POLS 207 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Balanced Budget, Supremacy Clause, Constitutionalism
7 Feb 2018
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Today: constitutionalism in the united states: what is a constitution, constitutional traditions in the us, state constitutions, compared w/ us constitution, the texas constitution, assessing state constitutions. State bills of rights: all states have them, u. s. constitution supremacy clause (+incorporation) --> national bill of rights also applies to the states: but many states specify additional rights their citizens possess, ex. Many states have "little eras" (equal rights ammendments: can"t discriminate on the basis of sex, etc: ex. Tx prohibition against "transportation" as a form of punishment (can"t send people to different places in exile: ex. Freedoms against gov"t "interference" in "private life" (can put things that aren"t in the national constitution) Constitutional decision making vs. "ordinary" policymaking: traditional distinction, constitutions "govern governments" set down rules & procedures for decision-making. But state constitutions contain many policy decisions: groups attempt to enshrine their preferences in constitution, more difficult to alter or revoke, can"t be undone by ordinary law.
