Identify and discuss the factors that make the Texas Legislature more like a citizen legislature and those that make it more like a professional legislature. Which type of legislature does the Texas Legislature most resemble? What are the major consequences of this condition?
What will be an ideal response?
Students should begin by defining the terms citizen legislature and professional legislature. A citizen legislature is one that attempts to keep the job of being a state legislator as a part-time function that many or most citizens can perform. Normally it provides minimal compensation, offers few staffing resources, and operates with short or infrequent legislative sessions. A professional legislature meets annually, compensates its legislators with a professional-level salary, and provides generous allowances to hire and keep support and research staff. The Texas Legislature most resembles a citizen legislature. The legislature is permitted only a single 140-day session every other year. The members are provided with a very low salary and per diem that probably does not cover expenses for members when they come from outside Austin and must pay living expenses while the legislature is in session. Staffing provisions move the legislators toward the more professional type, but the factor that most contributes to the legislature resembling a professional legislature is the generous retirement benefits provided to its members. The Texas Legislature most resembles a citizen legislature because its most important features make the job of a legislator a part-time occupation that requires them to have other employment and does not allow the legislature to take on many issues. A major consequence of this condition is that the legislature is composed of people who have jobs they can leave during the legislative session, and these people often have a vested interest in state contracts and regulations. Another major consequence is that the legislature is unable to meet its obligations to govern a modern, large, urban state.
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