The Governor of Texas is the chief executive for the State of Texas and the Commander in Chief for the state’s military entities. The governor is a member of a plural executive that includes the Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, and Comptroller of Public Accounts . The governor appoints the Secretary of State and is responsible for policy recommendations to both the state house of representatives and the state senate. In his position the governor has both formal and informal powers.
The formal powers fall under his specific statutory responsibilities which include, but are not limited to: signing bills into law, convening the legislature, reporting on the condition of the state, recommending a budget, pardoning convictions, and appointing qualified individuals to fill vacancies . The governor is required to address his constituents which he does through his state of the state address and addressing the legislature at the beginning of each session. Because he is part of the plural executive his power is limited, however through his ability to appoint individuals to office he can build alliances within the powers of politics, reward supporters, and set a political tone . While the governor recommends a budget, he is not a member of the budget committee and has limited power to access the budget except in emergency situations . The governor can make political gestations and shape process through the use of the veto and his constitutional authority for special legislative sessions.
The informal power of the governor is in his “message power” where he can present his ideas and political ideals to the people through use of the media, and more importantly today, through the use of social media. The governor can use his personality and persuasive powers to educate the constituents, thereby creating the political environment he envisions in order to influence the legislature.
- Governor’s Duties, Requirements & Powers. (n.d.). Retrieved March 8, 2017, from Office of the Governor: http://gov.texas.gov/about/duties
- The Executive Branch. (2005). Retrieved March 8, 2017, from Texas Politics: https://www.laits.utexas.edu/txp_media/html/exec/0900.html
