A constitution is by dictionary definition a plan of government that represents a pact between the government and the people and according to which a nation,state,or corporation is governed. Like any contract it identifies powers, duties, obligations and limitations on contracting parties which were mutually agreed upon. The Texas Constitution is like other state constitutions in many aspects,the constitution is usually referred to as being too long,way to detailed,poorly organized and poorly written.The Texas Constitution was originally made up by 23,500 words in 1876 before any amendments. With amendments, it is now the second longest constitution out of the fifty state constitutions. Texas has been governed by several nations since Spain claimed the territory back 1500s. These nations being Spain, France, then Spain again, and Mexico – all before the battle of San Jacinto when Sam Houston defeated General Santa Anna and sealed the rebellious territory's status as an independent
Rodriguez 2 republic. Over a fifty year period from 1827 to 1876, seven constitutions were constructed and implemented for Texas. Each constitution tried to correct downfalls in the previous
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The most serious attempt happened in 1974, when the Texas Legislature gathered as a constitutional convention. Unfortunately, partisan disagreement divided members on many key questions.Some members wanted to strengthen the Executive Branch and wanted the Governor to have more power. The final and biggest problem was keeping Texas a right-to-work state. Many members wanted to give Labor Unions more power, but it was blocked and the Legislature never approved it. In 1999 and 2001 Other attempts at revising the Texas Constitution were made.In 1999, Representative Rob Junell and Senator Bill Ratliff made several proposals to change the structure of the
It is surprising to know that in the span of 49 years, Texas went through seven different constitutions reflecting the changes of time. Every experience Texas went through made the constitution more and more detailed and showed more distrust in the government. However, time has changed Texas from an agricultural world to a technological world and yet the Constitution of 1876 remains the law of the state. Although Texas endured the Civil War and the Reconstruction period after the Constitution of 1845 was ratified, the Constitution of 1876 was drafted from the Constitution of 1845.
For almost fifty years, from 1827 to 1876, seven constitutions were adopted and implemented for Taxes and each one has its set of laws and contained specific ways, aimed at correcting the deficiencies and drawbacks of the previously adopted order. The Constitution of 1876 is the sixth one, which set the rules and laws for Texas government since the state has achieved its independence from Mexico in 1836. The constitution established the principles of Texas Democratic Government and specified the laws, which were applied to the three branches of government: legislative, juridical and executive.
The U.S. Constitution and the Texas Constitution have similarities and differences. First, both constitutions consist of a Bill of Rights. This is a formal summary of the rights and liberties considered essential to a people or group of people. The individual rights provide a variety of restraints on political power to protect people against unwarranted intrusions and abuses. Also, in both constitutions it outlines and talks about the powers of government in each separate department. Both talk about suffrage, taxation and revenue, along with general provisions, and modes of amending the c...
Texas is a unique place with a colorful history of legendary cowboys and tall tales. The state stretches over the middle section of the southern United States. Texas has experienced shifts in governmental control within the United States. French, Spanish, Mexican, and Confederacy, and all having once been in charge, not to mention the time Texas spent as an independent republic. Texas has had many battles and wars within its borders, resulting in seven different constitutions within a span of fifty years between each document.
The constitution was a document that embodies the fundamental laws and principles by which the U.S is governed. The constitution states basic rights for its citizens. Delegates signed the constitution on September 17, 1787. There is a total of 27 constitutional amendments. The reasoning for writing it was for a stronger federal government - legislative, executive and judicial. The constitution was a break with a past of ‘unfair’ taxes, wars and ‘unfair’ treatment.
The United States House and Senate, in turn, accepted the Texas state constitution in a Joint Resolution to admit Texas as a State which was signed by the president on December 29, 1845 . Although the formal transfer of government did not occur until February 19, 1846, Texas statehood dates from the 29th of December.
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.
Well before the beginning of the Civil War, Texas and some. of its surrounding territories were property of Spain just like its southern neighbor, Mexico. Soon after realizing their particular suppression by Spain, Mexico fought for, and won. independence from its mother country. Mexico now had control of their country and the territory of Texas.
The idea of Texas secession is not a new one. The decision in the 1869 Supreme Court Case Texas v. White set a precedent that states could not secede from the union (Rothman), but recent events show that not everyone in Texas believes this to be the case. There was a petition to the White House for the secession of Texas in 2012 (Diaz) but, more recently, support has been growing in the Republican Party. This spring the Republican platform committee voted to put the topic of secession up for discussion during the Texas State Republican Convention in early May (Baddour). While the idea still has only a small amount of support, none of that support comes from the party’s leaders (Associated Press). It’s clear from comments made in the articles that no one thought the vote would pass. Many people are surprised the movement has as much support as it does. Yet according to the article from The Washington Post, the discussion at the GOP convention was, “two votes shy of going to a floor
The Constitution which was written 229 years ago, comes with many strengths and weaknesses. One such strength is that the Constitution is a living document. A living document is a document that has the ability to be updated and or drafted upon. The original document had twelve amendments. These amendments were sent to the states for ratification in 1789 and out of the twelve, ten of them were passed by the vote of eleven states in the union. Since that time of the first change in our constitution, it has been added to twenty-seven times. The Constitution is America’s founding document that has lasted for 229 years; it has changed as the country has changed. (THE CHARTERS OF FREEDOM A NEW WORLD AT HAND) The Constitution being a living document was intended to be adapted by future generations and because of its adaptability, it could have new amendments ratified and add to
Constitution of United States was written in 1787 at Philadelphia convention. It is stated in article VII that the constitution needs to be accepted formally by nine out of thirteen states before it could be legally used. A big debate started whether the constitution should be ratified or not, dividing people into two groups federalists (supported ratification) and anti-Federalists (did not support ratification). Both groups had their own claims and arguments, federalists wanted a large heterogenous republic whereas anti-Federalists fought for homogeneous one. Federalists consisted of mostly rich, powerful gentry in favor of strong centralized government. Well educated influential leaders like George Washington and Benjamin Franklin were in
Constitution, creates a unitary executive whereas the Texas Constitution creates a plural executive government. In the Texas Constitution, the government is plural executive and disperses the power among several elected officials. On the other hand, the U.S. Constitution creates a unitary executive, which concentrates the executive power on a single representative, the president. The president has a right to veto any bill he dislikes, but the Congress is also able to approve a bill if the president refuses to adopt it. In the Texas Constitution, there is a line-veto which allows the governor to veto specific items on the legislature of bills passed. The Texas government is more of a limited government whereas the U.S. constitution grants power to the president. Furthermore, in the U.S. Constitution the legislative branch is responsible for making the laws being very limited in government spending, and in the Texas Constitution there were detailed restrictions on tax and specific policies depending on the states legislatures. Legislatures are not allowed to oppose a tax on personal income and are forbidden to make states government develop into debt. Even though the Constitution was ratified, the anti-federalist adopted the Bill of Rights, which promises basic human rights to citizens. Moreover, 27 amendments are in the U.S. Constitution; nevertheless, the state
The. A constitution is the system of fundamental principles according to which a nation is governed. Our founding fathers created the US Constitution to set specific standards for our country. We must ask ourselves why our founding fathers created the Constitution in the first place. America revolted against the British due to their monarchy form of government.
Constitution is a necessary feature as it defines how power is disseminated within the government and establishes the rights of the citizens and the laws and rules for the country. In order to be successful, a country’s should reflect and satisfy every citizen’s needs and interests.
The word ‘constitution’ is commonly used to describe a written legal document that embodies a set of rules and principles that ‘establish and regulate or govern the government’ of a country. The United Kingdom, however, does not have such a document.