GOVT 2306 UNIT 1

Article 1 of the Texas Constitution

Contains the Bill of Rights.

Article 6 of the Texas Constitution

Deals primarily with the Judicial Branch.

Current Texas Constitution ratification year

The current Texas Constitution was ratified in 1876.

Most progressive Texas constitution

The Constitution of 1869 is considered Texas's most progressive in terms of power and organization.

Texas independence year

Texas became an independent republic in 1836.

Texas annexation year

Texas was annexed and became a state in 1845.

Dominant subpolitical cultures in Texas

According to Daniel Elazar, the two dominant subpolitical cultures in Texas are Individualistic and Traditionalistic.

Dominant culture in traditionalistic political culture

A culture that views government as a means to preserve the existing social order.

Moralistic political culture belief

Believes government should act as a positive force to promote the public good.

Individualistic political culture view of government

Views government as a mechanism that should be limited and focus on encouraging marketplace competition.

Provincialism

A narrow, self-interested view of the world often associated with rural areas.

Trend challenging provincialism in Texas

The increasing political influence of women, minorities, and LGBT individuals.

Texas's early political life region

Grew most directly out of the traditions of the Gulf Coastal Plains.

Major city in the Gulf Coastal Plains

Houston is located within the Gulf Coastal Plains region.

Cities like Lubbock and Amarillo region

Located in the Great Plains region.

Big Bend National Park location

Located in the Basin and Range Province.

Gulf Coastal Plains suburban and urban areas trend

Suburban areas are becoming more Democratic, while urban areas are becoming more Republican.

Border region (El Paso, McAllen, Brownsville)

Has remained politically a swing region since the late 20th century.

Third wave of creative destruction in Texas

The shift towards a high-tech and service-based economy.

Privatization of public property in Texas history

Primarily refers to the distribution of public land to railroad companies and settlers.

Grange and Populist movements

Led by farmers and agrarian reformers in the late nineteenth century.

Grange movement composition

Primarily composed of farmers.

King Ranch

A massive, famous Texas ranch still in operation.

Largest ranch in Texas

The King Ranch, still producing cattle and other goods.

Modern oil industry in Texas

Began with a major strike at Spindletop.

Significance of Spindletop event

Marked the discovery of a massive oil gusher, transforming the state's economy.

Higher education revenue in Texas

Has benefited most from revenue generated by the oil and gas industry.

Permanent University Fund (PUF)

Primarily benefits Texas universities from wealth generated by public land and oil/gas royalties.

Texas metropolitan areas for high-tech industry

Dallas-Fort Worth and Austin are national centers.

Second-largest city in Texas

San Antonio.

Largest population city in Texas

Houston.

Dallas development in the late 19th century

Resulted from the intersection of railroad lines.

Fort Worth historical industry association

Most associated with cattle and meatpacking.

Main agricultural product of Gulf Coastal Plains

Cotton.

Texas production of rice

Almost all occurs in the Gulf Coastal Plains.

Primary function of a state constitution

Create a framework for state government and limit its power.

State constitutions

Primarily designed to structure state government and place limitations on it.

Federalism

The system dividing power between a central government and regional governments.

Defining characteristic of federalism

Multiple, overlapping levels of government (national and state).

Supremacy Clause

Establishes that the Constitution and federal laws are the supreme law of the land.

Conflict between state law and federal law

When a state law conflicts with a valid federal law, the federal law takes precedence.

Delegates to the Convention of 1836

The majority were from Southern U.S. states.

Cultural and political background of 1836 delegates

Heavily influenced by the traditions of the southern United States.

Main issue stalling Texas admission to the U.S.

The debate over slavery and its expansion.

Controversy during Texas annexation

Whether it would enter as a slave state or a free state.

Requirements for Texas to re-enter the Union after Civil War

Texas was required to abolish slavery, nullify its ordinance of secession, and repudiate the war debt.

Presidential Reconstruction

Characterized by a lenient approach aimed at quickly restoring Southern states to the Union.

Congressional Reconstruction

Characterized by a harsh approach, dividing the South into military districts and demanding civil rights for freedmen.

Governor E.J. Davis's actions after defeat

Refusing to leave office and calling out the state militia.

E.J. Davis's desire after governorship

To maintain control through controversial and forceful means.

The Grange's effect on Texas Constitution of 1876

Pushed for a government that was strong and centralized.

The Grange's primary effect on the Texas Constitution of 1876

to push for a government that was decentralized and limited in power.

Key principle of government in the 1876 Constitution

Popular sovereignty and limited government.

Purpose of the Texas Constitution of 1876

to limit the power of government and reverse the policies of the Davis administration.

Major goal of the writers of the 1876 Constitution

to restrict the government's ability to accumulate debt and power.

Difference between the Texas Bill of Rights and the U.S. Bill of Rights

The Texas Bill of Rights is more detailed and offers greater protections in some areas.

Specific right found in the Texas Bill of Rights but not in the U.S. Bill of Rights

"Right of Victims of Crime."

Key difference in the executive branch between Texas and the U.S.

Texas has a plural executive system, while the U.S. has a singular executive.

Power distribution in the Texas plural executive

Divided among several independently elected officials.

Power to impeach a state official under the Texas Constitution

rests with the House of Representatives.

Conducting the trial for an impeached official in Texas

is conducted by the Senate.

First step in amending the Texas Constitution

A two-thirds vote in both the House and Senate to propose the amendment.

Final step in the Texas constitutional amendment process

Ratification by a majority vote in a statewide election.

Purpose of checks and balances

to prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful.

System of checks and balances

is designed to limit the powers of each branch of government.

Powers specifically granted to each branch to restrain the other branches

are called Checks and Balances.

Example of a check the legislative branch has on the executive

the power to impeach and remove officials.

Check the legislative branch

The power to veto legislation, impeach and remove officials, declare laws unconstitutional, and pardon criminals.

Major issue dividing Texans and Mexico

The price of cotton, Mexico's abolition of slavery, religious freedom, and the location of the capital.

1827 Constitution of Coahuila y Tejas state religion

Catholicism.

Key cause of the U.S. Civil War in the 1836 Constitution

The legalization and protection of slavery.

Texas admission to the United States

Texas was the 28th state to be admitted.

Annexation agreement between Texas and the U.S.

Allowed Texas to retain its public lands.

Texas joined the Confederate States of America

In 1861.

1861 Texas Constitution provisions

Protect states' rights and the institution of slavery.

Illegitimacy of the 1869 constitution

Drafted by a convention of primarily African American delegates under federal military rule.

Current Texas Constitution of 1876 articles

Consists of 27 articles.

Amendments to the 1876 Constitution

Has been amended about 100 times.

Focus of the 1876 Constitution

The principle of limited and decentralized government.

Power to tax income

Gained through the 16th Amendment.

Sovereignty of federal and state governments

Obtained directly from the consent of the governed (the people).

10th Amendment

Often called the 'States' Rights Amendment' because it reserves powers not delegated to the federal government to the states or the people.

McCulloch v. Maryland decision

The federal government has implied powers and state actions cannot impede federal law.

Importance of Gibbons v. Ogden

Broadly defined congressional power over interstate commerce.

Dual Federalism

A system where state and federal powers are clearly separated and do not overlap.

Cooperative Federalism

Characterized by an intertwining of state and national agencies working together.

Categorical Grants

Federal funds granted to states for very specific purposes with strict guidelines.

Block Grants

Federal funds given to states for broad policy areas, giving states more flexibility in spending.

Unfunded Mandates

Federal requirements that states pay for federal policies themselves.

White Primary

Ended by the Supreme Court case *Smith v. Allwright*.

Sweatt v. Painter

Significant because it ruled that separate law school facilities for Black students were inherently unequal.

Fourteenth Amendment

Important because it extended protections of the Bill of Rights to the state level.

Equal Protection Clause

Requires that states must treat all individuals equally under the law.

Popular Sovereignty

The principle that the ultimate political power rests with the people.

Social Contract Theory

Suggests that people submit to government in exchange for the protection of their rights.

First President of the Republic of Texas

Sam Houston.

One-Party Democratic Rule in Texas

Lasted approximately from 1876 to the 1970s/1980s (about 100 years).

Individualistic and Traditionalistic

A culture that views government as a means to preserve the existing social order.

Political Influence

The increasing political influence of women, minorities, and LGBT individuals.

Gulf Coastal Plains

A geographical region in Texas.