Three Branches of Government

Legislative BranchExecutive Branch Judicial Branch

What they do: Makes Laws Enforces

Laws

Interprets Laws

Who they are: (list names/types of government branches)

Legislature Governor and Executive Offices

Texas Supreme Court, Court of Criminal Appeals and Lower State Courts

Number of members/offices:

150 House

31 Senate

7 – Governor, Lt. governor, Secretary of State, Attorney General, Comptroller of Public Accounts and Commissioners for General Land Office, Agriculture

9 – Supreme Court,

9- Court of Criminal Appeals,

14-courts of appeal with many judges,

414-Texas District Courts,

Many in Lower state courts

Specific powers: (example)

Approving or rejecting governor appointments, reviews actions of other branches, deals how money will be spent, prisons, taxes education and environment

Make appointments, remove officials, Veto power, Commander and Chief

System of for accused to be brought before a court to be “judged”, System for disputes to be settled, decides how laws of state should be enforced

The Texas Constitution

How it reflects the principles of limited government

7 Texas constitutions

• 1st written when Texas was part of Mexico

• Current = 1876 • Democrats* wrote it

after Reconstruction ends

*majority party in South from 1860’s to 1980’s

Constitutions compared

US and Texas constitutions

• Protect individual rights

• List a Bill of Rights

• State how government works

• Use amendments to allow for changing times

Constitutional contrasts

USA

• Bill Of Rights was added as amendments

• Only 1st -10th are BOR

• 26 amendments total

Texas

• Bill Of Rights on first page

• Arrangement of rights different

• 400+ amendments

influence of ideas from the U.S. Constitution

on the Texas Constitution

The nature of Government is to seek power, therefore that government is best that governs least!

……..we have big problems

If any one branch can completely control another….

“(A dictator) makes speeches to the people promising them plenty, gives them nothing and takes everything.”

So,How to protect the states and people from the Federal government?

There are four ways

1.separation of powers

2.Checks and Balances

3.Popular Sovereignty

4.Individual Rights

1) Separation of powers• There are three

branches of government

• Each has specific powers that the others do not have

• Some powers are “shared”

2) Checks and Balances

• Constitution lets each branch limit the power of the other two.

• More on that later

3) Popular sovereignty

“The People are the rulers”

• government exists with the consent of the governed

• government has no “right” to exist.

• It exists because the People allow it to.

4) Individual rights• listed in Bill of Rights

• Inalienable (meaning)

Cannot be….

• “revoked”

• “removed”

• “voided”

They may be…

• violated or abused

…If we aren’t careful

Remember!

The people have the right to remove or change government when, or if, it abuses our rights.