Difference between Texas Bill of Rights and US Bill of Rights?

Answer 1

The Texas Bill of Rights and the U.S. Bill of Rights contrast in that the U.S. includes the Bill of Rights only as an addendum in the first ten amendments. Texas places it's Bill of Rights in the beginning of Article I.

Texas changes the order of its Rights significantly and goes on to include the perceived dangers of the time, such as the threat of the national government. Since Texas did not trust the government they added protections from the government in the Bill of Rights.

• The threat of national government - "the maintenance of our free

  institutions and the perpetuity of the Union depend upon the preservation of the right of local self-government unimpaired to all the States." [Article I,

  Section 1]

• The threat of state government - "[the people of Texas] have at all times

  the inalienable right to alter, reform or abolish their government in such

  manner as they may think expedient" [Article I, Section 2]

• The threat of government favoritism - "All free men, when they form a social

  compact, have equal rights and no man, or set of men, is entitled to exclusive

  separate public emoluments, or privileges, but in consideration of public

  services." [Article I, Section 3]

• Article VI: Suffrage: Specifies separately the basic right to vote and the qualifications for voting for Texans

• The two constitutions are similar in that they provide for a separation of powers, checks and balances, and a bill of rights.
• The concept of federalism is also embodied in both documents.

• The supremacy clause and the necessary and proper clause found in the U.S.. Constitution distinguish the federal constitution from its state counterpart.