U.S. Constitution vs. Texas Constitution

Topics: United States Constitution, United States, U.S. state Pages: 2 (673 words) Published: February 22, 2006
A constitution is the fundamental principles of government in a nation, either implied in its laws, institutions, and customs, or embodied in one fundamental document. The U.S. Constitution was completed on September 17, 1789 and has served as a model for the constitutions of many other nations. The constitution of the United States of America is the oldest written national constitution in use and consists of twenty-seven amendments.

The state of Texas has had six constitutions. The constitution that took effect on February 15, 1876 is the current one still used today. The Texas Constitution is the second longest constitution in the United States, and one of the oldest still in effect. Since the constitution has been adopted it has been amended 439 times and consists of seventeen amendments.

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 constitution. As well as the similarities between the two, there are some differences. The Texas and the U.S. Constitutions provide for representative government with political power divided among three branches or departments. But the Texas Constitution is much longer and more detailed than the U.S. Constitution. It puts rights first. It deals with state and local matters not covered by the U.S. Constitution. Its many amendments are buried in the text, not listed separately like the U.S. Constitution. Even with the Bill of rights; both have one, but the Texas Constitution maintains the...


Cited: Ginsberg, Benjamin, Theodore J. Lowi, and Margeret Weir. We The People: An Introdunction to American Politics. Ed. Fifth. W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. 2005.
Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. MediaWiki. 19 February 2006..
Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. MediaWiki. 19 February 2006..
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