Government Unit

Number of Constitutions Texas has is

Current:

Federalism:

Three Branches of Government

Seven

1876- at the end of Reconstruction (after Civil War)(bill of Rights)- next slide

Some powers belong to the Federal Government (National) and other power belongs to the State Government.

Separation of power- prevents any branch from having too much power

Legislature, Executive , Judicial

Checks and Balances- a system whereby each branch of government has the ability to limit the actions of the other branches.

Texas Constitutions

Judicial Branch

Three Purposes

Civil Law

Criminal Law

Two Types:

Made up of courts and judges throughout the state.

Supports a system by which..1. Those accused of crimes may be tried and if found guilty punished2. Disputes can be settled 3. Decides what the laws of the state mean and how they should be enforced

Pertains to legal disputes between private citizens, businesses and governmentExamples: property, money, child custody)

Set of laws that describe what people can and can’t do. Protect the public and help maintain order. Examples: makes it illegal for someone to break into your home, start fires, or hurt anyone

Felony- serious crime such as murder or arson

Misdemeanor- less serious crime such as disorderly conduct

The Texas System of Justice

The Texas System of Justice

Grand Jury

Indictment

“no Bill”

Petit Jury

Plea Bargaining

Jurors

Considers the case of a person accused of a felony

A formal statement charging a party with the commission of a crime

A grand jury’s decision that the evidence does not warrant an indictment

A group of 12 people who listen to evidence and decide on a verdict; also known as a trial jury

An agreement between a prosecutor and a defendant whereby the defendant is permitted to plead guilty to a lesser charge.

A member of a jury sworn to hear testimony, review facts and hand down a verdict on a case.Must be (5):18 years old, a citizen of Texas, no felony convictions, be able to read and write, and be of sound mind

Legislative Branch

Duties

Running the State Government

Bicameral: composed of Senate and House of Representatives (two houses or cambers)Regular Session: every 2 yearsSpecial Sessions: called by the Governor when it is necessary to handle problems immediately

-Makes the laws that govern Texas-Approving or rejecting the governor’s appointments-Using the power of Oversight to review the actions of other branches of government- Meet with citizens to listen to concerns about current issues

Members of Senate:31Members of House of Representatives: 150

Lieutenant Governor- President of the SenateSpeaker of the House- elected by the House of Reps

Committees- help the legislature carry out tasks such as studying problems and drafting bills.

Redistricting- duty of the legislature is redrawing legislative and congressional districts as the population changes.

Texas Legislature

Bill- a proposed lawA bill that is approved by both the House and the Senate and signed by the Governor becomes a law

1. Bill is “read” to the entire House OR Senate and assigned to a committee

2. Committee members listen to testimony from people who like and dislike the bill.

3. Committee decides if the bill should be voted on by the House or Senate

4. IF voted yes by House or Senate; the bill goes to the other and starts the process again- BOTH have to approve the EXACT SAME FORM of the bill ---- if they have approved different forms, the Speaker and the Lieutenant governor appoint a conference committee with members of both houses to work out the differences.

5. If the BOTH House and Senate vote Yes, the bill goes to the governor to be signed into Law.

- Bills can Die in Committee or get vetoed by the governor .

- IF bill is vetoed-- 2/3 of the House and 2/3 of the Senate can override the veto!

How a Bill Becomes

a Law

I’m just a Bill What does a Bill start as? What can a Bill become? Who can “Kill a Bill?” Who can sign the Bill into a Law? Can a bill stay a bill forever?

Function:

Executive Powers of the Governor:

The executive branch of the state government:- carries out the laws passed by the legislature- Conducts the business of the state

Governor is the head of the Executive Branch- Four year term- No limit on the number of terms a governor can serve- Must be 30 years old- U.S. citizen- Resident of Texas for at least five year before election

1.Make Appointments to boards and commissions- Has to be approved by 2/3 of the Senate2. Power to remove certain officials 3. Can appoint members of a committee or board.

Executive Branch

Legislative Powers of the Governor:

Other Powers of the Governor

1. Send messages to the legislature, he/shes speaks at the beginning of each regular session

2. Veto power (CHECK of Legislature) line-item veto (just take out particular items)

3. Call Special sessions

-Appoints members of the Board or Pardons and Parole, and Board of Criminal Justice, the Texas Youth Commission and other commissions -Grant pardons, delay execution dates - Appoint Judges to fill vacancies until regular elections are held. -Serves as the Commander in chief in Texas (Texas Guard)

Executive Branch

Setting the State Budget

Budget Process

Where the state gets its Money

The state’s budget sets economic and social priorities.

Budget- a plan for how much one expects to earn and how one proposes to spend the earnings.The governor shares the power of setting the budget with the legislature.

-General Tax- gas, cars, houses (property tax), alcoholic beverages and tobacco products-Franchise Tax- based on the value of machinery and equipment that businesses use to product income-Texas Lottery ($8 billion in 8 years)- Some Federal Money

Windfall- money from an unexpected source

Financing State Government

Local Government at Work

Two Kinds of City Government

Organization of City Governments

Services provided by the Local Government: police protection, garbage collection, water and sewer services, education, and fire protection

General- Law City-a city with a government that functions under the general laws of Texas and often provides basic services such as police, fire protection and water and sewer services

Home-rule city- a city with a government that has freedom to govern unless prohibited by state or federal laws

Three forms of City- GovernmentMayor – Council- a form of city government in which the mayor has full executive authority

Ordinances- a local law

Council- manager- a form of city government in which the city council hires a professional city manager to manage city affairs and prepare the budge; mayor is mostly a figurehead

Types of Local Government

City Governments need funds

Commission- a form of city- government in which citizens elect officers to head departments such as public safety and human services; the mayor has little power - Least common form of local government

Property Tax- paid by owners of land, houses and other buildings

Appraise- determined the value of

Sales Tax on the value of goods sold within the city

Fees for other services:1. Garbage collections2. Hospital Care3. Parks4. Building permits5. Fines collected from Traffic violations

Bonds- certificates that guarantee payment plus interest or ask for state or federal assistance

Cont. & FUNDS

Local Government spends the money on…

County Government

Special Districts

1. Police and fire protection2. Jail maintenance3. Parks4. Streets and bridges5. Sanitation6. Recycling7. Storm drainage8. Animal shelters9. Libraries and museums10.airports

254 Counties in Texas

Precincts- there are four in Texas, they elect one county commissioner each, who serve a four year term. They do not conduct trials, instead, it makes policies and directs county business

School Districts are the most common. Money for school districts comes from federal, state and local funds.

FUNDS

Political Parties in Texas

Special Interest groups

Non- partisan- candidates are not identified by any particular party

Political Parties serve these functions:- Nominate people to run for public office- Campaign for their candidates - Inform the public of election activites - Encourage volunteers to campaign, participate in

party activities- Watch dog- political parties keep track of the

activities of other parties

Are organizations of people who share a common interest and seek to exert influence over a particular aspect of government

Lobbyists job is to persuade legislators to pass laws favorable to their group, they may appear before the legislative committees, testify in court hearings and visit legislators and other officials

Political Parties in

Texas

Types of Elections and what you should know about them: