The document discusses the author's reflections on Texas government after taking a class on the topic. The author believes that Texas prioritizes short-term monetary gains over long-term sustainability and the greater good. The author wants Texas to invest more in renewable energy and raise the minimum wage to help lift more people out of poverty. The author was surprised to learn about the limited formal powers of the Texas governor but significant informal influence, as well as the important role of political action committees and interest groups. The author concludes that citizens' voices can make an impact through such groups and that they will explore these avenues in their future career as an environmental scientist.

1. Our Trip Through Texas Government
By-Joshua Barrett
Major- Environmental Science
As traditionalisticand indivualistic,Texas, with its,“Come
andTakeit,”mentalitystandsto lookmorefor itself.The us
vs themstancewill onlycontinueto spreadthe gapand
becomeworsefor everyone.

2. Where do we want Texas
to be.
 Texas has become a money making machine that refuses
to act for the greater good because RIGHT NOW is always
so prevalent and takes in money at every chance possible.
The oil Industry continues to grow despite the hazard it
causes and current advancements that we should be
investing in. I would like to invest in earths future so that
future generation have an earth to live in.
 We need to also focus on things like raising the minimam
raise so that the lower end of poverty, who actually have
jobs, have a higher chance for themselves and future
generations
 One of the neatest facts I learned about, and I think
should stay the same, was the biannual sessions that I
think have an amazing impact on issues so that we can in
the long run, have a faster pace.

3. SUPRISE!
One of the things that I expected to learn in a Texas government
class is about the governor. What I did not expect was that the
governor has such few formal powers and a lot of unformal powers.
That kinda ties into what I did not expect to learn about. I did not
necarrilly consider super pacs and interest groups as such a
fundamental part of our government.
Both of these powerful tools stipulates and controls much of our
government bringing more power to the people.

4. • We are the future and it is our job to
create success for the future, but it is also
our job to take care of where we live, the
earth. Through industrialization and
capitization America runs of its companies
and looks past the abuse they put on the
world because of the profit they bring in.
NOW.
the future.

5. Texas,
the state.
• Currently Texas holds 34 electorate votes.
That’s the second most out of all the states
making its opinion weigh in as a lot. Not
only this but Texas stands out significantly
more than most states because well, we
are Texas. Right now, even though that is
true, we are split right down the middle
tearing our selfs apart making us half of
what we could be.

6. WHERE TO GO FROM HERE
• As America continues to change, we have to remember that
whatever we do in the now is going to impact the future. Texas
following the biannual sessions helps impact that for the best.
• What I have learned that will impact me is how important the
peoples voice and vote are.
• Through the use of Pacs and interest groups we will be able to
heard. As someone who wishes to become an environmental
scientist, I will have to look into some of these later so that I can
have a bigger impact on the environment