Study Document
Texas Constitution Essay
Pages:3 (1015 words)
Sources:2
Subject:Politics
Topic:Texas Politics
Document Type:Essay
Document:#30778093
Texas Constitution
The fundamental law of the State of Texas is clearly stated out in the Constitution of the State of Texas. This document was officially adopted by the voters of the State in 1876 and has since them been amended in several occasions. In addition, under this constitution, the principles for the operation of state government and legal system have been outlined. The principle of separation of powers has given way to three distinct branches of the government that include the legislature, the executive, and the judicial. The departments are guided by specific constitutional provisions. However, some of the provisions have been perceived as inhibitory to the proper functioning of the State and must be reformed. Therefore, to improve the effectiveness of Texas government, it is necessary for these provisions to be reviewed and necessary reforms adopted.
Legislative Branch
The legislative department is the dominant branch of the state of Texas as provided by the state constitution of separation of powers.
The structure of the legislature by itself is inhibitory to the effectiveness of popular representation in Texas. The legislature is provided with compensation that is often meager compared to other states. One of the reforms proposed is increasing the pay for legislators. It is evident that lower pay has made the legislators depend on other sources of income in order to sustain themselves, their families, and make up for their campaigning expenditure (Texas Politics, chapter 5). In fact, this could explain the reason as to why they engage in lobbying for other jobs contrary to the provision of the constitution that requires them to be dedicated only to their legislative duties (Kraemer, Charldean, and Prindle 34).
Secondly, there also exists a constitutional provision that provides that the legislators have a limited time for their session. Normally, these sessions are expected to be confined just within 140 days in a given year. This limited time for house business has forced the legislators to hurriedly and ineffectively brush through the various bills that are presented on the first day of regular business. For example, in 2010, 394 bills were presented. Such a high number clearly points at the need for extra time session for the legislators. The proposed reforms seek to increase the duration of these sessions (May 16).
Executive Branch
Texas constitution provides that the Executive Department shall comprise of a Governor, Secretary of State, Comptroller of Public Accounts, Commissioner of the General Land Office, and Attorney General. The Governor is the Chief Executive Officer of the State. All these officers, with the exception of Secretary of State, shall be elected by voters at the time and place of voting. A governor must at least be 30 years of age. Their compensation in terms of salaries and other allowances is determined by the legislature (May 12).
These provisions limit the powers of the Governor such that he becomes toothless. Most of the…
Sample Source(s) Used
Work Cited
Kraemer, Richard H, Charldean Newell, and Prindle David. Essentials of Texas Politics. Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth, 2008. Print.
May, Janice C. The Texas State Constitution. Oxford: Oxford University Press, USA, 2011. Print.
Texas Politics: 13 Jan 2014. © 2009, Liberal Arts Instructional Technology Services. University of Texas at Austin 3rd Edition - Revision 88
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