Download Bill of Rights

Texas Constitutions and the
Seven Principles of Government
• Essential Questions:
– Explain the significance
of 1876
– Identify the seven
principles of government
– Compare the principles
and concepts of the
Texas Constitution and
U.S. Constitution,
including the Texas and
U.S. Bill of Rights
The Texas Constitution
• Overall, there have been
7 Texas constitutions.
• The first, the Constitution
of the State of Coahuila y
Tejas, was written when
Texas was part of Mexico
in 1827.
• Our current state
constitution is from 1876.
• Democrats wrote it after
Reconstruction ended.
– The majority party in the
South from 1860s to
1980s.
The Role of Constitutions
• Each Texas constitution
specified parts of the
government and the duties
of each, gave government
bodies various powers,
described the rights of
citizens, provided a way to
make changes through
amendments, and reflected
the time in which it was
written.
• Most Texas constitutions
are modeled after the U.S.
Constitution and reflects the
seven principles of
government.
Principle #1: Limited
Government
• Government has only
the powers granted
by the constitution
• Requires all U.S.
citizens, including
government leaders,
to obey the law
Principle #2: Republicanism
• A system in which
voters elect people to
represent them in
government
• All government
leaders are citizens
who share the same
rights and follow the
same laws as the
people they govern
Principle #3: Checks and
Balances
• The ability of each
branch of government
to exercise checks, or
controls, over the
other branches
• The Texas
Constitution lets each
branch limit the power
of the other two.
Principle #4: Federalism
• A system of government
where power is shared
among the central (or
federal) government and
the states
• Texas is part of a federal
system (the U.S.A.)
• It is no longer a separate
entity (a republic)
• Texas is legally equal to
all other states
Federalism (Continued)
• What each state CAN
do:
– Create laws (ex:
marriage and property)
– Create school districts
and curriculum
– Set minimum ages for:
• Drivers licenses
• Getting married
Federalism (Continued)
• What each state
CANNOT do:
– Coin or create its own
money
– Create state laws that
violate constitutionally
protected civil rights
– Create international trade
agreements
– Declare war (only U.S.
congress can do that)
– However, the USA has final
legal authority over all of
the states.
Principle #5: Separation of
Powers
• The division of basic
government roles into
branches
• Texas and U.S.
government have 3
branches
• Each branch has
specific powers that the
others do not have
• Some powers are
shared (federalism)
Principle #6: Popular
Sovereignty
• All political power comes
from the people
• The idea that government
exists with the consent of
the governed (people)
• Government has no right
to exist…but it does exist
because the people allow
it to.
Principle #7: Individual Rights
• Civil liberties and
personal privileges
guaranteed to citizens
and protected by the
Texas Bill of Rights
– Ex: freedom of speech,
press, religion, etc.
• Rights are inalienable,
meaning they cannot be:
– revoked, removed, or
violated
• Rights may be:
– violated or abused…if we
aren’t careful
Free Speech and the Press
• The Bill of Rights grants Texans rights of free
speech and press meaning….freedom to
express opinions verbally or in writing
• This is 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.
• The people have the right to remove or change
government when, or if, it abuses our rights.
Differences in Constitutions
• U.S. Constitution
– Bill of Rights added as
amendments
– Bill of Rights = First 10
amendments
– Constitution amended
27 times
• Texas Constitution
– Bill of Rights are listed
in the first article of 17
– Bill of Rights arranged
in different order
– 31 rights contained in
the Bill of Rights
– Constitution amended
more than 470 times
Amending the Texas
Constitution
• Requires three steps:
– Member of legislature
proposes an
amendment
– 2/3 of both houses of
the legislature must
vote in favor of a
proposed amendment
– Then, the amendment
must win support from a
majority of voters.