Final answer:
The weakness in Texas government can be attributed to the excessive diffusion of power and sluggish bureaucratic policies that hinder policy innovation and responsiveness. Policy diffusion allows for horizontal learning among states, but ineffective policies can also spread. Overly entrenched bureaucracies struggle to innovate and may perpetuate imbalances of power.
Step-by-step explanation:
Much of the weakness in Texas government is due to the excessive diffusion of power and to bureaucratic policies that contribute to sluggish policy innovation and slow responses to state problems. This diffusion of power can be due to federalism, where states have a significant degree of autonomy to create and implement their own policies. As states act as 'laboratories of democracy,' they can innovate, but they can also contribute to policy issues if their bureaucracies become too sluggish or resistant to change. The policy diffusion process, while horizontal and allowing for states to learn from each other, may also exacerbate issues if ineffective or misdirected policies spread.
Additionally, elected and appointed officials often lack the specific expertise to successfully create and implement public policy, resulting in a reliance on bureaucracies to carry out these tasks. However, these bureaucracies, while sometimes necessary for deep expertise and execution of policies, can also become entrenched, slow to change, and resistant to innovation, much like 'trying to turn a tanker around mid-ocean.' Furthermore, bureaucracies can perpetuate existing power structures that favor traditionally privileged groups.
Bureaucracies are further reinforced by intergovernmental lobbying and associations like the National Governors Association and National Conference of State Legislatures, which trade information and advocate for states' interests at the national level. However, when faced with critical issues such as the Great Recession or budget crises, these same bureaucracies may struggle to respond effectively or to reflect the diverse needs and interests of their citizens, leading to difficulties in policy innovation and governance.