7E.1 - POLICY -- PURPOSES. - Iowa Statutes

7E.1 POLICY -- PURPOSES. 1. Declaration of policy: three branches of government. The separation of powers within state government among the legislative, the executive, and the judicial branches of the government is a traditional American concept. The legislative branch has the broad objective of determining policies and programs and review of program performance for programs previously authorized, the executive branch carries out the programs and policies, and the judicial branch has the responsibility for adjudicating any conflicts which might arise from the interpretation or application of the laws. 2. Goals of executive branch organization. a. The governor, as the chief executive officer of the state, should be provided with the facilities and the authority to carry out the functions of the governor's office efficiently and effectively within the policy limits established by the legislature. b. The administrative agencies which comprise the executive branch should be consolidated into a reasonable number of departments, consistent with executive capacity to administer effectively at all levels. c. The executive branch shall be organized on a functional basis, so that programs can be coordinated. d. Each agency in the executive branch should be assigned a name commensurate with the scope of its responsibilities, and should be integrated into one of the departments of the executive branch as closely as the goals of administrative integration and responsiveness to the legislature and citizenry permit. 3. Goals of continuing reorganization. Structural reorganization should be a continuing process through careful executive and legislative appraisal of the placement of proposed new programs and the coordination of existing programs in response to changing emphasis or public needs, and should be consistent with the following goals: a. The organization of state government should assure its responsiveness to popular control. It is the goal of reorganization to improve legislative policymaking capability and to improve the administrative capability of the executive to carry out the policies. b. The organization of state government should facilitate communication between citizens and government. It is the goal of reorganization, through coordination of related programs in function-oriented departments, to improve public understanding of government programs and policies and to improve the relationships between citizens and administrative agencies. c. The organization of state government should assure efficient and effective administration of the policies established by the legislature. It is the goal of reorganization to promote efficiency by improving the management and coordination of state services and by eliminating overlapping activities.          Section History: Recent Form 86 Acts, ch 1245, § 1