Constitutions are more than fancy-looking words on an old sheet of paper; they are the foundation for all successful nations. The job of a constitution is to legitimize, organize, provide power to, and limit the power of the government. The United States itself and all of the individual states have constitutions, including Texas, that aim to meet all of those needs. Texas’ current constitution has been amended 467 times to make sure that the government is beneficial for Texans (Newell et al. 40-46). The Texas Constitution, written in 1876, is the second longest state constitution in the nation (Texas GOVT 2306- Week 3 Texas Constitution). Because it is so long, it is hard to understand. The first section of the wordy Constitution is the preamble, …show more content…
48). Suffrage is another topic in the Texas Constitution, but it has been amended many times because its rules are out-dated (Newell et al. 53). For example, the original document allowed only men aged 21 or above to vote, but when the national voting age became 18, an amendment had to be made (“Constitution of the State of Texas (1876)”). Another important part of the Constitution includes instructions for the creation of amendments. The powers and structure of the government set forth in the 1876 Texas Constitution were influenced by Jacksonian democracy, Reconstruction, and the U.S. Constitution. The term Jacksonian democracy refers to the movement towards allowing the common man to have a say in the government. Jacksonian democracy had a large impact on the Texas Constitution because most people who moved to Texas were not aristocratic, which means that they fit the role of a common man (“Texas 1821-1836”). These people wanted a fair say in their government. Texans got their say when they were able to vote on for or against the Texas Constitution of 1876 (Newell et al. 45). The fact that it was chosen by the people shows that the Texas Constitution was influenced by Jacksonian …show more content…
However, despite their similarities, the two documents differ in many ways. Both of the Constitutions are set up similarly; both contain a preamble and are organized into articles. More importantly, both Constitutions create systems of checks and balances to make sure that no one branch has too much power (Newell et al. 48). The same three branches of government are put forth in the two Constitutions: legislative, executive, and judicial (46). Both the nation and Texas have a bicameral legislature, but Texas’ legislature meets biannually while the U.S. legislature meets annually (45). The executive branches are extremely different in the United States and Texas Constitutions. The president has much individual power, while the Texas governor holds very little power because of the state’s plural executive (Ituah). The judicial branches explained in both Constitutions are also quite different. The United States Justices are appointed by the President and keep their position until they die or retire (“Branches of Government”). In Texas, judges are voted into office, which makes the job a political position (Ituah). Although the United States and Texas Constitutions both call for the same three branches of government, the duties and organization of those branches are different. The U.S. and Texas Constitutions both contain a Bill of Rights. Many of those rights, such as the