Understanding Missouri's Constitutional Government

4. The Executive Department

4 The Executive Department State executive departments differ significantly from the federal executive in basic ways. First, all states directly elect more than one executive, and, second, the constitutions of states have the tendency to specifically outline the structure of the executive. Most states separately elect by statewide ballot four to eight executives. These executives have separate constitutional authority over the branch of the executive that they head and thus are not responsible to the governor. This is in stark contrast to the president of the United States, who is the sole elected executive for the national government . The only “exception” to this statement is the concurrently elected, on the same ballot, vice president. This leaves the vice president as a mere appendage of the presidency; a spare in case of the death or disability of the president, if you will. Missouri has a separately elected governor and lieutenant governor plus the four offices most separately elected in American states: secretary of state, treasurer, auditor, and attorney general. The reader will readily appreciate that since each of these is elected on their own, the electorate may well choose to put into the executive representatives of both of the major political parties. Even the governor and lieutenant governor may well be, and in recent decades often have been, of separate political parties . More often than not, Missouri voters have kept a balance of party adherents among their six elected executives. Historically, these have been highly contested offices because they can be stepping-stones to either the governorship or the U.S. Senate. Since the institution of term limits for state legislators, these offices have become even more desirable. 82 83 The Executive Department The second contrast between the national and the Missouri executives is the fact that the Missouri executive bureaucracy is extensively outlined and defined directly within the constitution. The U.S. Constitution says precious little about the structure and organization of the bureaucracy of the executive. It leaves all of this up to the legislature. Although many details are left to the legislature in the Missouri Constitution, one of the reasons the constitution is so long is because each of the administrative departments of government bureaucracy is defined and empowered, some at length, within the constitution. It should be noted that not all states include this extensive description of the executive organization within their constitutions. Many follow the federal lead and let the legislature define the bureaucratic needs and organization of the executive bureaucracy to fit the needs of the times. They are content to let the constitution simply define the statewide elected executives. In describing the Missouri executive, then, this chapter will discuss the formal and informal roles that the governor plays and the roles of the other elected executives and briefly describe the constitutional departments of the bureaucracy. Then the chapter will follow the pattern of the text and specifically describe the executive department as outlined in the constitution. The governor, as chief executives at all levels, must perform a variety of roles, both constitutional and extraconstitutional. Those roles can be classified into two basic streams: the fundamental role as chief of state and the variety of roles under the general thrust of the governor as chief of government. Chief of State As chief of state the governor is the ultimate representative of all of the citizens of the state. This is a nonpolitical role that focuses on ceremonial and representative activities. Whenever there is the necessity for government to reflect the feelings and sentiments of the entire citizenry, the governor tends to be the voice to transmit them. Ceremonial occasions are many and cover the spectrum from celebratory to condolence. Typically, the governor will preside over the opening of state-sponsored construction (highways, buildings) or of significant private investments. He or she will commemorate important historical dates, sign resolutions of state appreciation, and honor individuals or organizations for significant service. It is the governor who represents the condolences of the state in times of natural disasters or other times of trouble. In each of these cases the governor speaks for and represents all the state’s citizens. 84 Understanding Missouri’s Constitutional Government The governor also represents the state to external entities in an effort to promote the interests of the state. This role takes him to Washington, D.C., to governors’ conferences and organizations of states (such as the National Association of States...