Instructor's Manual to Accompany:
The World of Texas Politics
Chapter 5: The Legislature
Outline:
I. A Tale of Two Legislatures: Two famous legislative revolts, the Dirty Thirty and the Killer Bees.
II. Overview: A quick introduction to the duties of the Texas Legislature and the major forces shaping it.
III. What Do Legislatures Do?
A. Lawmaking: Basic rule making for the state.
B. Budgeting: This is the price tag for public policy – the bottom line.
C. Representation: Constituents’ preferences enter the legislative process.
D. Executive Responsibilities: Approving Nominations and Administrative Oversight
E. Amending the State Constitution: A major responsibility in a state with an overly restrictive and outmoded constitution.
F. Investigations and Informing/Educating the Public: Seeking out and making information on public policy available for an inattentive public.
G. Impeachment: Impeachment is only accusation by the House of Representatives. It must be followed by conviction in the Senate to effect removal from office.
IV. The Legislators: Texans Writ Large?
A. Terms, Qualifications, and Pay: Two and four year terms in the House and Senate respectively, with minimal qualifications and very low salaries.
B. Who Are the Legislators?: Upwardly mobile people who are tied closely to their districts.
V. Selection
A. Recruitment: Most are self-recruited.
B. Nomination: Nominees win party primary elections.
C. Election: Complicated and expensive.
D. Reapportionment: Make populations equal and protect incumbents.
VI. Operation Of The Legislature: The Formal And The Informal
A. The Organizational Environment: The Constitution restricts what the legislature can do and when it can do it.
B. The Leadership: Power is concentrated in the leadership.
C. Committees: The Little Legislatures dominate their respective areas.
D. Organizing the Members: Parties and caucuses do not count for much.
E. Players from Outside the Legislature: Interest groups, constituents, political parties, and other officials of government.
VII. Rules And Procedures: How A Bill Becomes A Law
A. Formal Steps to Passage: To become law, a bill must overcome a series of obstacles. To prevent it from becoming law requires only successful blockage at one of these obstacles.
B. Informal Rules and Procedures: Count for as much as the official procedures.
C. Legislative Politics: Who Wins, Who Pays? They are often different.
VIII. How Does The Legislature Compare?: The Texas Legislature is more severely restricted than the legislatures in most of the other large states.
IX. Summary and Conclusion: Interest groups and leadership teams win most of the time.
X. The End Of The Tale: Neither rebellion resulted in substantial or lasting changes in the Texas Legislature, but reapportionment supervised by the federal courts has.
Summary:
Chapter 5 provides a description of the basic structures and processes of the legislature necessary for students to understand and become involved. It also provides an understanding of the political processes and informal rules that shape what actually happens in the Legislature. In doing so, it serves as an introduction to the political processes that affect all three branches of Texas government. Major themes of the chapter include the forces shaping the selection and behavior of legislators, the substantial role the legislature plays within the Texas political system, the major limits on the legislature, the powerful role of the leadership and lobbyists, and the substantial role of elites together with emerging pluralist trends. The evaluation of the legislature is a mixture of serious concern and cautious optimism. Students may find the "Overview" and "Summary and Conclusion" sections helpful for getting a picture of the legislature into which they can fit the details provided in the sections in between.
Discussion Topics:
1. What lessons can be drawn from "A Tale of Two Legislatures" and "The End of the Tale? Events described in the two sections may speak to the culture and power structure of the state as well as the traditions, organization, and politics of the legislature. Can you explain this comment and give examples?
2. Find examples of elitism and pluralism in the organization and working of the Texas Legislature? Any signs of hyperpluralism?
3. In what ways may you and others who share your concerns influence the legislature.
4. What is there in the legislative process that tends to favor those who prefer the status quo on any given issue?
Individual or Small Group Projects:
1. Design a survey of students on your campus and see if they know the names of their U.S. representatives and senators, state representatives and senators, and see if they can name at least one bill passed by the legislature in the last session. Summarize your findings in a report to the class.
2. Use the Texas Legislature Online (http://www.capitol.state.tx.us) and find at least one measure that affects you or your family that was enacted into law in the 75th Legislature in 1997.
3. Interview someone who is or has been a member of the legislature and find out how they spent most of their time and energies as a legislator. Do they or did they see themselves as an instructed delegate or a trustee?
Essay Questions:
1. Discuss the major limitations on the Texas Legislature.
2. Evaluate how well the legislature does its job.
3. Discuss the influence of outside forces such as lobbyists and members of the executive branch on the legislature.
4. Who has power inside the legislature and what are the sources of that power?
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