Texas Constiution

Texas Constiution

The Texas Constitution

The Texas Constitution is the second largest constitution in the United States, and one of the oldest still in effect. When compared with the length of the United States Constitution, the Texas constitution dwarfs it in detail and size. This is mainly due to the fact that the Texas Constitution deals with state and local matters not covered by the U.S. Constitution. Its 467 approved amendments since 1876 have steadily lengthening its constitution over time. A good example of how the Texas and U.S. constitution are so different is how amendment of the states constitution is relatively easy. Texas’s highly restrictive view of the powers of state government make it an easy illustration of how often its constitution changes. This constant alteration is becoming somewhat of a tradition in Texas.
When the founding fathers produced the U.S. constitution they wanted the process of amending it to be diffult and in doing so they succeeded greatly. Although there are several ways to change the U.S. constitution, it has only been altered once. The U.S. constitution requires 2/3 votes by both houses on Congress and the approval of three-fourths of the states whereas the Texas constitution merely requires an amendment be passed by the state legislature and approved by the voters in referendum. I believe a good example of how different these two constitution is the “Necessary and Proper Clause” which grants congress the “power to make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying” into being the powers granted in the remainder of the document. In Texas there is no equivalent to this clause. Instead the Legislature and governor include only those specifically written in the state constitution. So, if a small legislative change such as allowing Travis County to finance its own parks and recreational activities with local taxes wanted to take place, all it would require is a constitutional amendment and a referendum. As a Texas native and...

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