State constitutions have many functions. A state constitution defines the powers given to political institutions and also to individuals. For example, the Bill of Rights in the US Constitution and the Bill of Rights in the Texas Constitution “provides specific freedoms to the citizens and limits the power of the government.” (Vocabulary.com) The constitution also prevents any one person, persons or political office from becoming too powerful by using a system of checks and balances. State constitutions also declare rights for its citizens which do not allow certain kinds of government activities to intrude upon their lives. Texas’s Constitution goes much further in defining the people’s rights than the US Constitution.
There are five key ways in which the Texas and US constitutions are similar. The first, both preambles start out very similarly, the US preamble says “We the people of the United States of America” and the Texas constitution preamble proclaims “the People of Texas, do ordain and establish this Constitution.” By starting both of these constitutions in this way gives the political power to the people, it is created “by the people, for the people”. (Abraham Lincoln) Second, both constitutions give way to separation of powers. Each division of government, legislative, executive and judicial have their own powers defined by the people. They each have their defined duties but must work together when making decisions. Third, both constitutions have set up a system
In the comparison of Texas to New Mexico, it can be believed that they share very common political views being neighboring states but that quickly diminishes when taking a closer look into their differences between political cultures, the state constitutions, and the branches of their government including legislative, executive, and judicial. The two states also differ in the issues that they face but they share many as well mainly due to their close proximity to the Mexican-American border.
In my analysis of the Texas Constitution I will assess the three branches of our State Government, the Legislative Branch, Executive Branch and finally the Judicial Branch. Our State Government resembles our National Government in various ways but also in very different ways which we will review in this essay. I will identify a handful of criticisms and problems associated with the provisions in each of these branches of our State Government and identify suggested reforms that many feel are needed.
In the Texas Constitution it talks about information that just deals with Texas alone, that the U.S. Constitution doesn't have. For one, it talks about Education. Explaining how it shall be the duty of the Legislature of the state to establish and make suitable provisions for the support and maintenance of an efficient system of public free schools. The Texas Constitution also includes information about corporations, municipal and private. It has the Spanish and Mexican Land titles under it which no other state has in their constitution. And finally the Texas Constitution establishes rules concerning railroads.
The United States Constitution begins with the simple phrase “We the People”. Yet, with three simple words, the ideology it stands for has shaped the entire country (O’Connor et al., 2011). The short phrase signifies that the document, and thus, the government, is based upon the people themselves. The Constitution reflects the culture and ideologies of its citizens. Similarly, state constitutions reflect the people, albeit in a more specific locality. The key differences between the United States Constitution and that of local states are due to the distinctions between the scope and characteristics of the people they govern.
The U.S. constitution and the Texas constitution have similarities and differences. Both constitutions have a Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights is a summary of the rights given to all people. These constitutions also talk about suffrage and taxes. Just like how both of these constitutions have similarities, they also have differences. The Texas constitution is longer than the U.S. constitution and discusses the rights first. It also deals with state and local issues not brought up in the U.S. constitution. Both constitutions have a Bill of Rights, but the Texas constitution discusses citizens’ rights at the beginning of article one. The Texas Bill of Rights has the same protections for citizens like the U.S. Bill of Rights does, but the Texas Bill of Rights extends beyond federal protections. The executive branch is the branch that the president is in charge of. The definition of the executive branch is “The branch of federal and state government that is broadly
When the founding fathers came together and created the greatest country ever, they made sure the power stayed within the states and the people inside them. Because of this, states have the right to design and create their own governments and the laws in which they govern by. Texas took full advantage of the law and created a government system even more geared for the people. Whenever the United States purposes a bill, the president has the power to veto a bill as a whole or if
Texas and California are two states in the US that are comparable in terms of their population, resources, size, economy and constitution. The Texas Constitution is the foundation of the statehood of Texas within which the government operates in the same way that U.S. constitution governs the affairs of the whole country with its allocated power. The Texas constitution has a huge influence on the daily lives of Texans Possibly even more than the U.S. Constitution. Although all states have its own constitution, Texas and California have different ways in which they gained their constitution. Like most state in the U.S. The state of California gained its constitution after the civil war, the constitution was ratified in 1879 and It is similar to the Texas constitution in many ways. Both constitutions are founded on the unanimous vote of its people and are grounded by the rule of
The legal framework of a government, which establishes its power and authority as well as the limits on that power is known as Constitution. The Texas Constitution is a legal structure within which government works in Texas as the US Constitution is the legal structure for our national government. Reasonably, even more than US Constitution, the Texas Constitution has an immediate and vast impact on the everyday lives of Texans. The final constitution of Texas was written in 1876 and, in 1875 a constitutional convention was called. The current constitution of the Texas is among the longest of the state constitution in the United States. The Texas constitution performs many important tasks. Although there are rights guaranteed to Texan in Texas constitution that go far beyond those of US constitution addressing issues related to Texans privates lives, there are some weakness that I would like to change if I were given the task of rewrite the Texas Constitution.
The Texas Constitution (1876) as well as the United States Constitution (1791) have a plethora of similarities conceptually, as they are both rooted with the same ideologies of democracy. However, what sets these two documents apart is that the Texas constitution goes into more depth on laws and how its government works. In contrast, the US Constitution is more vague allowing it to be a far more timeless and living document. This paper will be comparing and contrasting these four provisions from the U.S and Texas Constitutions: The Bill of Rights, amending the constitution, the legislative branch, and the executive branch.
Generally speaking, State constitutions perform different functions (generally limit plenary powers rather than grant enumerated powers), have different origins (from the people
As states entered the Union, they crafted their own constitutions to govern their lands much like the nation did at its founding. Constitutions can be changed and amended throughout their entire existence. Kansas is no exception. However, Kansas’, and many other states’, constitution has gone through many more variations and additions than the U.S constitution. This different amount in amendments can be explained due to a few factors. Political culture, federalism, and the size of a state's constitution can be credited as to why this is the case.
In both of the Constitutions they do outline the use of the government powers. One of the similarities is the way they are used to go about amending the Constitution. These are relativities of the Constitution and the molds of earlier drafts. They are continuously restructuring, reformatting and amending as needed. The Texas Constitution helped build what is called the Texas “current” Constitution. In the Legislative Branch, Texas constitution reinforces the constitutional amendment, which forces the state to follow procedure. This is not mandatory nor does it happen all the time, but rarely. In the Executive Branch, the United States Constitution calls for the President and Vice President. Lastly, the role Texas constitution is involved in the Judicial Branch. There are no levels to which judgment can be rendered due to overlapping jurisdiction. Qualifications for a Texas judge require no legal
Often, state constitutions are much longer and more detailed than the federal Constitution. State constitutions focus more on limiting rather than granting power since its general authority has already been established. As a result, the constitution of Alabama is six hundred pages long whereas the federal Constitution can be easily read in one sitting front to back. The details in state constitutions are not particularly “constitutional” in nature. They often address topics unique to the state.
Texas is a prime example of the state constitutions in general. Ever since the integration
Constitutions are a necessary tool in keeping a Nation running in a smooth manner. One is also necessary in keeping the components, which are states, running in an ordered way. The constitution of Texas has a long historical trail from 1827 to 1876 and there are many events that occurred during this time period. The current Texas constitution has many strengths and weaknesses and there have been revisions made to this document. This document limits the way government can be involved in certain problems that arise in Texas. The Texas constitution is a document with positives and negatives but it is definitely a necessity.