The governor as legislative leader in Tennessee

The purpose of this research was to examine the role of the Tennessee governor, as an individual and as an institution, in the legislative process. Special emphasis was placed on four major considerations. First, the evolution of executive-legislative relationships was examined with concentration on the factors affecting the development of the legislative role of the chief executive. Second, gubernatorial programming was examined with emphasis on the process by which the chief executive and executive branch of state government develop legislative proposals to be introduced in the General Assembly under administration auspices. Attention was given to the actors and procedures utilized to generate ideas, draft proposals, review and clear the proposals in the governor's office, and familiarize legislative sponsors with administration priorities. Third, executive-legislative liaison was examined with emphasis on the actors and procedures through which the chief executive attempts to facilitate the operation of his administration and the executive branch in the legislative process. Fourth, an analysis of gubernatorial success in the legislature was undertaken using three basic measures: budget outcome, passage of administration proposals, and use of the veto power.

The data for the research were obtained from several sources. The data describing the procedures for programming and liaison were obtained through personal interviews with past and present participants in the processes being described. Data for the analysis of success before 1971 were obtained from newspaper accounts, and after l971 from published reports by the governor's office. Data on veto records and overrides were obtained from the Senate and House Journal and the Tennessee Legislative Record. Analysis of the role of the governor in the budgetary process relied on The Budget Document, which reported the budget as proposed by the governor, and The Public Acts of Tennessee, which reported the budget as passed by the Assembly.

It was found that the relationships between the executive and legislature have evolved through four distinct states of development. There was virtual legislative supremacy in the first stage. Following this, periods of readjusting positions and of virtual executive domination led to the present period which is marked by balance in the policymaking roles of the executive and legislative branches. While legal and structural relationships have changed somewhat, the legislative role of the Tennessee governor since l870 has been strong and of consistent importance for the legislature. Governors have set the legislative agency with their legislative and budgetary proposals. Their success, while variable from year to year and from administration to administration, has generally been rather high.

Some limited comparisons to the Presidential system were also made. It was found that the similarities between the gubernatorial and Presidential systems in evolution of role, programming and liaison are impressively high. The legislative success of Tennessee governors was found to be somewhat higher.

The study concludes with generalizations about executive and legislative branch relationships. Some limited comparisons are made with the Presidential-Congressional system.