preview

Texas Constitution Pros And Cons

Decent Essays

Throughout the 171 years of Texas’ statehood, it has ran under a numerous amount of Constitutions (Braden 1). The Texas constitution is among the longest of state constitutions in the United States. The constitution had been amended 483 times since its adoption in 1876 (Braden 1). Amending the constitution is a lengthy process and even led to efforts of a constitutional reform during the 1970’s, which in the end had failed. The present constitution is often amended due to the fact that the longer and more detailed a state constitution is, the more frequently it is amended. The process of amending the Texas constitution may begin during a “regular or special session of the legislature, and an absolute two-thirds majority” (Newell, Prindle. Riddlesperger, Donovan, Mooney, and Smith 56) This means that one hundred House members and twenty-one Senate members must vote for the suggested changes. However, the governor cannot veto an amendment. Legislature is also very adamant on having the public have knowledge on said amendment. They …show more content…

Having a constitution that has a broad language provides the government with flexibility to handle various situations is the most advantageous. To be a beneficial state, Texas needs to have a government ran by intelligent leaders to have good governance. The constitution should be used as a guideline in order to benefit the nation and American people all the while preserving liberties as best they can. A government under a constitution needs to be broad and flexible in order for politicians to handle the changing circumstances over a period of time (“The Constitution Is Living and Broad in Interpretation” 1). Alexander Hamilton said it best, “Constitutions should consist only of general provisions; the reason is that they must necessarily be permanent, and that they cannot calculate for the possible change of things” (Hamilton

Get Access