The Florida Constitution
establishes and describes the duties, powers, structure and function of the government of Florida
and establishes the basic law of the state. It includes twelve articles.
What are the parts of the Florida Constitution?
- ARTICLE I DECLARATION OF RIGHTS.
- ARTICLE II GENERAL PROVISIONS.
- ARTICLE III LEGISLATURE.
- ARTICLE IV EXECUTIVE.
- ARTICLE V JUDICIARY.
- ARTICLE VI SUFFRAGE AND ELECTIONS.
- ARTICLE VII FINANCE AND TAXATION.
- ARTICLE VIII LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
What is the Florida Constitution and why is it important?
The Constitution of the State of Florida is
the document that establishes and describes the powers, duties, structure and function of the government of the U.S. state of Florida
, and establishes the basic law of the state.
How is the Florida Constitution different from the US Constitution?
Many state constitutions look
very similar
to the U.S. Constitution, including the Florida Constitution. 18. The U.S. and Florida constitutions have a similar structure; both documents have a preamble, articles and amendments. … The U.S. Constitution has 7 articles while the Florida Constitution has 12 articles.
What is Florida Constitution preamble?
PREAMBLE We,
the people of the State of Florida, being grateful to Almighty God for our constitutional liberty
, in order to secure its benefits, perfect our government, insure domestic tranquility, maintain public order, and guarantee equal civil and political rights to all, do ordain and establish this constitution.
Did the Florida Constitution allow slavery?
Florida's original constitution was created by 56 delegates and was the precursor to Florida being admitted to the Union in 1845. The original constitution established a judicial, legislative, and executive branch of government, but it also
protected slavery
and prevented free African Americans from entering the state.
Which right can be denied to the citizens of Florida?
The last sentence of the basic rights provision currently states, “No person shall be deprived of
any right because of race, religion or physical handicap
.” The Florida Supreme Court has held unequivocally that this section protects individual rights from governmental intrusions, not from intrusions of private parties.
Does Florida Constitution have a Bill of Rights?
Taxpayers' Bill of Rights. —By general law
the legislature shall prescribe and adopt a
Taxpayers' Bill of Rights that, in clear and concise language, sets forth taxpayers' rights and responsibilities and government's responsibilities to deal fairly with taxpayers under the laws of this state.
What is the highest court in Florida?
The supreme court
is the highest court in Florida. To constitute a quorum to conduct business, five of the seven justices must be present, and four justices must agree on a decision in each case.
Where do bills start in Florida?
Follow a bill through the process:
Bill
originating in the Senate
(PDF)
What are 4 similarities between the U.S. and Florida Constitution?
The U.S. and Florida constitutions both have a preamble (an introduction that states the purpose and goals of government),
articles
(sections that describe the powers and functions of the government), and amendments (changes that have been made to the constitution).
How is a state constitution like the U.S. Constitution?
Just as the U.S. Constitution gives
the rules for how the U.S. government should run
, state constitutions give rules for how a state government should run. State governments operate independently from the federal government, and a state's constitution sets out the structure and functions of its government.
What are four things that the U.S. Constitution does?
First
it creates a national government consisting of a legislative, an executive, and a judicial branch
, with a system of checks and balances among the three branches. Second, it divides power between the federal government and the states. And third, it protects various individual liberties of American citizens.
What are the first three words in the preamble of the Florida Constitution?
We, the people of the State of Florida, being grateful to Almighty God for our constitutional liberty
, in order to secure its benefits, perfect our government, insure domestic tranquility, maintain public order, and guarantee equal civil and political rights to all, do ordain and establish this constitution.
How many words are in the Florida Constitution?
The Florida Constitution, by the way, checks in at
about 39,000 words
. It has been amended 102 times since 1968, when the new constitution (except for Article V which was approved in 1972) was adopted. The typical life of a state constitution is 70 years, and during that time it is amended about 115 times.
What does the Florida Constitution say about the right to bear arms?
The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution guarantees the people the right to keep and bear arms. Similarly,
article I, s. 8(a)
of the Florida Constitution guarantees the right of the people to keep and bear arms in defense of themselves and of the lawful authority of the state.
