TEXAS GOVERNMENT

LOCAL, STATE AND NATIONAL

VOCABULARYCounty seat – center of government for a county

Municipality – local government of a city or town

Charter – a document given by the state that allows a city or two to have a government.

City council - A group of people chosen by citizens to work to solve problems in the municipality.

Budget – a written plan for spending and saving money.

City manager – a person who manages a city with the help of a council.

Special district – A part of local government that takes care of a specific problem or service, such as collecting taxes for water management or a school district.

Bill – a plan for a new law

VOCABULARYLegislative branch – part of the government that makes the laws.

Executive branch – part of government that makes sure laws are carried out.

Judicial branch – part of government that hears and decides cases and is made up of courts and judges.

Veto – to reject.

Appeal – to ask for a new trial.

Justice – a Supreme Court judge.

Federal government – the government of an entire nation.

Unconstitutional – goes against the constitution, not legal.

Citizen – a member of a country, state, city or town.

ILLUSTRATED DICTIONARY

City council – a group of people chosen by citizens to work to solve problems in the municipality.

Synonym: board or group

Charter – a document given by the state that allows a city or town to have a government.

Synonym: agreement

LOCAL GOVERNMENTS• Texas is divided into 254 Counties. Each county has a

city, town or village that is the country seat – major city or center of government.

• Each city and/or town has its own form of government called a municipality.

• set up by the state and • must follow the state constitution.

• Each city is allowed to write a charter which gives citizens of the city a local government.

• This allows them to collect taxes• make laws• provide services

MUNICIPALITIES

• There are different kinds of municipalities

• Mayor-Council – • Mayor is the leader elected by the people. • The city council also governs the city and is elected by the people. • This form is used most by smaller towns and cities.

Mayor-Council

People elect

Mayor

elect

Fire Police Utilities Others

City Council

elect

• Council-Manager –• Used by most larger cities.• Voters elect a city council• City Manager is hired by the council to manage the city.• Some also have an elected mayor who is an active member of

the city council, and also represents the city at public events.

• In Houston, citizens can contact one of the 88 city government leaders that cover their specific “Super neighborhoods”.

People

Mayor appointed

Council elected

City manager hired

FirePolice

Utilities Others

COUNTY GOVERNMENTS• Texas has 254 counties.

• Texas counties are a form of local government.

• Counties provide citizens with important public services

• road repairs and building• Jails for criminals awaiting trial• Creating and taking care of parks• Monitoring airports• collect taxes for roads, police, firemen• run the county courts• sign up citizens to vote

• The Texas Constitution outlines how the counties are to be set up and governed.

• A commissioners court runs each county• Voters elect 4 commissioners to serve on the court.• People elect a Judge to lead the commissioners court.

• Texas counties also have other elected officials.

• County Clerk – keeps death, birth, marriage records• County Treasurer – manages county’s money• Sheriff – Head of the county police – helps make sure laws are

obeyed and protects people.• Tax Collector – Collects taxes from the citizens.

• Other County workers who are not elected, but hired by county

• Health department• Transportation department• Budget department

SPECIAL DISTRICTS• Most popular form of government.

• They take care of one particular problem or service

• They can be as small as a town or larger than a county.

• They can collect taxes

• Provide certain services

• Water management• Library• Schools

• Water districts

• Make sure that people use water carefully and do not waste it.• Make sure water is clean enough to use• Collect payments• Provide trash collection services.

• School Districts are special districts

• Texas has over 1,000 school districts• Superintendents manage most of the school district• Many also have an elected board of directors.• They can also operate under a charter.

• Local governments together form regional councils of government or COGs

• Deal with issues that affect all local governments• Transportation• Health care• Water management• Citizens can volunteer to help in any of these parts of government.

STATE GOVERNMENT

• The state government of today was set up in the Texas Constitution of 1876.

• The Texas Constitution sets rules for

• state• county• schools• public land• taxes• railroads

• The Texas Constitution also helps protect freedoms and rights of those living in Texas.

• There are 17 articles to the Texas Constitution split into 385 sections. There have been over 600 proposed amendments of which only 474 have been approved.

TEXAS CONSTITUTION• Article I - Bill of Rights

• Lists freedoms and rights of citizens• Speech• Press• Religion• Trial by jury

• Other articles present rules about voting, education, taxes, business and property.

• Article II – Powers of Government – divided into three branches

• Article III – Legislative – 2 Houses that meet in every odd number year. Make and pass laws.

• Senate – 31 members elected for 4 years• House of Representatives – 150 members elected for 2 years

TEXAS CONSTITUTION• Article IV – Executive Branch – makes sure laws are carried out.

• Governor is the head of the executive branch and highest ranking state officer.

• Elected by voters to a 4 year term• Must be at least 30 years old.• Must be a citizen of U.S. and lived in Texas for at least 5 years• Chooses officials for other state jobs.

• Prepares the state budget• Signs bills to become law• Can order an emergency meeting of legislature and veto bills• Can call out the National Guard for state emergencies (floods,

hurricanes, riots)

• Article V – Judicial Branch – made up of courts and judges who decide law cases. Makes sure laws are fair and agree with the constitution.

• Texas Supreme Court and Texas Criminal Court of Appeals• Citizens elect the justices to both courts.• Criminal court hears criminal cases only.

NATIONAL GOVERNMENT• Also called the Federal Government

• Follows the United States Constitution signed on September 17, 1787

• Contains 7 Articles and 27 amendments.

• First 10 Amendments are called the Bill of Rights

• Divides the government into three branches

• Executive• Legislative • Judicial• Very similar to the way Texas divides it.

LEGISLATIVE BRANCH• Made up of two houses that make laws for the Nation

• Senate• Each state has 2 Senators – total 100 members• Term is for 6 years, but 1/3 are alternated at every 2 years to

keep from having the whole Senate elected at the same time.• Must be 30 years of age• Must have lived in US for at least 9 years and a resident for the

State in which they are elected.

• House of Representatives • Number of members is based on State’s population• Representatives need to be 25 years old• 7 years a citizen • They must be residents within their states at the time of their

election.

EXECUTIVE BRANCH

• Led by the President and Vice-President

• Elected for 4 years• Must be born in the United States• Must be at least 35 years of age

• Sees that the laws are carried out.

• The Cabinet, a group appointed by the President, helps run the national programs like education, defense, armed services, and others.

JUDICIAL BRANCH

• Made up of the United States Supreme Court and all other federal courts.

• Decisions made by the Supreme Court apply to everyone in the United States

• Decides if laws passed by Congress or actions taken by the President agree with the Constitution

• Laws against the constitution are ruled unconstitutional.

• Supreme court also decides if state constitutions follow the U.S. Constitution.

FAMOUS TEXAS IN NATIONAL GOVERNMENT• Sam Houston – U.S. Senator after Texas became a state.

• Thomas J. Rusk - U. S. Senator after Texas became a state.

• Sam Rayburn – Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives in 1940.

• John Nance Garner – Speaker of the U.S. House and then 32nd Vice President.

• Kay Bailey Hutchison – U.S. Senator. First woman Senator from Texas.

FAMOUS TEXAS IN NATIONAL GOVERNMENT• John Tower – first Republican Senator from Houston who

filled Lyndon B. Johnson’s seat.

• Lyndon Baines Johnson – Representative, Senator, Vice-President and then President of the U. S. after John F. Kennedy was shot and then re-elected in 1964.

• Dwight D. Eisenhower – WWII General in charge of Europe and elected as the 34th President of the U.S. in 1952.

• George H. Bush –served in House of Representatives and then elected 41st President

• George W. Bush elected as the 43rd President who also served as governor of Texas from 1995-2000.