Governors: Management Authority

Respond to the following:
The governor is the manager of the state's executive branch. They and their staff are responsible for a myriad of different functions including strategic planning, initiating policy, settling agency disputes, promoting local industry, redesigning the budget, recruiting additional officials, and cooperating with other states and the national government (Magleby et al., 2014, p. 145). Since there have been shifts in the national state of federalism, the governor can expect to receive mandates and programs from the federal government with the expectation of the governor figuring out how to make it work and implementing it effectively in his state. This can be a help and a hindrance as the national government instructs what needs to happen but not necessarily how to do it. This allows for some degree of flexibility and innovation in fitting these programs to meet the needs of your population.
Recently, governors have typically had more management authority over their citizens using new and developing management methods such as budgeting and information technology systems, strategic planning, customer focus, system analysis, and performance management and measurement (Magleby et al., 2014, p. 146). Governors have a large amount of power, granted to them by state constitutions, to build their administration in the way they see as most effective. This can be problematic, especially in states with strong political party clash, as no matter what the governor does, there is always someone who is displeased. Also, changes made during one administration may not be maintained in the following administration. Changes made should strive to be swiftly productive.
It has been observed that governing and budgeting are now often the same thing (Dometrius & Wright, 2010). In most situations, political issues eventually become budget issues. There has been a recent trend in reformers encouraging a consolidation of government agencies into smaller, more controlled departments, giving the governor more power over the hiring, and firing of senior executive, making the governor the true manager of the executive branch. There are always groups of people that resist changes, as will many people within departments, as they fear losing their jobs or being overworked.
The powers awarded to state governors are different between states, but the standards and evaluation process people hold governors to be comparable to the president. Governors are responsible for smaller groups of people and therefore must try to address the problems specific to their group of people. The solutions to those problems will hopefully pleas at least half of those people or the governor will not be considered successful. Governors and their team of legislators are responsible for promoting local industry and foreign trade, negotiating with the federal government, and hire good, honest administrators to assist in running the state smoothly.
There is no way to please all the citizens in a state. The governor is often the first to blame for things that go wrong (Devitt, 2013). Despite that, it is important for the governor to keep the best interests of the people as a whole in mind in all decision made, as he is responsible for his people. He is the people's first defense and caretaker, before the federal government.