Texas is known for its plural executive system, in which voters should independently elect all major branch officials. Addressing the goal of limiting the power of the governor, the chosen model successfully completes the task. In Texas, not one government is responsible for its executive branch; many state boards and committees have to complete certain administrative and legal functions. I think the change from the plural to the unitary system can be associated with particular benefits and challenges simultaneously. On the one hand, such administrative shifts should help the representatives of the government cooperate and find effective solutions for the state. On the other hand, the Texas Constitution is unitary in nature, neglecting most federal characteristics and lower units of the government (Collier, Galatas, & Harrelson-Stephens, 2019). Therefore, the idea of favoring the unitary executive system would hardly strengthen the relationships between the government and other officials due to a long history of independent decision-making.
Another step to limiting the powers of the government is related to term limitation and the duration of serving as Governor of Texas. The U.S. President could serve only two terms according to constitutional law, and the term limits of the government were increased by four years, which created an institutionally weak figure (Collier et al., 2019). However, in Texas, there are no term limits for governors. The example of Rick Perry proves that controlling one state for that long is wrong and inappropriate because it is never easy, and people cannot realize the possibility of other alternatives and fresh ideas. My opinion is that any American state should limit the number of terms for an individual to serve a particular position to predict the progress of so-called national “bedsores.” When the country or a region has one leader for a long period, most people do not notice how dangerous this permanence can be. They do not feel discomfort until it is too late, so the term limits introduce a critical preventive step for national development.
Reference
Collier, K., Galatas, S., & Harrelson-Stephens, J. (2019). Lone star politics: Tradition and Transformation in Texas (6th ed.). Washington, DC: CQ Press.