A constitution is the fundamental law by which a nation or a state is governed and organized. It establishes the framework of government, delegates the powers and duties of governmental bodies, and defines the relationship between the government and their citizens. Texas current constitution was adopted in 1876, and since then Texas voters have approved more than 467 amendments to this document. The word “amendment” is defined as the act or process of changing the words or the meaning of a law or document (constitution). Throughout this essay I will explain the rules for amending the Texas Constitution, the attempts made at constitutional reforms during the 1970s, explain why constitutional reforms were attempted and why it ultimately failed. …show more content…
The Constitution of 1876 was toward the end in the development of a new, restructured and revised constitution in Texas, yet it was not the last attempt to revise the natural law of Texas. Pressure begin to build to change and streamline the Texas Constitution in the late 1960s. By 1969, fifty-six obsolete and out dated provisions were revoked, including a whole article. This called for a more fundamental overhaul and restructuring of the Constitution, which led to an extensive and prolonged process of constitutional revision that began in the 1970s. Efforts during this time were imperative for two reasons: it explained a long-standing concern whether the legislature had the constitutional right to convene as a constitutional convention; and secondly, the Texas Constitutional Revision Commission provided a thorough revision of the state constitution that served as the foundation for a new …show more content…
It outlines a plan of government and provides the structure and functioning of the institutions of governments. Constitutions are expressions of popular sovereignty between the government and the governed. It specifies the powers and limitation of power of the government, as well as the right and privileges of citizens that cannot be affected by the government. Also it specified how citizens are allowed to participate in democratic decision making processes that determines public policies. In some ways, Texas Constitution executes these functions well. It provides the overall structure of our democratic government. By separating powers into three branches and creating a system of checks and balances between the branches, it continues a long tradition in American
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Show MoreThe Constitution was a document that was written by our Founding Fathers. It defines what our government is and what it does. It is the basic blueprint for all the laws in the country and it provides the three branches of the U.S government the power it needs to rule this nation effectively. But the Constitution wasn’t always how it is now, it used to be called the Articles of Confederation and it had many problems that are no longer present in our current Constitution.
Texas Constitution V. Maine Constitution What is a constitution? According to Merriam Webster Dictionary a constitution is a document that describes the system of beliefs and laws by which a country, state or organization is governed. In numerous ways, the Texas and Maine constitution are similar documents.
Briefly, in the evolution of the Texas political system, Texas’s history has been through many situations that shaped the political structure in Texas to become to what it is today. Many changes were responsible for the impact in the history of Texas such as the Texas revolution, the Alamo war with Mexico, military reconstruction act in 1867, etc. Before the war with Mexico, one of the most important impact in Texas history was the Republic of Texas Constitution in 1836. Texas and Mexico have an escalating tension and is responsible for the new change in the Texas state constitution. For the cause of the Republic of Texas Constitution in 1836, Texas begins by declaring its independence in 1836, established the Republic of Texas, and decided to adopt the new constitution.
The Texas Constitution is similar to the U.S. Constitution in many ways. One of the many ways is that both have a Bill of Rights, and the Texas constitution embodies certain ideas from the U.S. Bill of Rights, which are that all free men are declared to have free and equal rights that cannot be taken away because of sex, race, color, creed, or national origin. Another way they are related is because they both have a constitutional law for the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial department. The U.S. Constitution has two virtues; brevity and flexibility. The Texas Constitution in the other hand, does not, the U.S. Constitution is limited to 7 short articles and 27 amendments.
The new constitution, a document granting the framework for a new democratic government, replacing the Articles of the Confederation. This new document gained approval from some of the citizens, but also raised questions and concerns from others. There was a constant back and forth between the two groups on whether or not the constitution should be ratified. This editorial provides historical background on the issue and expresses my opinion on which side I would’ve chosen.
and Texas Constitutions are similar documents. They both represent the principles of representative democratic government, in which power originated from the people. Both contain a bill of rights that protects civil liberties from government infringement, both provide for two branches of legislature with a House of Representatives and a Senate and both request a system of checks and balances and separation of powers between legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government. They also both divide government power between upper and lower levels of government. In the U.S. Constitution the states are subordinate to the federal government, and in the Texas Constitution the counties are subordinate to the state government.
DBQ Essay The United States Constitution is a document that or founding fathers made in order to replace the failing Articles of Confederation (A of C). Under the Constitution, the current government and states don’t have the problems they faced when the A of C was in action. The Constitution was created in 1788, and held an idea that the whole nation was nervous about. This idea was a strong national government, and the Federalist assured the people that this new government would work. The framers of the Constitution decided to give more power to the Federal government rather than the state governments because the A of C had many problems, there was a need for the layout of new government, rights, and laws, and there was a need for the Federal
The Constitution of the United States was formed 223 years ago. Since 1787, a lot has changed. We grew as a country, technology advanced, and we elected 43 different presidents. One of witch, being the first African-American President in history. Due to its age, some may argue that the Constitution is irrelevant to today’s problems.
The Constitution, signed on September 17th, 1787, is a document that formulated the government, and gave basic rights to all U.S citizens. The U.S. Constitution is the solid foundation upon which this nation was built. It is a document that can be altered and among the first changes is a list of the rights of the people. This important document gives many rights to both citizens and noncitizens living in the United States. However, some rights are only for citizens.
When the delegates of the 1875-1876 Texas Constitutional Convention came together, their main priority in drawing up a new constitution was to restrict the amount of power the state government had over Texans. After Texas suffered thought the corruption that occurred under the previous governor, Edmund J. Davis, the delegates wanted to ensure that a similar situation would never happen again. The first step they took towards that goal was writing a bill of rights, which would be the first article of the constitution. This article ensured that the people’s rights would be protected from the government such as “guaranteed liberty of speech and press, the right of the accused to obtain bail and to be tried by a jury, and the right of citizens to keep and bear arms.”
It describes the rights and responsibilities of the government and of all the states as a federal government. A system whereby several states form a unity but remain independent in internal affairs. Since the Constitution came into force in 1789, it has been amended twenty-seven times to meet the changing needs of the maturing nation which is now very different from the eighteenth-century world in which it was created. The ideals of the Constitution are to form one union from all the states. The states work together as one nation but have independent internal laws.
Texas is the second most populated and second largest state in United State. Due to its size, Texas contains diverse landscapes that resemble both American South and Southwest. Most of the population centers are located in areas of formers prairies, grass lands, forests, and the coastline. The current Texas Constitution was adopted in 1876. Like most of the states, it also provides for a separation off power.
This constitution promised many things. The primary thing the constitution established was that Mexico was a republic. This was a huge step for the Mexican people. Mexico was divided into states and territories. Texas became a state with Coahuila.
The Constitution is rules for the president and all of the United States politicians to govern by. In the constitution the first part is called the preamble. It states “ we the people in order to form a more perfect union. established justice ensure domestic tranquility. Provide for the common defense ,promote the general welfare and secure the blessings to ourselves and our posterity.
Established on September 17, 1787, the U.S. Constitution established America’s national government and fundamental laws, and guaranteed rights for its citizens. The Constitution also represents the value and principles of democracy and republicanism that the United States of American stands by. This means that the Constitution regards to the American citizen as something that is held to deserve meaning the importance, worth, or usefulness of something. It also means its citizens come first in order of importance. The Constitution represents the value and principles of democracy and republicanism by stressing liberty and inalienable rights as central values, making the people as a whole sovereign, rejecting inherited political power, expecting citizens to be independent in their performance of civic duties, and vilifies corruption.