GOVT 2306 Chap 2

The Texas Constitution requires that Texas judges

be elected by the people.

unicameral

comprising one body or house, as in a one-house legislature

Article 1 of the Texas Constitution

contains the Texas Bill of Rights.

separation of powers

the division of governmental power among several institutions that must cooperate in decision making

Constitution

the legal structure of a government, which establishes its power and authority as well as the limits on that power

impeachment

Article 15: under the Texas Constitution, the formal charge by the House of Representatives that leads to trial in the Senate and possible removal of a state official

necessary and proper clause

Article I, Section 8, of the U.S. Constitution; it provides Congress with the authority to make all laws "necessary and proper" to carry out its powers

supremacy clause

Article VI of the U.S. Constitution, which states that the Constitution and laws passed by the national government and all treaties are the supreme law of the land and superior to all laws adopted by any state or any subdivision

plural executive

an executive branch in which power is fragmented because the election of statewide officeholders is independent of the election of the governor

Describe modern efforts to change the Texas Constitution

Recent attempts to rewrite the Texas constitution have been unsuccessful. Amendments continue to be the easiest way to modify the document.

Which part of the U.S. Constitution reserves power to the states?

Tenth Amendment

Describe the six Texas constitutions that preceded the current constitution

Texas has had seven constitutions reflecting the concerns of the historical periods in which they were written. The Civil War and Reconstruction played a major role in shaping Texans' attitudes toward the dangers of strong state government.

Explain the circumstances that led to the Texas Constitution that is still in use today

The Constitution of 1876 sought to limit the powers that had been wielded under the previous constitution by Republican governor Edmund Davis. It remains, though much amended, the existing state constitution of Texas.

The Texas Constitution is the second longest of all state constitutions in the United States. Why is it so long?

The Framers gave the state very specific power so it could not be extended by ambiguity. Thus, amendments are frequently needed to advance policy goals.

Identify the main functions of state constitutions

The state constitution is the governing document of the state much in the same way the U.S. Constitution sets up the framework for the nation as a whole. Many of the ideas found in the U.S. Constitution are also found in Texas's constitutions, including republican government, separation of powers, checks and balances, and individual rights.

Analyze the major provisions of the Texas Constitution today

Today's Texas Constitution is lengthy and includes over 400 amendments. It limits the power of state government and tries to prevent the concentration of power in the hands of one person.

How does Texas Amendment Election voter turnout compare to US presidential elections?

Turnout in Texas Amendment Elections is lower than presidential elections.

Radical Republicans

a bloc of Republicans in the U.S. Congress who pushed through the adoption of black suffrage as well as an extended period of military occupation of the South following the Civil War

Grange

a militant farmers' movement of the late nineteenth century that fought for improved conditions for farmers

limited government

a principle of constitutional government; a government whose powers are defined and limited by a constitution

republican government

a representative democracy, a system of government in which power is derived from the people

federalism

a system of government in which power is divided, by a constitution, between a central government and regional governments

tyranny

according to James Madison, the concentration of power in any one branch of government

When the framers of the Constitution of 1876 wrote of "the people," they meant

all adult white male citizens of Texas.

Which of the following is not an important function of a state constitution?

allows government to intrude in the lives of businesses and individuals

The Constitution of 1861

generally accepted the existing constitutional framework. guided Texas's entry into the Confederate States of America. supported slavery. defended states' rights.

The Texas Bill of Rights

guarantees some rights not found in the U.S. Bill of Rights.

A new constitution for Texas

has a very small chance of being written and ratified.

bicameral

having a legislative assembly composed of two chambers or houses

A unique feature of the Constitution of 1869 was that

it was never submitted to the voters.

Which of the following is an important function of a state constitution?

prevents the concentration of political power delegates power to individuals and institutions legitimizes political institutions limits application of the U.S. Constitution

Which idea is contained in both the U.S. and Texas constitutions?

separation of powers

The present Texas Constitution

severely limits the power of the governor and other state officials.

The Constitution of 1876 was a reaction to the Reconstruction Constitution of 1869 because

the 1869 Constitution was seen as giving the governor too much power.

Confederacy

the Confederate States of America, those southern states that seceded from the United States in late 1860 and 1861 and argued that the power of the states was more important than the power of the central government

Under the U.S. Constitution, the government of Texas is most limited by

the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

checks and balances

the constitutional idea that overlapping power is given to different branches of government to limit the concentration of power in any one branch

Voter turnout for constitutional amendment elections could be improved if

they were held at the same time as presidential elections. there were more voter awareness of the proposed amendments. the amendments involved significant issues for voters.

A new Texas Constitution was written

when Reconstruction ended.