Why Is Texas Constitution So Long

The 1876 Texas State constitution is the basic framework of today’s legislature it consists of three branches the legislative branch which is comprised of the house and senate, and the executive and judiciary branch. In the following paragraphs we will discuss the Texas legislature’s major responsibilities relative to checks and balances.

The state of Texas has had six constitutions. The constitution that took effect on February 15, 1876 is the current one still used today. The Texas Constitution is the second longest constitution in the United States, and one of the oldest still in effect. Since the constitution has been adopted it has been

Despite, all of the revisions the Texas Constitution still has its strengths and weaknesses. The strengths it has a clear definition of restrictions on what government officials can and can’t do. It has the Bill of

The Texas Legislature has powers either by non-legislative power or legislative power. The legislative power includes power that can be passed by bills and resolutions, and non-legislative powers by functions falling outside the lawmaking function. In general the Texas Legislatures responsibilities are to set public policy by passing bills and resolutions. It supervises the state bureaucracy through the budgetary process and the Sunset Act, this act provides review and termination of state agencies. The Texas Constitution sets Legislative power in two houses, a Senate of 31 members and a House of Representatives of no more than 150 members. The Texas Constitution stipulates the terms of the office and qualifications, for example House members

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

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.

As time passes by, changes are required to settle down thing and to improve what we have before, that is the main reason why Texas constitution is amended 467 times. "The amendments are the newest in a long line of legislative proposals to update the state Constitution. Since the Constitution was ratified in 1876, Texas voters have considered 646 proposed amendments and approved 467, according to the Legislative reference library. Texas is not alone in its prodigious accumulation of constitutional amendments, however. Alabama leads that contest. Its voters, According to the Texas politics, have amended their constitution almost 800 times since its creation in 1901".

According to Texas Politics-The Constitution, the Texas Constitution creates something that is called a Plural Executive which is a system of authority in which most statewide executive officeholders are elected independently of the governor. This spreads the executive power among multiple elected offices and it fragments the executive branch of government and prevents the power over the executive branch to be centralized over one individual or office. Another strong point in which the United States Constitution and Texas Constitution differ is the concern of the chief executive’s power to veto the bills passed by the legislature. The Texas Constitution allows something that is called the line-item veto which gives the governor the power to reject certain parts of a bill without having to reject the entire thing. According to the United States Constitution, they rule the line-item veto to be unconstitutional. They argue that it violates the separation of powers between the legislative branch and the executive branches. The Texas Constitution allowing the line-item veto goes on to show a liking for limited government and limited spending even if it means giving the governor a power that the rest of the Texas Constitution was built trying to

Although there are many weaknesses to the Texas constitution, there are also strengths present, for it has been governing a state for almost 150 years. Just like the United States Constitution, the Texas government has three branches and a system of checks and balances to ensure that no branch becomes too powerful. Each branch must give consent to the other two on any issue, and this is a positive because it ensures that the branches will stay equal and no branch will run away and take the state out of a democracy. Another positive is that the government

Texas Constitution of 1876, written by ninety delegates, a majority of them white farmers, Grange, and Democrats. Fewer than seven percent of the delegates were African American, yet proving unity Texans restructured the Constitution with considerations of past attempts: creating limited power for government, popular sovereignty, and separation of powers for state and local systems.

The Texas Constitution is a document to explain the state’s function and structure of their government, basically how they will run their state. The fifth and current since Texas gained its statehood was created and took effect on 15 February 1876 and is the second longest of any state constitution. It features 17 Articles and the legislature has proposed over 600 constitutional amendments, all which have gone before Texas voters, with over 400 of these have been approved by the electorate and less than 200 have been defeated. The Bill of Rights is definitely the lengthier and more detailed document compared to our federal constitution; most which are unique to Texas.

It is important to study the policy making and government in Texas, because it gives you a better understanding of the policy cycle and how it works. Texas government is profoundly important to the lives of Texas residents, regardless of differences, ages, backgrounds, and careers. Politics is the process that determines who shall occupy each role of leadership in government and how the power of government should be exercised. This is why it is important to vote when you turn eight-teen. You should vote for the best candidate that you think will make the best decisions for our state. Although the policy making cycle that the government uses to solve an issue is not perfect, it is important to learn it, because their decisions can either benefit

There has been seven Texas Constitutions since 1827 including our current Constitution, which was established on 1876. Our current constitution has been amended hundreds of times because of its tight restrictions. The Legislative department is the dominant branch of the Texas Constitution it is subject to check and balances in the tripartite system. The Executive department limits the government’s power, and the judicial powers is divided into smaller courts. These three branches of the Texas are examples of how restricted and limited our constitution is.

The 1876 Constitution was enacted to replace the widely unpopular 1869 Constitution. Under this document the powers of governors and legislature are curtailed; economy, as well as efficiency are valued; judges must be elected; government power is regulated; and future regulation of railroads is enacted (62). The U.S. Constitution, which is limited to 7 articles and 27 amendments, leaves much unsaid; while the Texas Constitution, as of 2016, contains 16 articles and 491 approved amendments (63). In the Texas Constitution, limited government is profoundly practiced, which is extremely beneficial; as the document was written to prevent the expansion of governmental authority. In agreement, the Texas Constitution meets the standards of many political

The role of the citizen legislature is to work within a political culture with a strong suspicion of government and a history of accepting the involvement of wealthy businesses in politics. The Texas Constitution creates this part-time legislature that meets for a relatively brief 140 days every other year. This legislature receives most of their income from outside