POLS 207 Chapter 10

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Executive Branch

policy leadership: vigorous, incisive, and thouroughly trained leaders

Massachusetts' 1780 constitution set basis for checks and balances between executive and legislative brach.

Governors used to be appointed by the English King (originally despised)

After revolution, disdain for governor made it a weak position

Andrew Jackson: executive leader should be representative of the public.

spoils system became problematic:

winning elected official appointed supporters to all available offices as reward for support
"To the victor belonged the spoils"
Officials replaced every turnover

"Carpetbagger" governors: weak governor who could check legislative branch

Executive leadership: Legislatures tend to be reactive; governor is able to coordinate problem-solving and draft proposals

roller coaster of support and disdain

The Governor

Term length:

4-year term: norm among most states
2-year term: NH and VT

Limitations:

2 terms: 15 states
no limit: 14 states
2 terms, 4-year break, return: 16 states
other states etc.

Few governors serve more than 8 years.

veto power: governors disallowing entire bills
item veto: disallowing individual items in bills

all but 6 states have line-item veto while allowing remainder to become law.

Powers

Not like CEO: can't hire/fire, direct & oversee, and decide how to allocate resources

Institutional Powers

appointment: State senate must consent to most appointed positions.
budgeting: Those who control the budget or purse strings control policy.; This power often kept in check by legislature

Non-Institutional Powers

power of personality: Person's personality could make them memorable as a "great" governor.
power of party organization: most governors are members of one of the major political parties; support from political party; Unified party control: governor's party also holds majority of seats in both chambers of state legislature; Divided government: both parties have control of either the governor's office or one of the legislative chambers
patronage/spoils system: fixed by merit system (civil service testing, competency exam, hiring process; no allegience to party or governor)
media power: governors have limitied/no media access to state's public; we have national and local news, but no state news
popularity: 'nuff said

Assessment of Power

hypothesis: more metropolitan states give governors stronger institutional powers

NOT THE CASE

No evidence thot more powerful governors are linked with better policies

Qualifications

General

At least 30 years old
Resident of state for typically 5 years
Citizen

Not completely representative of public (sampling error and not racism?)

Compensation

Salaries:

min: ME $70,000/yr; AK $80,000/yr
max: NY $179,000/yr; CA $212,000/yr

Largest salary of any elected officials in the state (but not highest-paid state employee)

Legislators want high payment, but they can't make more than governor, so they set governor's salary high

Free housing
travel expenses (auto, air, heli, etc.)

hypothesis: governorswith greater institutional powers will be paid higher salaries.

NOT THE CASE

Strong relationship between metropolitan population and salary

Elections for Governor

Most states: off-years (even-numbered years between elections)

Focus on state issues rather than national issues

turnout decline of nearly 4%

Incumbancy: Governors probably fear voter reactions to tax increases more than is justified

Previous Occupation

In 1900s: 60% law enforcement, state legislature, state-elected offices
Since 1981: 30% state-elected offices; 15% legislative positions; 17% Congress (nat'l); 16% no office

Campaign Cost

Most expensive: $164.5 M

strong positive relationship between state population and campaign cost (probably due to advertising)

Other Elected Executives

Lieutenant Governor: Relatively few political powers: preside over state senate; TX exception: influence all legislative decisions and many executive actions
Attorney General: gives legal advice; deals with statewide corrupt practices; Issues opinions concerning constitutionality of bills
secretary of state: collects, maintains, and archives legally required reports
treasurer: deposits money in banks
auditor: sees that state funds are properly and legitimately spent
public utilities commissioners: sets rates on utilities (i.e. electricity, natural gas, telephones)
regents of public higher education institutions: sets policies and tuition for those schools
commissioners of agriculture, education, labor, and land

Bureaucracy

Forms used to administer programs are red tape

Gov't doesn't know individuals, so eligibility must be determined by information on a form.

Book says that "larger governments are more efficient"

Government bureaucrats are more likely to vote

Little evidence that any effort to produce a better bureaucracy has been successful.

Hatch Act of 1939

Partisan involvement by federal employees is illegal

Many states have similar acts.

Collective Bargaining

little evidence that collective bargaining hampers productivity or reduces the quality of government services.

Unresponsiveness

Merit system separates government employees from elected offices (elected officials no longer able to appoint)

Politicians can't get unresponsive government employees out of government.