He is, by dint of necessity, a political leader, for politics and government
are inseparable—are indeed a part of the same social process.

Let us examine these categories of duties a little more closely. As I
have said, as the highest administrative authority, it is the governor's
responsibility to see that all State agencies operate properly—from huge
departments like roads and welfare which spend many millions of dollars
a year to tiny ones with no more than two or three employees. For the
most part, this involves no more than a broad supervision of operations,
but in some circumstances it can mean giving directions in considerable
detail. To a great many people, the government is the governor, and if
something goes wrong in it they look to him to straighten it out. I recall
once, during the early part of my term, that a woman called me in the
middle of the night to complain that the water supply to her home had
been cut off. She wanted to know what I, as Governor, was going to do
about it.

Under the heading of administrative obligations comes a vast
appointive authority. The selection of personnel to head departments
and to carry out governmental programs is one of the most important,
and also one of the most difficult, of the problems a governor faces.
Appointments of public officials also can be exasperating, for there are
always a dozen or so applicants for every job, each of whom has his own
ardent following ready to compete fiercely for the position. You recall
it was the French king, Louis XIV, who said that for every job he filled
he made ninety-nine enemies and one ingrate.

As far as the written law is concerned, the legislative authority of a
governor of Maryland is severely limited. He may exercise the power of
veto—that is to say, nullify laws passed by the General Assembly which
remain invalid unless they are subsequently reindorsed by three-fifths of
the members of both Houses of the Assembly. He may under the Con-
stitution—and in fact does—report to the Legislature on conditions of
the state and make recommendations as to laws which are needed for its
operation. He must every year submit for the approval of the General
Assembly a State budget—his detailed plan for funds to be allocated for
all governmental services and functions, together with a proposal for
raising the money to finance them. I will say more about this budget
responsibility a little later. In practice, the legislative responsibility and
legislative power of a governor of Maryland is great.

He has, as we have seen, the ultimate responsibility for designing
and programming the State government—for determining what services
are to be provided for the people, the amount and extent of such services,

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