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Government Chief Executives and Legislators [link13]

Nature of the Work

Go to school.  Pay your taxes.  Register for the draft.  Stop at the
stop sign.  It seems as though the Government is always telling us
what to do.  Who, then, tells the Government what to do?  Chief
executives and legislators at the Federal, State, and local level do
the telling.  They are elected or appointed officials who strive to
meet the needs of their constituents with an effective and efficient
government.

   Chief executives are officials who run governmental units that help
formulate, carry out, and enforce laws.  These officials include the
President and Vice President of the United States, State governors
and lieutenant governors, county executives, town and township
officials, mayors, and city, county, town, and township managers.
All except local government managers are elected; managers are
appointed by the local government council or commission.

   Government chief executives, like corporation presidents and other
chief executives, have overall responsibility for how their
organizations perform.  In coordination with legislators, they
establish goals and objectives and then organize programs and form
policies to attain these goals.  They appoint people to head
departments, such as highway, health, police, park and recreation,
economic development, and finance.  Through these departmental
heads, chief executives oversee the work of civil servants, who
carry out programs and enforce laws enacted by the legislative
bodies.  They prepare budgets, specifying how government resources
will be used.  They insure that their government uses resources
properly and carries out programs as planned by holding staff
conferences, requiring work schedules and periodic performance
reports, and conducting personal inspections.

   Chief executives meet with legislators and constituents to solicit
their ideas, discuss programs, and encourage their support.  They
also may confer with leaders of other governments to solve mutual
problems.  Chief executives nominate citizens for government boards
and commissions to oversee government activities or examine and help
the government solve problems such as drug abuse, crime,
deteriorating roads, and inadequate public education.

   They also solicit bids from and select contractors to do work for
the government, encourage business investment and economic
development in their jurisdictions, and seek Federal or State funds.
Chief executives of large jurisdictions rely on a staff of aides and
assistants, but those in small ones often do much of the work
themselves.  City, county, town, and other managers, although
appointed officials, may act as, and refer to themselves as, chief
executives.

   Legislators are the elected officials who make laws or amend
existing ones in order to remedy problems or to promote certain
activities.  They include U.S.  Senators and Representatives, State
senators and representatives (called assemblymen and assemblywomen,
or delegates in some States), county legislators (called
supervisors, commissioners, councilmembers, or freeholders in some
States), and city and town council members (called aldermen and
alderwomen, trustees, clerks, supervisors, magistrates, and
commissioners, among other titles).

   Legislators introduce bills in the legislative body and examine and
vote on bills introduced by other legislators.  In preparing
legislation, they read reports and work with constituents,
representatives of interest groups, members of boards and
commissions, the chief executive and department heads, consultants,
and legislators in other units of government.  They also approve
budgets and the appointments of department heads and commission
members submitted by the chief executive.  In some jurisdictions,
the legislative body appoints a city, town, or county manager.  Many
legislators, especially at the State and Federal levels, have a
staff to help do research, prepare legislation, and resolve
constituents' problems.

   In some units of government, the line between legislative and
executive functions blurs.  For example, mayors and city managers
may draft legislation and conduct council meetings, and council
members may oversee the operation of departments.

   Both chief executives and legislators perform ceremonial duties they
open new structures and businesses, make proclamations, welcome
visitors, and lead celebrations.

   Government chief executives exercise authority over local, State,
and National political institutions.

Working Conditions

Working conditions of chief executives and legislators vary
depending on the size of the governmental unit.  Time spent at work
ranges from meeting once a month for a local council member to 60 or
more hours per week for a legislator.  U.S.  Senators and
Representatives, governors and lieutenant governors, and chief
executives and legislators in some large local jurisdictions work
full time year round, as do almost all county and city managers.
Some city and town managers work for several small jurisdictions.
Most State legislators work full time while legislatures are in
session (usually for a few months a year) and part time the rest of
the year.  Local elected officials in most jurisdictions work part
time; however, even though the job is officially designated part
time, some incumbents actually work a full-time schedule.

   In addition to their regular schedules, chief executives are on call
at all hours to handle emergencies.

   Some jobs require only occasional out-of-town travel, but others
involve more frequent travel often to attend sessions of the
legislature or to meet with officials of other units of government.
Officials in districts covering a large area may drive long
distances to perform their regular duties.

Employment

Chief executives and legislators held about 73,000 jobs in 1992.
About 5 of 6 worked in local government; the rest worked primarily
in State governments.  The Federal Government had 535 Senators and
Representatives and 2 chief exexutives.  There were about 7,500
State legislators and, according to the International City/County
Management Association (ICMA), about 11,000 city managers.
Executives and council members for local governments made up the
remainder.

   Chief executives and legislators who do not hold full-time,
year-round positions normally work in a second occupation as well
(commonly the one they held before being elected), are retired from
another occupation, or attend to household responsibilities.
Business owner or manager, teacher, and lawyer are common second
occupations, and there are many others as well.

Training, Other Qualifications, and Advancement

Choosing from among candidates who meet the minimum age, residency,
and citizenship requirements, the voters try to elect the individual
who they decide is most fit to hold the position at stake.  The
question is thus not How does one become qualified?  but How does
one get elected?

   Successful candidates usually have a strong record of accomplishment
in paid and unpaid work.  Many have business, teaching, or legal
experience, but others come from a wide variety of occupations.  In
addition, many have served as volunteers on school boards or zoning
commissions; with charities, political action groups, and political
campaigns; or with religious, fraternal, and similar organizations.

   Work experience and public service help develop the planning,
organizing, negotiating, motivating, fundraising, budgeting, public
speaking, and problem solving skills needed to run a political
campaign.  Candidates must make decisions quickly and fairly with
little or contradictory information.  They must have confidence in
themselves and their employees to inspire and motivate their
constituents and their staff.  They should also be sincere and
candid, presenting their views thoughtfully and convincingly.
Additionally, they must know how to hammer out compromises with
colleagues and constituents.  National and Statewide campaigns also
require a good deal of energy, stamina, and fund raising skills.

   Town, city, and county managers are appointed by a council or
commission.  Managers come from a variety of educational
backgrounds.  A master's degree in public administration including
courses such as public financial management and legal issues in
public administration is widely recommended but not required.
Virtually all town, city, and county managers have at least a
bachelor's degree and many hold a master's degree.  In addition,
working as a student intern in government is recommended the
experience and personal contacts acquired can prove invaluable in
eventually securing a position as a town, city, or county manager.

   Generally, a town, city, or county manager in a smaller jurisdiction
is required to have some expertise in a wide variety of areas; those
who work for larger jurisdictions specialize in financial,
administrative, or personnel matters.  For all managers,
communication skills and the ability to get along with others are
essential.

   Advancement opportunities for most elected public officials are not
clearly defined.  Because elected positions normally require a
period of residency and because local public support is critical,
officials can usually advance to other offices only in the
jurisdictions where they live.  For example, council members may run
for mayor or for a position in the State government, and State
legislators may run for governor or for Congress.  Many officials
are not politically ambitious, however, and do not seek advancement.
Others lose their bids for reelection or voluntarily leave the
occupation.  A lifetime career as a government chief executive or
legislator is rare.

   Town, city, and county managers have a clearer career path.  They
generally obtain a master's degree in public administration, then
gain experience as management analysts or assistants in government
departments working with councils and chief executives and learning
about planning, budgeting, civil engineering, and other aspects of
running a city.  After several years, they may be hired to manage a
town or a small city and may eventually become manager of
progressively larger cities.

Job Outlook

   Little, if any, growth is expected in the number of government chief
executives and legislators through the year 2005.  Few, if any, new
governments are likely to form, and the number of chief executives
and legislators in existing governments rarely changes.  The
addition of one or two States to the union would lead to several
additional U.S.  Senators and Representatives.  Some small increase
may occur as growing communities in the rapidly growing South and
West, for example become independent cities and towns and elect a
chief executive and legislators and, perhaps, appoint a town
manager.  A few new positions may also develop as cities and
counties without managers hire them and as unpaid offices which are
not counted as employment are converted to paid positions.  On the
other hand, attempts by governments to cut costs and streamline
operations, in response to tight budgets, could reduce the number of
paid positions, particularly at the local level.

   The number of State legislators recently declined slightly when
States, as required by law, completed their decennial redistricting.

   Elections give newcomers the chance to unseat incumbents or to fill
vacated positions.  In many elections, there is substantial
competition, although the level of competition varies from
jurisdiction to jurisdiction and from year to year.  Generally,
there is less competition in small jurisdictions, which have
part-time positions offering relatively low salaries and little or
no staff to help with tedious work, than in large jurisdictions,
which have full-time positions offering higher salaries, more staff,
and greater status.  In some cases, usually in small jurisdictions,
an incumbent runs unopposed, or an incumbent resigns, leaving only
one candidate for a job.  The high cost of running for such
positions in large jurisdictions may serve as a deterrent to
running, or may leave the challenger dependent on contributions from
special interest groups.

Earnings

Earnings of public administrators vary widely, depending on the size
of the government unit and on whether the job is part time, full
time and year round, or full time for only a few months a year.
Salaries range from little or nothing for a small town council
member to $200,000 a year for the President of the United States.

   According to the International City/County Management Association,
the average annual salary of mayors was about $9,900 in 1991.  In
cities with a population under 2,500, they averaged about $1,800; in
cities with a population over 1 million, around $78,000.

   ICMA data indicate that the average salary for the chair of the
county legislative body in 1991 was about $19,700.  Those in
counties with populations over 1 million earned an average of
$76,900.  County managers earned $68,100 on average in 1991.  In
counties with a population over 1 million, they earned an average of
$120,000.  The average annual salary of city managers was about
$60,000 in 1991.  Salaries ranged from $35,000 in towns with fewer
than 2,500 residents to $127,000 in cities with a population over 1
million.

   According to Book of The States, 1992-93, published by the Council
of State Governments, the average salary for legislators in the 40
States that paid an annual salary was about $23,000 in 1992.  In 10
States, legislators just received a per diem while legislatures were
in session.  Salaries and per diem were generally higher in the
larger States.

   Data from Book of the States, 1992-93 also indicate that
gubernatorial annual salaries ranged from $35,000 in Arkansas to
$130,000 in New York.  In addition to a salary, most governors
received perquisites such as transportation and an offical
residence.  Lieutenant governors averaged over $57,000 annually.

Related Occupations

Related occupations include managerial positions that require a
broad range of skills in addition to administrative expertise, such
as corporate chief executives and board members, and generals in the
military.

Sources of Additional Information

   For more information on careers in public administration, consult
your elected representatives and local library.

   Information on State governments can be obtained from:

   Council of State Governments, P.O.  Box 11910, Iron Works Pike,
Lexington, KY 40578.

   Information on appointed officials in local government can be
obtained from:

   International City/County Management Association, 777 North Capitol
St.  NE., Suite 500, Washington, DC 20002.