Girls/Boys State TCC State and Local Government: Executive Branch

Governor and Lt. Governor

Florida’s executive branch of government consists of the governor and lieutenant governor.

Currently, Florida’s Governor is Charlie Crist. Click on Governor Crist’s picture to view his webpage.

Currently, Florida’s Lt. Governor is Jeff Kottkamp. Click on Lt. Governor Kottkamp's picture to view his webpage.

Florida’s executive branch of government is unusual in the context of the other states.
Florida’s governor must share responsibility and power with the executive cabinet.
The governor and lieutenant governor, as well as the cabinet members, serve four-year terms of office.
The executive branch of government is limited to two, four-year terms under the 1968 Florida Constitution.
Florida is unique among the 50 states in America. qIt is the only state that has a Governor plus a Cabinet consisting of three independently and constitutionally elected state executives. The Governor is the popularly elected "chief executive" of Florida, but the three members of the Cabinet are also elected by the people and serve as a collective decision and rule-making body for the state.
Each Cabinet member serves a four-year term (with a two-term limit) and is wholly responsible for the administration of at least one state department.
The Governor is responsible for the administration of 17 other state departments. To find these agencies, click on the following link then select an agency: http://www.myflorida.com/directory/
If the information on a particular agency or department says that the "Governor and Cabinet" are the head of the agency, then the secretary of that agency or department is appointed by the Governor and Cabinet. If the information about the agency says that the governor appoints the secretary with Senate confirmation, then the Governor alone is responsible for the administration of that agency or department.
To view Governor Crist's Initiatives and Priorites click on the following link:
http://www.flgov.com/priorities

Click on the picture of the Governor’s Mansion to see dates and times the mansion is available to tour.

The Governor and Cabinet

Reflecting the concern that a single person (the Governor) might exercise too much power, Floridians ratified the Florida Constitution of 1968, affirming the independence of Cabinet members by deleting the phrase, "the Governor shall be assisted by" the Cabinet. This gave each member equal footing with the Governor on matters that come before the Governor and Cabinet so that Cabinet members are no longer expected, constitutionally, to capitulate to the Governor's wishes.
Click on the photograph of the Florida Cabinet above to visit the Florida Cabinet homepage. From this page you can view information about the Florida Cabinet, and listen to a live meeting.
The governors of the state have complained about the arrangement of the Cabinet, since they have been put in the position of negotiating and bargaining with fellow state executives for cooperation in policy-making and policy-management decisions.
The members may or may not wish to comply, and they all have their own independent constituencies and power bases and have a good deal of latitude in terms of how they wish to deal with the Governor.
The Governor cannot intervene directly in major departments headed by Cabinet members, neither can the chief executive have a direct impact on other executive boards and commissions of which he is not a member.
Though he is "first among equals," on matters of broad policy he must "clear" them with other members. Yet, the Cabinet does not always oppose the Governor. On matters of little concern, indifference or where there is little controversy, other members will not block him.
How the Governor treats his Cabinet colleagues appears to be a key determinant of his success with them. When approached appropriately, the Cabinet can actually help the Governor secure his political and policy objectives.
No one dominates the Cabinet, but governors have wide latitude to determine what their Cabinet role will be and how they play it.
Each Cabinet member has staff members assigned to Cabinet duties.
These highly trusted aides are crucial for conducting Cabinet business since they weigh public opinion, communicate members' preferences with one another, engage in investigating and researching issues, inform one another of agenda items and priorities, and so forth.
By the time the Cabinet meets, the aides have thoroughly briefed their principals on the issues. Cabinet Aides' meetings occur on Wednesdays prior to Cabinet meetings so that proponents and opponents of issues will have a public forum in which to express their concerns.

(Reprinted from MyFlorida.com. Most of the following information was taken from The Florida Handbook, by Allen Morris, and The Florida Policy Management System: Growth and Reform in America's Fourth Largest State, edited by Richard Chackerian, Askew School of Public Administration and Policy, Florida State University.)

Changes: In 1998, the electorate of Florida voted to reorganize the Florida Cabinet. Some of the officers are elected, some appointed, and some were eliminated.

Currently, the Florida Cabinet Consists of the Following Boards, Commissions and Departments:

State Board of Executive Clemency
Agency for Enterprise Information Technology
State Board of Administration
Division of Bond Finance
Department of Veterans' Affairs
Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
Department of Law Enforcement
Department of Revenue
Administration Commission
Florida Land and Water Adjudicatory Commission
Electrical Power Plant and Transmission Line Siting Board
The Board of Trustees Internal Improvement Trust Fund
Financial Services Commission

Click on the following link to go to the Florida Cabinet's webpage on the Cabinet process. There is also information on the Cabinet's history, structure and meeting times: http://www.myflorida.com/myflorida/cabinet/cabprocess.html

While the Commission of Education was at one time a member of the Florida Cabinet, the Commissioner, under the changes in 1998 is now appointed by the Governor.