Government Unit

Texas Constitutions 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.

The Texas System of Justice 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 punished 2. 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 government Examples: 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 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

Texas Legislature Legislative Branch Duties Running the State Government Bicameral: composed of Senate and House of Representatives (two houses or cambers) Regular Session: every 2 years Special 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:31 Members of House of Representatives: 150 Lieutenant Governor- President of the Senate Speaker 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.

How a Bill Becomes a Law Bill- a proposed law A bill that is approved by both the House and the Senate and signed by the Governor becomes a law Bill is “read” to the entire House OR Senate and assigned to a committee Committee members listen to testimony from people who like and dislike the bill. Committee decides if the bill should be voted on by the House or Senate 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. 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!

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?

Executive Branch 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 Senate 2. 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 Send messages to the legislature, he/shes speaks at the beginning of each regular session Veto power (CHECK of Legislature) line-item veto (just take out particular items) 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)

Financing State Government 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

Types of Local 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- Government Mayor – 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

Cont. & FUNDS 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: Garbage collections Hospital Care Parks Building permits Fines collected from Traffic violations Bonds- certificates that guarantee payment plus interest or ask for state or federal assistance

FUNDS Local Government spends the money on… County Government Special Districts Police and fire protection Jail maintenance Parks Streets and bridges Sanitation Recycling Storm drainage Animal shelters Libraries and museums 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.

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

Types of Elections and what you should know about them: