Local Governments
What is the difference between general-law and home-rule charters in Texas.
General-law Charters: Only has powers specifically granted by the state (follows Dillon’s Rule).
Home-rule Charter: Has any powers not prohibited by its charter; must have a population of 5,000+ and may amend its own charter by local vote. Doesn't need state approval to annex land or change government.
What are the duties of the city manager and the mayor in the Council-Manager system?
City Manager: Hired by council; oversees daily operations, hires/fires staff, prepares and manages multimillion-dollar budgets, and implements policy.
Mayor: Presides over council meetings, represents the community, communicates policy, but holds limited formal power.
How do “packing” and “cracking” achieve partisan advantage in gerrymandering?
Packing concentrates opposition voters into a few districts to reduce their influence elsewhere.
Cracking spreads opposition voters thinly across many districts, preventing them from forming a majority.
Both allow the party in power to maintain control while technically following redistricting laws
What is the main job of legislators, according to the members themselves?
Most legislators see their main job as killing bad bills that could harm constituents or waste resources.
Why is the Texas Lieutenant Governor considered the most powerful position in state government?
The Lieutenant Governor is elected statewide, independent from the governor, and serves as President of the Senate. He appoints all Senate committees, assigns bills to committees, and co-chairs major policymaking bodies such as the Legislative Budget Board, Legislative Council, and Legislative Redistricting Board. This allows the Lieutenant Governor to shape legislation, control the budget process, and influence redistricting—often giving him more policy power than the governor himself
Explain the dual purpose of county governments.
Provide local services (roads, records, public health).
Serve as administrators of state functions (elections, vehicle titles, courts).
Compare the Council-Manager and Mayor-Council forms of government.
Council-Manager: Elected city council appoints a professional city manager to oversee operations, budgets, and staff; the mayor (if present) mainly presides and symbolizes leadership. Used in mid-sized and suburban cities (e.g., College Station, Dallas, San Antonio).
Mayor-Council: Separates executive (mayor) and legislative (council) functions. Strong mayor has budget/veto power; weak mayor shares power with the council. Common in large urban centers like Houston or NYC.
What does “one person, one vote” mean, and how is it applied in redistricting?
It means each legislator represents roughly the same number of people, ensuring population equality across districts. This has been the legal standard since 1963, but equality of population doesn’t necessarily mean equality of voters (because of non-citizens, minors, and prisoners)
What makes the Texas legislative process so uncertain?
Bills face uncertainty at every step:
- Finding a sponsor, committee assignment, calendar placement, and floor vote.
- Leadership (Speaker or Lt. Governor) can kill or advance bills by assigning them to “easy” or “impossible” committees or manipulating the calendar. Success depends as much on political support from leadership as on the bill’s content
What is meant by the “plural executive” in Texas, and why was it created?
The plural executive means that the governor shares executive power with several independently elected officials. This system was created intentionally by the 1876 Texas Constitution to weaken the governor’s power and prevent concentration of authority—Texans didn’t want a “king.” As a result, political power in Texas is fragmented, and cooperation among executive offices depends on personal relationships, not hierarchy
Describe how local governments in 2010 generated and spent their own-source revenues. Which spending categories dominated?
Revenue Sources - Property Taxes, Sales Taxes, User Fees, and Licenses Fees
Spending - Dominated by education, public safety, roads, and utilities. (counties focus on law enforcement and courts while cities focus on infrastructure and services
Contrast single-member district seats with at-large seats on a city council.
Single-member district: Residents elect one representative per geographic area.
- Pros: Enhances representation for minorities and local interests.
- Cons: Can increase parochialism (favoring local over citywide issues).
At-large seats: Elected by all city voters.
- Pros: Encourages broader, citywide perspective.
- Cons: May marginalize minority neighborhoods — often favoring affluent, high-turnout voters.
What were the major effects of LULAC v. Perry (2006) on redistricting?
The Court ruled that states can redistrict as often as they wish, not just once per decade. It became much harder to prove “excessive partisanship” in court, letting legislatures redraw lines for maximum partisan advantage.
What are “duplicate” and “companion” bills, and why are they used?
Duplicate bills: Identical copies filed in the same chamber (Both filed in House OR Senate, not both).
Companion bills: Identical copies filed in the other chamber (House and Senate).
Legislators use them to increase odds of passage—if one dies, the other might survive. Success for either counts as success for the author
What are the two main categories of gubernatorial power, and how do they differ?
- Institutional (Formal) Powers are those granted directly by the Texas Constitution or laws, such as appointment, veto, and special session powers.
- Personal (Informal) Powers come from the governor’s personality, persuasion, media use, and political skill—not from the law itself.
- Texas governors have weak institutional power but often build strong personal power through public visibility and leadership ability
How has the number and type of local governments in the U.S. changed from 1957 to 2007, and what factors help explain these trends?
The total number of local governments has remained high (around 90,000), but the types have shifted. School districts have consolidated (fewer today), while special districts have expanded dramatically to handle new services like utilities, hospitals, and transportation. Urbanization, population growth, and the need for specialized services explain these shifts.
Explain how the Commission form of government originated in Galveston and why it failed.
Created after the 1900 Galveston hurricane to rebuild efficiently. Each commissioner managed a department and served on a collective policy board. Initially praised for innovation and efficiency (“progressive”), adopted by ~500 cities in 1918. Failed due to internal conflict—commissioners prioritized their own departments over the public good. Portland, Oregon operates under this government type.
Why is gerrymandering a major concern in Texas, and how has it shaped political competition?
It has made most legislative races non-competitive. The party in control of redistricting (Republicans since 2001 in Texas) effectively determines future election outcomes by drawing favorable districts
What is “ghost voting,” and how did the Texas House respond to it?
Ghost voting occurs when members vote for absent colleagues. After a 2007 scandal (video from lecture), the House changed its rules to officially allow ghost voting but banned cameras and phones from the floor to reduce negative publicity
How do the Land Commissioner and the Railroad Commission differ in their roles related to energy?
The Land Commissioner (head of the General Land Office) manages public lands, issues leases and permits for energy exploration, and collects royalties (revenues that fund education through the Permanent School Fund and Permanent University Fund)
The Railroad Commission, despite its name, regulates oil, gas, mining, and pipelines—it supervises how energy is extracted, ensuring compliance with environmental and safety laws.
Land Office handles the who/where/when of extraction, while the Railroad Commission oversees the how and what
Compare the relationship between state population and number of local governments using Texas, Kansas, and Nevada as examples.
The relationship isn’t linear and population doesn’t predict the number of local governments well. Texas has a large population and many local governments, Kansas has a smaller population but still many local units, and Nevada has a similar population size to Kansas, but has fewer local governments because its population is concentrated in urban areas.
Define a special district, describe its structure and purposes, and explain how developers use them.
A local government created by the state legislature for a specific purpose (e.g., water, fire, hospital, transportation). Voters elect a board that oversees the bureaucracy; often overlaps multiple cities or counties. They provide specialized services cities/counties can’t or won’t fund. Developers create districts to finance infrastructure for new subdivisions — transferring debt to future residents.
How can a redistricting plan be both legally fair and politically unfair at the same time?
A plan can meet all legal criteria for redistricting — equal population, contiguous districts, protection of minority groups, and acceptable district shapes — yet still produce politically biased outcomes. This happens because the party in power can legally manipulate boundaries to dilute opposition strength (“stacking the deck”) while following every rule.
How do “readings” and “calendars” influence whether a bill passes?
Every bill must technically go through three readings, but these are often quick formalities (30–45 seconds each). Calendars determine when and how bills are debated, whether amendments are allowed, and how votes occur.
What advantages make bureaucratic agencies and bureaucrats so powerful in Texas government?
Bureaucrats hold specialized knowledge, long-term continuity, and mastery of procedures they often write themselves. They can outlast elected officials, who serve short terms, and have supportive clientele groups that help preserve their roles. Bureaucracies tend to survive and even grow over time because their missions expand or evolve—when one goal is achieved, they redefine their mission to justify continued existence