Texas Governor And The President Of The United States

The position of Texas Governor, for well over a century, has traditionally been a feeble portion of the state government. A comparison of power between the governor of Texas and the president of the United States reveal the difficulties of the governor to effectively run the state government, as the president does the nation. There are a few key historical events and factors that have led to the weakness of the Texas Governor’s powers today. In order to improve the effectiveness of today’s Texas Governor, many changes are needed to provide him or her with the ability to be a truly effective leader and chief executive.

As chief executives of their presiding governments, the President of the United States and the governor of Texas are placed …show more content…
The governor of Texas is the commander in chief of the state militia, just as the president acts as the commander in chief of the national armed forces. While the U.S. President and the governor of Texas both serve a four-year term upon their election, the president is limited to two terms, or in some rare cases, a total of ten years. The governor of Texas has no term limit. Although the Texas governor seems to be at an advantage over the president from the standpoint of an unlimited number of terms, he or she is extraordinarily limited in formal powers compared to the president. Because of the Texas governor’s lack of formal powers, their success in office relies heavily on their informal political strategies. These informal powers extend, but are not limited to, his or her ability to bargain, persuasive ability, and negotiating between differing interests. Another difference between the governor and the president is that the governor lacks some key legislative tools, such as the pocket veto. The pocket veto is an important power that allows the president to dictate over legislature in a stronger manner. Another legislative tool that …show more content…
In addition, the governor appoints members of some state commissions, council, and advisory boards, as well as judicial offices when vacancies occur. Due to the Texas Constitution’s decentralized form of government, the governor is given weak appointive powers. Although the governor is chief executive, the Texas Constitution provides for a plural executive. This means that the executive powers are divided among many independently elected officers, including the governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, comptroller of public accounts, commissioner of the general land office, and three railroad commissioners. The president has the ability to appoint these same executive officers and agency heads and more on the national platform. This allows the president to appoint officers in high positions with like-minded ideas, thus giving him a better chance to gain acceptance to his agenda and ideas. The Texas Constitution is also setup in a way that gives the governor weak removal powers. Anyone who was not appointed by the governor himself cannot be subject to removal, and those who were appointed can only be removed with the consent of two-thirds of the Senate. The President, however, can remove anyone who he deems as non-beneficial to his policy agenda. By not having the