Question

Describe the characteristics of the Texas state bureaucracy. Have you ever had a frustrating experience with a state agency, such as the Department of Public Safety? Please describe what happened, and how/if the issue was resolved.

Answer 1

Bureaucracy-

the part of government that administers the laws. Typically, it is all of the executive branch beneath the governor.

The state bureaucracy administers (implements) the laws of Texas. It is run byexecutives whose duty it is to see that the laws of the state are implementedaccording to the will and intent of the Legislature. Ideally, these executive branchofficials or bureaucrats are to administer their duties and implement the laws in aneutral manner, uninfluenced by politics. In reality, state bureaucrats are importantplayers in not just implementation, but also policy making. In Texas there is nooverall central governing, controlling authority. Government authority in Texas isvery decentralized and rests within many independent state agencies. The structureis often called the plural executive

. The governor is not the only elected executive;there are other elected officials with whom the governor must share power. Inaddition, there are many independent boards, commissions, and agencies thatoperate independently of the governor. Power is decentralized among manyofficials. Although the governor appoints over 3,000 individuals to 285-plus stateboards and commissions, he has very limited removal authority and thus, has littlecontrol over the executive branch. This is a weak executive bureaucraticstructure (as compared to a strong executive bureaucratic structure.) This isconsistent with the traditionalistic/individualistic political culture of Texas.

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE BUREAUCRACY

Size

Texas falls below the national average in state employment and above thenational average in local government employment. Among the 15 mostpopulous states, Texas ranks 10th in the number of state employees per 10,000 population. About 76% of Texas state employees work in 5 major functional areas of state government: corrections, highways, public welfare,hospitals, and higher education. There are 285-plus state agencies, boards,and commissions.

Structure & Hierarchy-

In theory, all bureaucracies are organized so that authority flows from top tobottom through a chain of command and information flows from the bottom totop via the same channels. The Texas bureaucracy as a whole is NOTarranged hierarchically and authority is not centralized in a single executive.Because of the plural executive and limited removal and directive powers, theTexas governor has little control over the Texas bureaucracy and little directauthority over most administrators

Neutrality

Texas attempted to depoliticize the bureaucracy by establishing theindependent board and commission system, which tries to insulate thebureaucracy from the legislature and the governor. By using the spoilssystem, it guarantees that political connections are a factor in the hiring of Texas bureaucrats. The absence of a civil service system for Texasgovernment employees makes them more vulnerable to influence by theappointed boards. The governor with the approval of the Texas senateusually appoints board and commission members. Their terms are fixed,usually for six years, and are staggered so that it takes two years or morebefore a new governor can appoint a majority. The governor can only removeboard members if he gets the 2/3 approval from the Texas Senate. Thisrarely occurs.

Expertise

The lack of a merit system in the hiring of Texas bureaucrats often meansthat they are not always hired based on knowledge and expertise. By usingthe spoils system, it guarantees that political connections are a factor in thehiring of Texas bureaucrats. The absence of a civil service system for Texasgovernment employees makes them more vulnerable to influence by theappointed boards

The Bureaucracy and Public Policy

Most political observers today agree that the Texas bureaucracy is deeplyengaged in politics, that politics strongly affects public policy, and that policyformulation cannot be separated from policy administration

Clientele Groups

The most natural allies for an agency are its

clientele

interest groups—groups that benefit directly from agency programs. The agency reciprocatesby protecting its clients within the administration. This often results in thebureaucratic agency protecting its clientele groups rather than serving thepublic interest

The Legislature

Bureaucratic agencies are dependent on the Legislature for laws that expandits powers, increase the scope of its duties, protect it from unfriendly interests,and appropriate funds for its operations. Only the legislature has the power tocreate and abolish agencies

The Governor

Because the Texas governor is fairly weak and has few direct administrativepowers, administrative autonomy is enhanced. Thus, many agencies do nothave to seek the support of the governor to survive. The governor caninfluence the legislature when it considers appropriation bills and thegovernor’s item veto can affect an agency’s funding