2 Constitutions
This document was written in 1876 and has been amended over 400 times.
What is the Texas Constitution?
Both the U.S. and Texas constitutions start with this section protecting individual freedoms.
What is the Bill of Rights?
This branch makes the laws.
What is the legislative branch?
Texas courts handle these two kinds of law; one covers disputes between people or groups.
What are civil law and criminal law (civil law covers disputes)?
A person born in Texas automatically has this national status.
What is U.S. citizen?
Most European immigrants to Texas came from this country.
What is Germany?
The number of different constitutions Texas has had in its history.
What is seven?
Name two freedoms protected by the Bill of Rights mentioned in the unit.
What are freedom of speech and religious freedom?
This branch enforces or carries out the laws.
What is the executive branch?
This type of law protects people and helps maintain order.
What is criminal law?
The process by which a non-born citizen becomes a U.S. citizen.
What is naturalization?
Name two regions (other than Europe) that have contributed recent immigrants to Texas.
What are Mexico and Central America (or Asia, the Pacific Islands, Middle East)?
The idea that powers are shared between state and national governments.
What is federalism?
True or False: The Texas Bill of Rights protects the same types of basic rights as the U.S. Bill of Rights.
What is True?
This branch interprets laws to make sure they are fair.
What is the judicial branch?
The Texas legislature is bicameral — name its two parts.
What are the Senate and the House of Representatives?
List two requirements to be eligible to vote in Texas.
What are: be at least 18, be a Texas resident, be a U.S. citizen, be registered to vote (any two)?
Approximately how many undocumented immigrants live in Texas according to the unit?
What is about 1.5 million?
Name one power that is typically a state power
What is education (or police, roads, etc.)?
Explain briefly why a Bill of Rights is important for citizens.
What is to protect individual freedoms from government overreach?
The idea of dividing government power into three branches is called this.
What is separation of powers?
How many counties does Texas have?
What is 254 counties?
This term means political power belongs to the people who vote.
What is popular sovereignty?
This term means movement to the cities.
What is urbanization?
Name one power that is typically a federal power
What is national defense (or currency, interstate commerce)?
Give one example of how a right in the Bill of Rights can affect state law.
What is an example (e.g., free speech affecting state laws on protests)?
What system allows each branch to monitor and limit the others?
What is checks and balances?
Name two services municipal (local) governments provide.
What are police and fire protection (or water, power, waste)?
What is the main purpose of a primary election?
What is to choose a party’s candidate for the upcoming election?
Give one reason urbanization increased in Texas after World War II.
What is increased use of cars and building more roads (or postwar economic growth and migration to cities)?