Clash of the Political Titans: Texas and the US Government

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Both horses paw the ground in nervous excitement. The knights tightly grip their handles as they stoically stare at each other on either side of the long fence dividing them. The horses, feeling the imminence of battle, fidget uncontrollably. A cry in the air rings in both knights’ tin helmets like gunfire in a great hall. From one moment all was still, and the next both horses launch into full gallop down the fence picking up speed with each frantic paddle. Bracing, both knights close their eyes, the impact is coming. Much like this joust, The United States government contends with Texas government over many different issues. The long fence that divides these two powers is Federalism but much like in jousting, the lances are bound to cross this fence in a burst of splinters and sticks. By examining the contenders, The United States government and the Texas government, and their politics on issues such as immigration, we can get a better idea of the complex issues the system of Federalism can bring. Federalism is described as “a system that balances the power and sovereignty of state governments with that of the national government. Both, the states and national government, derive their authority directly from the people, and the states have considerable autonomy within their areas of responsibility ”(Robison, Gibson). This means that we as citizens created these bodies of government to serve us. We assigned areas of responsibility to the United States government and also to Texas government through a contract called the Constitution, which dictates these areas of responsibility. These areas are usually clearly defined but along the fence, where these two areas of responsibility border, the fence can be broken or unclear. This i... ... middle of paper ... ...n%3Bjsessionid%3DW lmnTDPDcrsYVLfYq41gmdhSVmJ8qh695MZSnJy48r8Jy9THL4pm%21- 542137292%21-87894215?granuleId=GPO-CONAN-2002-8- 2&packageId=GPO-CONAN-2002&fromBrowse=true>. Cruz, Ted. "Ted Cruz on Immigration." On the Issues. Information from Campaign Website, 17 July 2011. Web. 07 Apr. 2014. . "Immigration Reform." The White House. The White House, n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2014. . Perry, Rick. "Rick Perry on Immigration." On The Issues. N.p., 11 Feb. 2011. Web. 07 Apr. 2014. . Robison, Clay. "Chapter 2.2 The Constitutional Legacy." Government and Politics in the Lone Star State. By L. Tucker Gibson, Jr. 8th ed. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education, 2013. Page 37. Print.

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