In class we will reading through the parts of the Texas Constitution, specifically the articles related to the Texas Bill of Rights, Counties and Municipal Corporations. We will also look through the principle of separated powers as it applies to states generally and - of course - Texas specifically. I think its interesting to compare how the checks and balances work in Texas as opposed to the national government. I have a hunch that the method in Texas allows for power to consolidate through elections and one party rule.
The three sections opened this week. Each look at the nature of the three governing institutions - the legislative, executive and judicial. This is done to make sure we're clear on what these institutions are, what they do and the differences in the design of each across the states - as well as how the state design can be very different than what we see on the national level. These slides look at the local level as well.
The simple purpose of these sections is to prep you for an in-depth look at these in Texas and the local level starting with next week's slides on the Texas legislature.
- State Legislatures
- State Executives
- State Judiciaries
