TEXAS GOVERNMENT 2306
Unit 9
The Bureaucracy

The Executive Branch
 That part of government that administers the law and implements public policy

 1.
Implementation
 2.
Filling in the details
 3.
Provide information, research, advice
 4.
Disburse state funds

Bureaucratic Expertise
The Key to Their Power
 Individual bureaucrats become experts in specialized area of administration
 As experts, their advice
(recommendations) carries weight with the Legislature & governor

Administration of the Law
(filling in the details)
 Administrative Law
 when administrators interpret the law and write rules and regulations for its enforcement. Administrative law defines the meaning of the law and determines its effect on special interests and the public



Spoils System

 o Hired on basis of political connections, party loyalty, campaign donations, supporting winning candidate or party o No job security —can be fired for any reason


Merit System (Civil Service System)

 o Hired on the basis of knowledge, expertise, education, qualifications o Take a competitive exam
 o Cannot be fired for political reasons

The Texas Bureaucracy
 There is no single official in the Texas government who bears ultimate responsibility for the actions of the Texas bureaucracy
 220 separate entities
 300,000+ – bureaucrats (below nat’l average)
 Megastates - Texas ranks 10 th out of 15

Structure of the Cabinet System:
The Ideal Bureaucratic Structure

Cabinet System-Strong
Executive Structure
GOVERNOR
• Hires department heads
• Fires department heads
• Issues executive orders
Dept.
Head
Dept.
Head
Dept.
Head
Dept.
Head
Dept.
Head

PLURAL EXECUTIVE
(Weak Executive)
GOVERNOR
• Hires only one department head
• Most dept. heads elected by voters
• No power to fire department heads
• No power to issue executive orders
Comptroller A. G .
Sec. of
State
Land
Comm .
Ag.
Comm .
Voters

Structure of Texas Bureaucracy

The Megastates &
Bureaucratic Size

State & Local Government
Bureaucrats- 1980-1996

Government Employees:
US & Texas

Elected Executives: The Attorney
General
 The lawyer for all officials, boards, and agencies in state government
 Two major functions for the state:
 To give advisory opinions which determines whether a law does or not violate the Texas or
U.S. constitutions;
 To represent the state and government in civil and criminal litigation

Elected Officials: the
Comptroller
 Chief tax collector and chief pre-audit accounting officer for Texas government
(collects 31 different state taxes & sales tax for 1,239 local governments)
 Revenue Forecaster Certifies the state’s approximate biennial revenue
(state budget cannot exceed this amount)
 Certifies the financial condition of the state at the end of each fiscal year

Elected Officials: The
Commissioner of the General Land
Office
 Manages and collects rentals and leases (oil & gas $) for state-owned lands
 Awards oil, gas, sulphur, and other hard mineral leases for exploration and production on state land
 Leases mineral interests in state riverbeds and tidelands
 Maintains environmental quality of open beaches along
Gulf Coast

Elected Officials: Commissioner of
Agriculture
 Administration of all laws, research, educational and regulatory activities related to agriculture;
 Checks the accuracy of scales in meat markets and gas pumps, determines labeling procedures for pesticides
 Promotes Texas agricultural products
 Pesticide regulation

Elected Officials: the Lieutenant
Governor
 The source of executive powers comes from the legislative branch
 Succeeds governor if a vacancy occurs
 President of the Texas Senate
 Ex-officio chair of:
 The Legislative Budget Board;


The Legislative Council;
The Legislative Audit Board;
 May exercise influence over the Sunset Advisory
Commission and the Legislative Criminal Justice Board

Appointed Executives
(by the governor)
 Secretary of State – chief election officer for
Texas
 Adjutant General – the state’s top-ranking military officer
 Health and Human Services Commissioner – in charge of 4 major health and welfare depts.
 Insurance Commissioner – monitors and regulates the insurance industry

Elective Boards
 Texas Railroad Commission – 3 elected members who regulate gas utilities, oil and gas pipelines, oil and gas drilling and pumping activities , and intrastate railroad transportation, sets rates for local natural gas companies,
(regulates safety & environmental aspects of oil & gas industry)
 State Board of Education –
15 members elected to 4 yr. terms from districts) oversees and regulates the
Texas public school system, and administers state and national education law, distributes federal & state $ to local school districts

APPOINTED BOARDS


Governor appoints 3,000+ individuals to hundreds of specialized boards & commissions (The board or commission usually appoint the head of the agency)


There are 38 professional licensing & examining boards

§ (Ex.: accountants, architects, barbers, chiropractors, cosmetologists, dentists, funeral directors, land surveyors, medical doctors, nurses, exterminators, pharmacists, physical therapists, podiatrists, veterinarians)


Twelve College Governing Boards
 Oversee state colleges & universities

Texas Bureaucracy-Largest
Agencies

Bureaucratic Environment

The Iron Texas Star
 The coalition and mutual support that exists between :
 legislative committees,
 administrative agencies, and
 economic special interest groups

The Texas Iron Star

Gubernatorial vs. Legislative
Influence over Bureaucracy

The Bureaucracy & the Public

Texas: The Board & the
Commission System

The Texas Sunset Process

Sunset Process- 1979-2003

REFORMS ENACTED
1. Open Meetings Act
(1973)
2. Open Records Act
(1973)
3. Sunset Advisory Commission
(1977)
4. Whistleblower Protection Act
(1983)

 1. Ombudsman
 2. Adoption of Cabinet-Style
Government
 3. Statewide Merit/Civil Service System
 4. Texas Legislature (annual or longer sessions)