Name: _______________________________________
GOVT 2306 – Texas Government
Chapter 2 – Federalism and the Texas Constitution
Brown Text
1. When was the current Texas Constitution written?
2. What is federalism?
3. In what Amendment are the powers of the state governments established as being separate
from the powers of the national government?
4. Where is the national supremacy clause of the US Constitution found?
5. Where are the enumerated (delegated) powers of the Congress found?
6. What is the significance of the Supreme Court case of Texas v White?
7. What are the seven guarantees to the states made by the US Constitution?
8. What is the effect of the privileges and immunities clause of the US Constitution?
9. What is the effect of the full faith and credit clause?
10. By January 2009 how many states had bans on same sex marriage? When did Texas approve a
constitutional ban on same sex marriage?
11. Describe the four main powers (concurrent with the US powers) given to the states.
12. What is the concept of devolution and how has it affected the relationship between the states
and national government?
13. When did welfare programs become a primary responsibility of the federal government?
14. What is the purpose and effect of federal grants-in-aid programs?
15. What is the best example of an unfunded mandate on states by the federal government in
recent years?
16. What is the main source of government power in Texas?
17. What are the seven constitutions under which Texas has operated?
18. How are the US Constitution and the Texas Constitution similar?
19. Of what populist group did many of the framers of the Texas Constitution of 1876 a part? How
did this affect the new constitution?
20. How many times has the Texas Constitution been amended as of 2011? Why has it been
amended so many times?
21. Where and when was the Texas Declaration of Independence issued?
22. What were the results of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, signed in 1848?
23. Who were the Radical Republicans (nationally)?
24. How did Radical Republicans gain control of the Texas legislature?
25. Who was the first Republican governor of Texas?
26. Why did Governor E.J. Davis use martial law in some parts of Texas?
27. What was the partisan and racial makeup of the Texas Constitutional Convention of 1875?
28. What were the two main goals of the Texas Grange members?
29. Describe the major tenets of the Constitution of 1876; include references to the three branches
of government, education, and other courts.
30. How does the power of the governor of Texas compare to the powers of the governors of other
states?
31. What factors allow special interests to play a significant role in constitutional amendment
elections?
Name: _______________________________________
GOVT 2306 – Texas Government
Chapter 2 – Federalism and the Texas Constitution
Brown Text
32. What is the benefit of voters approving allowing the major research universities of Texas to
compete for grants from the National Research University Fund?
33. What are the seven basic steps in amending the state constitution?
34. Describe the power of initiative (which Texas voters do not have).
35. What are some of the main arguments supporting a rewrite of the Texas Constitution?
36. How many of the Texas Constitution’s bill of rights are written to prevent from arbitrary
government action?
37. Why did the US Supreme Court rule that the state of Texas did not have to remove a monument
of the Ten Commandments from the capitol grounds?
38. What is meant when it is said that the executive branch portion of the Texas Constitution
creates a plural executive?
39. What are the two courts of final appeal in Texas? What is each for?
40. Describe the significance of the Texas Equal Land Rights Amendment?