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Compare and Contrast the U.S. Constitution With the current Texas Constitution.
Sure, here is a brief comparison and contrast between the US Constitution and the Texas Constitution:
1. Origin and History: The US Constitution is one of the oldest constitutions in the world, adopted on September 17, 1787, while the Texas Constitution is much newer, adopted on February 15, 1876.
2. Structure: The US Constitution has a much more condensed structure with only seven articles while the Texas Constitution is much more detailed and elaborate, divided into 17 articles.
3. Legislative Body: The US Constitution has a bicameral legislature consisting of the House of Representatives and the Senate while the Texas Constitution has a unicameral legislature consisting of only the House of Representatives.
4. Amendments: The US Constitution is relatively hard to amend and requires two-thirds majority of Congress and approval of three-fourths of states, while the Texas Constitution is much easier to amend and only requires a two-thirds majority of the state legislature.
5. Bill of Rights: Both the US Constitution and the Texas Constitution have a Bill of Rights that protect individual freedoms, but the Texas Constitution has additional amendments that protect property rights, including the right to access to water and the right to work.
6. Size: The US Constitution is a short document consisting of 4,543 words, while the Texas Constitution is much longer, consisting of more than 85,000 words.
These are some of the key differences between the US Constitution and the Texas Constitution. While they share similarities in their protection of individual freedoms, the Texas Constitution goes into more detail on issues like property rights and the structure of government.
Bot, What was the Tidelands Controversy, and how did It represent a major change in Texas politics in the 1950s?
The Tidelands Controversy refers to a political and legal dispute in the United States between the federal government and several coastal states, including Texas, over ownership of the submerged lands lying offshore (beneath the tidelands) in those states.
Prior to the controversy, Texas claimed title to the submerged lands beneath its coastal waters under the state's sovereignty granted through its history of Spanish and Mexican rule. However, in 1947, the US government claimed control of the submerged lands as being owned by the federal government. This set off a long legal and political battle as Texas and other states attempted to regain control of the Tidelands.
In Texas, the controversy represented a major change in state politics during the 1950s. The issue of the Tidelands became a rallying cry for the state's Democrats, who saw the federal government's claim to the land as an encroachment on states' rights. They also argued that the revenue from the offshore oil resources would benefit the state's coffers.
The controversy pitted state Democrats against their Republican counterparts, resulting in the first time in over 100 years that a Republican won the governorship of Texas. Allan Shivers, a Democrat who broke ranks with his party to support the federal control of the Tidelands, was challenged in the gubernatorial election in 1954 by Ralph Yarborough, who campaigned on the promise of regaining state control of the Tidelands. However, Shivers won the election with support from conservative Democrats and Republicans.
Ultimately, the Tidelands Controversy led to a compromise between the federal government and the coastal states. The Submerged Lands Act of 1953 granted states ownership of submerged lands within three miles of their seaward boundaries and provided a much-needed revenue stream for states like Texas. The controversy was seen as a victory for state's rights and a symbol of Texas's growing political power in the mid-twentieth century.