Friday, April 19, 2013

The Texas Constitution is widely criticized, particularly with regard to the three branches of government. If you could change one thing about each...

The Texas Constitution, like all systems of government, has its weaknesses and specific areas that are targeted for criticism. This is an opinion question, so it can be answered in many different ways. I will point out a weakness in each branch so that you will be better able to propose a change.


The executive branch is flawed in that there are eleven elected positions and the governor does not have authority over these officials within his own branch of government. Presently, the positions are all filled with Republicans. In the recent past, the positions were filled with Democrats that challenged the governor on any of a number of policies. This created a sense of disunity within the branch and created a deadlock in government. A quick fix for this situation would be to make some or all of those executive positions appointed by the governor.


The biggest problem with the legislative branch is the influence of special interests on lawmakers. This is because Texas lawmakers are the lowest paid in the nation. An easy suggestion for a fix here would be to make legislative salary and benefits competitive with their colleagues from around the country.


The judicial branch is sometimes thought to be too complex. Another criticism would be that judges are appointed by popular election which means their power and autonomy are influenced by the citizens. In many states, judges are appointed and this is a more efficient and less expensive way of handling the appointment of judges. In the judicial branch, recommending the appointment of judges seems like a reasonable reform.

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