Slides

1. POL 318
Spring 2020

3. Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Rhode Island,Vermont

4. INSTRUCTIONS
With your group, research and prepare a short report to the
class about their state’s constitution, being careful to note:
1) Bill of Rights or Declaration of Freedoms
2) Description of Legislative, Executive, Judicial Branches
3) Amendment Process
4) InterestingThings

7.  Constitutions establish:
 Structure of Government
 Powers of Institutions (Branches)
 Rules of Policy-Making
 Historic and Living Documents
 Impact on Citizen Attitudes

9.  What are constitutions?
 Codified Constitution
 Written document
 Specific sections or articles
 Uncodified Constitution
 Collection of laws, customs,
norms, traditions
 Informal nature

11.  #1: Definite
 #2: Comprehensive
 #3: Brief
 #4: Durable and Elastic
 #5: Fundamental Rights
 #6: Suitable

14. U.S. CONSTITUTION STATE CONSTITUTIONS
 Tenth Amendment
 Power to States and People
Grants limited authority to
Congress through exclusive powers.

16. U.S. CONSTITUTION
 Stable document
 Amended 27 times
STATE CONSTITUTIONS
 Replaced much more often

18. U.S. CONSTITUTION
 7, 400 words
 SevenArticles
STATE CONSTITUTIONS
 Average of 26,000 words
 One constitution is only
8, 565 words long, while
another is 376,000 words!

21. U.S. CONSTITUTION
 Vague document
 Influence of Framers
 Politicized System
 POTUSAuthority
 Judicial Involvement
STATE CONSTITUTIONS
 More detailed
 Focus on specific policies
TheTexas
Constitution
in 1876
provided for
homestead
grants for
individiduals
and families.

23. U.S. CONSTITUTION
 “Tyranny of the Majority”
 Creation of Representative
Democracy
 Example: U.S. Senators
STATE CONSTITUTIONS
 Progressive Era
 Promotion of Direct
Democracy

25. U.S. CONSTITUTION
 Current U.S. National Debt
STATE CONSTITUTIONS
 49 of 50 states require
balanced budgets (VT)
 Topic of discussion in State
of State Addresses

27.  Granted to colonies by English Kings
 What is a constitution?
 What happens after colonial independence?
The Massachusetts State
Constitution is the oldest
functional written constitution
in the modern world.

28.  Concentration of Power in Legislatures
 Initial Limited Gubernatorial Power
 Elected by State Legislature
 SingleTerm in Office
 Increase in Gubernatorial Power
 Changing Society and Legislative Failings
 LongerTerms in Office
 Ability toVeto Legislation
 Ability of Succession—Institutional Knowledge

29. The Civil war saw massive
constitutional change at the
subnational level.
Constitutions were replaced by
Confederate states then revised
for readmittance into the Union.

30.  Reformers promoted many changes
Seventeenth
Amendment
Eighteenth
Amendment
Nineteenth
Amendment

32.  Original Constitution:
 Three Branches
 Against African-Americans
 Post-Civil War Reforms
 1885 Constitution
 Reversed post-war gains
 1968 Constitution (Current)

34.  #1: Legislative Proposals
 #2: Initiatives and Referendums
 #3: Constitutional Conventions
 #4: Constitutional Commissions

36.  Can review, revise, and submit amendments to
Florida Constitution
 Constitutional amendments happen by:
 (1) Initative by Citizens
 (2) Joint Resolution of Legislature
 (3) Recommendation of Const. Revision Committee
(4) Constitutional Convention
 Role of Florida Supreme Court

38. ADVANTAGES
 Responsiveness and
Accountability
 Concerns to Public
 Encourages Policy Debates
 StimulatesVoter Interest
 IncreasesTrust in
Govenrment
DISADVANTAGES
 “Tyranny of the Majority”
 Unwise Policies
 Voters Lack Knowledge
 No Alternative Policies or
Amendments
 General Distrust