Evidently, the United States comprises of various states. A close analysis of the various states shows that they have distinct forms of government. Despite the differences that exists in the governments of each state, it is of the essence to note that these government exhibit certain similarities. The similarities amongst various state governments align with the fact that the United States constitution dictates that all state governments should be republican in nature. The differences exhibited by the state government emanate from the difference in procedures and structures of each state government. Californian and Texas governments occur as some of the state government in the contexts of the United States, which depict certain similarities and differences. The most comprehensive similarity between the state government of California and that of Texas align with the fact that both governments have three branches; the executive, legislature, and judiciary (Dautrich & Yalof 41).
Culture of Texas and California and how it affects tax, and welfare
A close analysis of Texas shows that its culture is closely aligned with the Mexican culture. Perhaps this is because of the massive number of Mexicans who have immigrated into this state. The adoption Mexican aligned cultures has resulted in the engagement in diverse activities, which affect the matters aligned with taxation. The fact that populations in Texas engage in a wider array of activities such as ranching, and working in oil fields has resulted in uneven distribution of income, which affects taxation, education, and welfare matters. On the other hand, the culture of California is diverse. The diversity of California’s culture has elicited political and legal issues, especially on matter regarding immigration. Such issues have plunged California into welfare rolls, increased taxes, increased government debt, increased energy costs, and burdens aligned with law suits. In a nutshell, the diversity of California’s culture has come with a price as evident by high taxation rates and impaired social welfare matters.
Culture of Texas and California and how it affects crime/corrections and education polices
Notably, California and Texas are resemble one another than either would care to accept: vast, diverse, and blessed with abundant natural resources. However, they have different cultures that greatly influence the crime or corrections, tax, welfare and education policies in the two states. To begin with crime and corrections, Texas has successfully implemented criminal justice reforms that have led to crime reduction to the 1968 levels. Unlike California, which has prison population reduction approaches instigated by the federal court, Texas legislators have determinedly sought to condense crime by shifting resources from just locking up individuals to providing rehabilitation and the restitution of victims. In essence, proper allocation of the limited resources is a challenge. In the case of California’s justice system, a number of approaches including monitoring of parolees and beefing up treatment at the local level. This treatment saves the state from paying to sentence non-violent offenders, preventing the majority of them from being hard-core criminals; however, California’s justice system.
Apart from its troubled system of correction, the government of California is doing that good as compared to Texas government (Maxwell, Crain and Santos 23). The people of California have been compelled to live in a state that control more, imposes more taxes, spends more than is the case with other states across the country such as Texas. In fact, in the year 2011, approximately 1.7 million individuals worked on a full-time basis for the government of California; about one employee for every twenty-one individuals (DeVore). Nonetheless, the government of Texas employ a relatively higher number; with an average of one government employee for every eighteen people. Although the government of Texas employs more individuals, the California government spends more of its employees; in fact 44% more than Texas, while taxing approximately 42 % more state income (DeVore). California State pays its workers more and offers them with more exorbitant benefits.
Texas and California also have extensively different priorities over expenditure. There are twelve million more people in California than in Texas; however Texas hires more teachers; approximately 888,000, than California, which has slightly over 865,000 educators. In fact, just half the population of California government’s workers is within the education sector as compared to Texas, which has over 61 % of its workforce in the education sector. 49 percent of California’s state and local workers are in education vs. 61 percent in Texas (DeVore). This may assist in explaining the recent study by the U.S. Department of Education that found that 88 % high school students in Texas graduate as compared to 78% in California. In the case of law enforcement, correction and fire personnel, Texas has higher per capita in each category, than California.
The other notable difference between Californian and Texas counties is the difference in the number of counties in the two states. Texas has close to 254 counties, whereas California has close to 58 counties. In addition, Texas and Californian state government differ based on the powers accorded to the Governor. In Texas, the Governor has limited power than the powers conferred by the Californian Governor. Power in the context of Texas does not lie with the Governor. Instead, power is shared between the Governor and the state official who execute executive responsibilities that are parallel to those of the Governor. Evidently, power in the context of Texas is dispersed among different officials and this results in a plural executive kind of the political system (Jillson 33). A plural executive form of the political system is contrary to the federal system whereby top executive officers and cabinet secretaries serve according to the will of the President. On the contrary, power in the Californian State government lies solely on the Governor, who has a wider array of executive responsibilities.
Work Cited
Dautrich, Kenneth & Yalof, David. American Government: Historical, Popular, Global Perspectives, Election Update, Alternate Edition. Washington D.C.: Cengage Learning, 2008. Print.
DeVore, Chuck. "Comparing California, Texas Priorities." Texas Public Policy Foundation. Texas Public Policy Foundation, 8 Feb. 2014. Web. 5 Dec. 2014.
Jillson, Cal. Texas Politics 4th Edition: Governing the Lone Star State. Boston: Routledge, 2013. Print.
Maxwell, William E, Ernest Crain, and Adolfo Santos. Texas Politics Today. Boston, MA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2014. Print.
