The Office of Governor of the State of Missouri

"The purpose of this study is to examine the Office of Governor in Missouri as it exists and functions at the present time, although attention will be given to its historical development. Emphasis will be placed on the functions performed by the Governor; the means of executing those functions; the Influence of the political environment, as well as social and economic milieu, on the manner in which he carries out his duties; and how the personal qualities of particular governors have helped shape the office. Professor Coleman B. Ransone, Jr., sees the modern American governor as being primarily concerned with three broad areas of operation-policy formation, public relatlons, and management. The governor, he says further, operates as a policy maker in three fields--legislation, administration, and partisan politics. Since the governor does not wear a separate hat for each job, such attempts at a segregation of functions lead to difficulty. For purposes of convenience, however, the activities of the Governor will be discussed in this study primarily in terms of his role as legislator and as administrator. Attention will also be given to his activities as a party leader, as the State's public relations man, and as its chief law enforcement officer. Throughout the discussion, contrasts will be drawn between the office of Governor in Missouri and the office of state governor generally, as well as that of the President of the United States."--Page 6.