Book: Ch. 2. Quiz / Key terms / Essays Flashcards
Identify the main functions of state constitutions (pp. 41–42)
The state constitution is the governing document of the state much in the same way the U.S. Constitution sets up the framework for the nation as a whole. Many of the ideas found in the U.S. Constitution are also found in Texas’s constitutions, including republican government, separation of powers, checks and balances, and individual rights.
Define: constitution (p. 41)
the legal structure of a government, which establishes its power and authority as well as the limits on that power
Define: separation of powers (p. 41)
the division of governmental power among several institutions that must cooperate in decision making
Define: checks and balances (p. 41)
the constitutional idea that overlapping power is given to different branches of government to limit the concentration of power in any one branch
Define: tyranny (p. 41)
according to James Madison, the concentration of power in any one branch of government
Define: federalism (p. 42)
a system of government in which power is divided, by a constitution, between a central government and regional governments
Define: supremacy clause (p. 42)
Article VI of the U.S. Constitution, which states that the Constitution and laws passed by the national government and all treaties are the supreme law of the land and superior to all laws adopted by any state or any subdivision
Define: necessary and proper clause (p. 42)
Article I, Section 8, of the U.S. Constitution; it provides Congress with the authority to make all laws “necessary and proper” to carry out its powers
- Which idea is contained in both the U.S. and Texas constitutions?
a) separation of powers
b) keynesianism
c) laissez-faire economics
d) Rebus sic stantibus
e) none of the above
a) separation of powers
- Which of the following is not an important function of a state constitution?
a) prevents the concentration of political power
b) delegates power to individuals and institutions
c) allows government to intrude in the lives of businesses and individuals
d) legitimizes political institutions
e) limits application of the U.S. Constitution
c) allows government to intrude in the lives of businesses and individuals
- Which part of the U.S. Constitution reserves power to the states?
a) Article I
b) Article VI
c) First Amendment
d) Tenth Amendment
e) nineteenth Amendment
d) Tenth Amendment
- Under the U.S. Constitution, the government of Texas is most limited by
a) Article IV of the U.S. Constitution.
b) the implied powers clause and the Tenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
c) the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
d) All matter equally.
e) none matter.
a) Article IV of the U.S. Constitution.
Describe the six Texas constitutions that preceded the current constitution (pp. 43–53)
Texas has had seven constitutions reflecting the concerns of the historical periods in which they were written. The Civil War and Reconstruction played a major role in shaping Texans’ attitudes toward the dangers of strong state government.
Define: unicameral (p. 45)
comprising one body or house, as in a one-house legislature
Define: bicameral (p. 47)
having a legislative assembly composed of two chambers or houses