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The Constitutionalism of American States
This comparative study of American state constitutions offers insightful overviews of the general and specific problems that have confronted America's constitution writers since the founding. Each chapter reflects the constitutional history and theory of a single state, encompassing each document's structure, content, and evolution. The text is grounded in the model presented by constitutional scholar Donald S. Lutz in The Origins of American Constitutionalism so that even when a state has a relatively stable constitutional history, Lutz's framework can be used to measure the evolving meaning of the document. With contributors drawn from state governments as well as academia, this is the first work to offer a framework by which state constitutions can be analyzed in relation to one another and to the federal Constitution. The volume begins with chapters on the New England, Mid-Atlantic, Border, and Southern states. While regional similarities within and between the New England and Mid-Atlantic states are noteworthy, the colonial aspect of their history laid the foundation for national constitution-making. And while North and South moved in distinct directions, the Border states wrestled with conflicting constitutional traditions in the same way that they wrestled with their place in the Union. Southern states that seceded are shown to have had a common set of problems in their constitutions, and the post-Civil War South emerged from that conflict with a constitutionalism that was defined for it by the war's victors. These chapters reveal that constitutional self-definition, while not evident in all of the former Confederate states, has redeveloped in the South in the intervening 140 years. Sections devoted to the Midwest, the Plains, the Mountain West, the Southwest, and the West reflect the special circumstances of states that arose from American expansion. Chapters describe how states of the Midwest, united by common roots in the Northwest Ordinance, wrote constitutions that were defined by that act's parameters while reflecting the unique cultural and political realities of each state. Meanwhile, the Plains states developed a constitutionalism that was historically rooted in progressivism and populism, sometimes in the clash between these two ideologies. Perhaps more than any other region, the Mountain West was defined by the physical landscape, and these chapters relate how those states were able to define their individual constitutional identities in spite of geography rather than because of it. And although western states borrowed heavily from those with much older constitutional traditions, the contributors reveal that they borrowed differently--and in different proportions--in order to craft constitutions that were uniquely adapted to their historical situation and peoples. This work demonstrates the diversity of our governmental arrangements and provides a virtual introduction to the political culture of each--many offering stories of constitutional foundings that are rich with meaning. Although these fifty documents are defined in a federal context, state constitutions are necessary to complete the constitutionalism of the United States.
The Texas State Constitution
The Texas State Constitution provides an outstanding constitutional and historical account of the state's governing charter. In addition to an overview of Texas' constitutional history, this volume provides an in-depth, section-by-section analysis of the entire constitution, detailing themany significant changes that have been made since its initial drafting. This treatment, along with a table of cases, index, and bibliography provides an unsurpassed reference guide for students, scholars, and practitioners of Texas' constitution. Previously published by Greenwood, this title hasbeen brought back in to circulation by Oxford University Press with new verve. Re-printed with standardization of content organization in order to facilitate research across the series, this title, as with all titles in the series, is set to join the dynamic revision cycle of The Oxford Commentarieson the State Constitutions of the United States.The Oxford Commentaries on the State Constitutions of the United States is an important series that reflects a renewed international interest in constitutional history and provides expert insight into each of the 50 state constitutions. Each volume in this innovative series contains a historicaloverview of the state's constitutional development, a section-by-section analysis of its current constitution, and a comprehensive guide to further research.Under the expert editorship of Professor G. Alan Tarr, Director of the Center on State Constitutional Studies at Rutgers University, this series provides essential reference tools for understanding state constitutional law. Books in the series can be purchased individually or as part of a completeset, giving readers unmatched access to these important political documents.
Understanding the Texas Constitution
The Texas Constitution is one of the longest and most complex state constitutions in the United States, and this book gives readers a clear and thorough path to understanding its most important points. The history of this document, as well as its similarities to the U.S. Constitution, are explored in detail. From checks and balances to the rights of individuals, the text outlines important principles of how constitutions function in both Texas and the United States as a whole. Graphic organizers, informative sidebars, relevant images, and a glossary assist readers in their understanding of the text.