The Texas Constitution

How it Reflects the Principles of Limited Government

7 Texas Constitutions

• 1st written when Texas was part of Mexico

• Our current constitution: TX Constitution of 1876

• Democrats* wrote it after Reconstruction ended

*majority party in South from 1860’s to 1980’s

Similar Constitutions Similarities between US

and Texas constitutions include:

• Protect individual rights

• Contain a Bill of Rights

• State how government works

• Use amendments to allow for changing times

Differences in Constitutions

US Constitution:

Bill of Rights added as Amendments

Bill of Rights = first 10 amendments

Constitution amended 26 times

Texas Constitution:

Bill of Rights are listed on the first page

Bill of Rights arranged in different order

31 rights contained in Bill of Rights

Constitution amended more than 400 times

Comparing Texas and US Constitutions

• Work with a partner and complete the Venn Diagram titled “Comparing the Texas and US Constitutions”

• Exercise is timed so GET TO WORK QUICKLY!

influence of ideas from the U.S. Constitution…

adopted by the Texas Constitution

The nature of Government is to seek power, therefore the

government is best that governs least!

……..we have big problems

If any one branch of government can completely control another….

“(A dictator) makes speeches to the people promising them plenty, gives them nothing and takes everything.”

So,How to protect the states and people from too much federal government control?

There are four ways:

1.separation of powers

2.Checks and Balances

3.Popular Sovereignty

4.Individual Rights

Separation of powers• Texas has Three

Branches of Government

• Each branch has specific powers that the others do not have

• Some powers are “shared” (federalism)

Checks and Balances

• The Texas Constitution lets each branch limit the power of the other two.

Popular sovereignty

“The People are the Rulers”• The idea that government exists

with the consent of the governed (people)

• government has no “right” to exist.

• It exists because the People allow it to.

Individual Rights

• listed in Bill of Rights

• Right are inalienable, meaning they cannot be: 1. revoked

2. removed or

3. voided

They may be…

violated or abused

…If we aren’t careful

Importance of Free Speech and Press

• The Bill of Rights grants Texans rights of free speech and press meaning….freedom to express opinions verbally or in writing

Why is this important?

• It’s important because in a democracy (like ours), it is essential that people and the press be able to express opinions without fear of government limitations.

Remember!

The people have the right to remove or change government when, or if, it abuses our rights.