Scenario – Page 155
•
•
•
•
•
•
Deregulating College Tuition
2003 - $10,000,000 Budget Deficit
Tuition rates set by legislature
Schools lobby legislature for change
Law passes allowing schools to set rates
Goals –
– Increase graduation rates
– Efficient use of facilities
– Financial assistance (grants, work study, loans)
• Spring of 2004
– 20% increase in tuition
– 40% increase in federal loans for education
Tuition Growth
• University of Texas 15 Hour Semester
– 2002 $2472
– 2009 $4686
• Current Year
–
–
–
–
UT $8060
A&M $7326
TT $7083
TSU $6518
The Bureaucracy Government Agencies
• Implement legislative policy (detail rules)
• Power and organization dictated by
legislature
• Three organizational patterns
– Headed by single person
– Headed by part-time unpaid commission
– Headed by full-time commission
• Electorate only has limited influence
• List of Texas Bureaucratic Agencies - 157
Plural Executive versus Cabinet
Executive
• 1836 -1876 – Governor had cabinet style
executive
• 1876 Constitution created Plural
Executive
• 1931 reorganization committee
recommends cabinet style executive
• Proposal killed in legislature
• Texas is one of only a few states with a
plural executive
Elected State Officials
•
-
Attorney General – Greg Abbott
Chief state lawyer, 4 year term
Stepping stone to governor’s office
Litigation area
+ Represents agencies as defender or plaintiff
+ Almost entirely civil rather than criminal
- Issues include: anti-trust, consumerprotection, consumer safety, environment
statutes, health issues.
Elected State Officials
•
-
Comptroller - Tax collector
Susan Combs – lawyer and politician
Forecasts revenues available for budget
Large, expert staff
Absorbed the state treasurer’s
responsibilities in 1996
Elected State Officials
• Land Commissioner - manages all state owned
lands
- Jerry Patterson – senator, bureaucrat and
businessman
- Controls state land leases
- Manages oil/gas revenues generated by state land
leases for schools and universities
- Runs Veterans Land Program
- Environmental protections issues
- Recently water and natural gas promotion efforts
Elected State Officials
•
-
Agricultural Commissioner
Susan Combs - Lawyer and rancher
Created by legislative action
Promotes and regulates agricultural
products
- Oversees pest-control regulations,
egg/seed labeling, monitors weights and
measures, water supply issues
Elected State Officials
• Railroad Commission -1891
- Three members in 6 years staggered terms
- Initially designed to regulate railroads
- Federal government now performs that
function
- Regulates oil and gas industry and mining
- Michael Williams is first African American
to win state wide office with 80% of the vote
in 2000
Oil not Railroads
•
•
•
•
From RR regulation to oil & gas issues
Wells and pipeline safety and spills
Land versus mineral rights owner conflict
1999 - Garza proposes new clean up
standards with Williams support.
• Matthews opposes - gains industry
support
• Williams switches allegiances
• Proposal is dropped
Elected State Officials
• State Board of Education
- Originally elected supervisor with
advisory board
- Became statewide elected board of 23
- Reduced to 15 in the 1980’s
- Governor given power to appoint the
commissioner in the 90’s
- Controls investing of state education fund
- Legislature removed textbook authority
SBOE Today
• State Board of Education
– Mixture of appointed and elected officials
– Currently 15 members plus Commissioner
and Chair
• Religious conservative influence
– Sex Ed, Phonics, Vouchers, Textbook selection
• Teachers have organized opposition
• Legislature has limited power
Appointed State Officials
•
•
•
•
15 Heads of Agencies
11 Regulatory Commissions
150 Various Boards and Commissions
Can only be removed with 2/3 vote of
Senate
Secretary of State
•
•
•
•
Keeper of state records
Responsible for election data and filing
Responsible for supervision of elections
Certifies election results
Public Utility Commission
• Three members in six years
staggered terms
• Responsible for regulation of utility
and telecommunication industries
• Overseeing energy deregulation
between 2002 and 2004
• Rules on cost bases, monitors abuse
in power market, reviews and
supervises power grid procedures
Texas Commission on
Environmental Quality
• Three commissioners in six year
staggered terms
• Environmental policy regulation
• Quasi-judicial role
• Settles disputes arising between
environmental and home owner groups
and business
Insurance Commission
• Originally 3 member board
• Regulates and oversees the insurance
industry
• Monitors health of industry (assets
available)
• Regulates rates
• Regulates HMOs
Public Counsels
• Public advocates for selected government
agencies
– Public insurance counsel
– Public utilities counsel
• Examine rate hikes and other agency
specific issues
• Argue for public rights and lower rates
Commissioner of Health and
Human Services
• Use to Oversees 13 different agencies
• More coordinating than controlling
position
• Constitutional amendment was rejected
in 1999 to extend tenure and give
commissioner more power.
• Reorganized by legislature in 2003
Boards and Commissions
• Vary in size from 3 to 9
• Most have six years staggered terms
• PUC, TCEQ, Railroad Commission,
Board of Pardons and Parole, and
Workforce Commission are only full-time
paid groups
Staff Size and Pay
• Full Time Equivalent Workers in 2004 –
268,172
• Total Workforce 2007 –
– 343,950
– 186,100 – Higher education
• Pay Range
– $16,176
– $203,935 - $904,000
– $3,000,000
Bureaucracy Statistics
Location
Temple-Inland
Texas Instruments
Southwest Airlines
Higher
Education
Whole
Foods
Dell
Exxon/Mobil
State Agencies
State Agencies
Higher Education
Exxon/Mobil
Number of Employees
Number
of Employees
15500
31000
32700
36200
65200
106400
157850
186100
Dell
Number of Employees
Whole Foods
Southwest Airlines
Texas Instruments
Temple-Inland
0
50000 100000 150000 200000
Bureaucracy Statistics
Major Categories
Number of Employees
Legal
2715 Number
Maintenance
3694
Law Enforcement
4364
Medical, Health
5006
Criminal Justice
Finance
5073
Engineering Design
9254
Program Management
14476
Social Work
Admin Support
17417
Social Work
26251
Admin Support
Criminal Justice
33330
of Employees
Program Management
Engineering Design
Number of Employees
Finance
Medical, Health
Law Enforcement
Maintenance
Legal
0
10000
20000
30000
40000
Bureaucracy Statistics
State
70
White
Hispanic
60
Black
Other
Private
55
22
21
2
58
28
11
3
50
40
State
Private
30
20
10
0
White
Hispanic
Black
Other
Bureaucracy Statistics
State
60
Female
Male
Private
54
46
45
55
50
40
State
30
Private
20
10
0
Female
Male
Organizing and Reorganizing
• As administrations and legislatures and
the times change the bureaucracy must
change as well.
• Drastic changes are usually opposed by
bureaucracy and legislature.
• Reorganization usually takes place
gradually and piecemeal.
• Ann Richards and John Sharp tried to
form a cabinet style executive and
consolidate agencies.
Controlling the Bureaucracy
• Legislative oversight is critical part of
system checks and balances.
• Sunset Process
– Agencies have 12 year life span unless
extended by legislature
– Sunset Advisory Commission made up of
legislators
• Since 1979 230 agencies have been
continued, 61 have been abolished or
absorbed by another.
Bureaucracy and Change
• Evolution of Agencies
– From industry controller and watchdog
– To captured agency controlled by industry
• Sympathetic industry commissioners
appointed
• Clientele relationship develops
• “Revolving Door” employment develops
• Iron triangle controls amount and speed
of change.
Bureaucracy and Democracy
• Not elected equals undemocratic
• Administration Procedures Act attempts
to force open public deliberation
• Iron triangle model suggests agencies
only going through motions of openness
• Actual deliberations are closed
• Some agencies do encourage a pluralistic
approach to democracy but many are not