The Texas Legislature
Factors Inhibiting Democratic Pluralism
1. Constitutional Impediments
• sessional time
• bicameralism
“How much democracy can take place in 140
days?”
“compounds problems of limited sessional
time”
“principle of non-delegation of authority”
• separation of
powers
• legislative salaries “Who can afford to serve?
• express limitations “strategy of detail”
Factors Inhibiting Democratic Pluralism
2. Political Developments
• no-partyism
must be performed
• concentration of
leadership authority
“power vacuum created - functions
elsewhere”
“legislature’s agenda is leadership’s
agenda”
Democratic Pluralism
Pluralism contends that political power is widely
distributed. No one group or person has a monopoly on
it. Political decisions are mostly made openly in
government institutions by officials representative of,
and accountable to, the general public. With regard to
political leaders, many things keep them close to the
public:
•Political leaders are plentiful.
•Diversity, both in the social backgrounds and the issue orientations
of the political elite, is quite pronounced.
•Political leaders firmly believe in democratic values.
adapted from Lamare, TEXAS POLITICS: ECONOMICS, POWER AND POLICY, pp. 4-9
Democratic Pluralism
The masses also play a crucial role in pluralist theory; the
elite are cognizant
of the masses in a number of ways:
•It is not difficult for the average person to join the ranks of
political decision-makers.
•Citizens control leadership behavior through the electoral process.
•Citizens affect the political process through membership in
interest groups.
Democratic Pluralism
The results of the mingling between leaders and the
masses are these:
•Political leaders make decisions based upon input from various
groups and individuals.
•Final decisions reflect the interests of a large and diverse section of
the population.
•A change in policy is often initiated by the masses or in
anticipation of demands from the public.
Economic Rule [Elitism]
The economic rule model asserts that political power is
concentrated in the hands of the top economic elite.
Average citizens take a back seat to the economic elite in
affecting and benefiting from public policy. The
following points about the economic elite stand out:
•Members of the economic elite are people who command the
operations of major businesses.
•Members of the elite see eye-to-eye on pecuniary matters.
•The economic elite are united through many bonds [interlocking
directorates, shared stock ownership, working business
agreements, and social ties].
adapted from Lamare, TEXAS POLITICS: ECONOMICS, POWER AND POLICY, pp. 4-9
Economic Rule [Elitism]
The interests of the economic elite are communicated to
government in the following manner:
•Initial selection of candidates for office is influenced by the
economic sector.
•The appointment of persons to government posts is also influenced
by the economic elite.
•Extensive lobbying of government by big businesses is common.
•The structure of government institutions simplifies the corporate
lobbying and campaign contribution process.
Economic Rule [Elitism]
The relationship between the dominant economic sector
and political leadership yields the following results:
•Public policy mostly reflects the interests of economic notables.
•The masses exercise little control over the political process.
•Changes in policy initiated by average citizens only stand a chance
of success if the members of the elite adopt the cause.
Models of Legislative Party Strength
Party
Functions
Parliamentary
Strong-Party
Model
U.S. Congress
Weak-Party
Model
TX Legislature
“No-Party”
Model
Organize
Committee
System
YES
YES
NO
Select
Legislative
Leadership
YES
YES
NO
Provide
Voting
Cues
YES
NO
NO
Formal Powers of the Texas
Legislative Presiding Officers
In the political leadership system:
•Appointment of all chairpersons and vice-chairpersons of standing
committees
•[House] Removal of all chairpersons and vice-chairpersons of
standing committees
•[Senate] Appointment of all chairpersons and vice-chairpersons of
standing subcommittees
•[House] Appointment of Speaker pro tempore
Formal Powers of the Texas
Legislative Presiding Officers
In the committee system:
•Appointment of all members of standing committees
•[Senate] Appointment of all members of standing subcommittees
•Appointment of members of all select, conference, and interim
study committees and their chairpersons and vice-chairpersons
•Determination of the jurisdiction of committees, either ad hoc or
through writing the rules
Formal Powers of the Texas
Legislative Presiding Officers
In the system of rules and procedures:
•Writing the rules
•Application, interpretation, and enforcement of the rules through
direction of staff and through control of the respective rules
committee or subcommittee
•Referral of all bills to standing committee
•Presiding over the activities of the respective chambers, including
recognizing members to speak
•Scheduling of bills for floor debate [House] or recognizing
members to move that bills be taken up out of order [Senate]
•Full participation in the committee of the whole
Proposals to Reform the Texas Legislature
• Remove constitutional restrictions on sessional time [annual, open-ended]
• Give the legislature the power to call itself into special session
• Give the legislature the power to set/expand special session agendas
• Reduce size the the House to no more than 100 members
• Reduce the number of committees and committee assignments*
• Reduce or remove formal powers of presiding officers@
• Increase legislative compensation
• Increase legislative and committee staffing*
• Provide single-member districts
• Adopt joint rules between the chambers
From THE SOMETIME GOVERNMENTS, a study produced by the Citizens Conference
on State Legislatures meeting in Kansas City, 1971
*Wholly or partially adopted since 1971; remaining reforms [except @] would require
constitutional amendment