| Name Number of constitutions Year current version adopted | Alaska Constitution 1 1959 | Arizona Constitution 1 1912 | Arkansas Constitution 4 1874 | California Constitution 2 1880 |
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Why did the colonies write state constitutions beginning in 1776?
The state's original constitution, drafted in 1776,
called for the election of a state president
. … When the state legislature presented the voters with a proposed constitution in 1778, it was rejected because the people thought that this was too important an issue for the government to present to the people.
What did the first state constitutions focused on?
The first State constitutions focused mainly on?
Limiting Government power
.
What were the new state constitutions?
The new state constitutions
increased the size of state legislatures (to make them more representative)
. In many states, representatives were elected annually. Based on their experience with royal governors, the new constitutions strengthened the powers of the legislatures and weakened the powers of governors.
Which came first the federal constitution or state constitutions?
The Federal Constitution was not the first constitution
drafted and passed in the United States of America. Since the spring before independence was declared by the colonies in 1776, the various states gathered in local assemblies to hammer out laws by which they would govern themselves.
Which state constitutions were most democratic?
The
1776 Pennsylvania constitution
, the first page of which is shown here, adhered to more democratic principles than some other states' constitutions did initially.
How do most state constitutions begin?
Many state constitutions, unlike the federal constitution, also
begin with an invocation of God
. Some states allow amendments to the constitution by initiative. Many states have had several constitutions over the course of their history.
Why do states have their own constitutions?
Each state works on its own,
experimenting to find the best structure for its government
. In fact, they've invented something new: the written constitution. It spells out the government's powers and citizens' rights in a single document, for all to see. … They want constitutions to outrank ordinary law.
What are the two main reasons why state constitutions need reform?
Need for Reform, cont.
States need to revise their constitutions to cut down on length and outdated material
. – Laws that are statutory rather than fundamental can be removed. – Obsolete provisions that no longer have effect can be removed.
What were some of the key ideas in state constitutions?
What basic ideas did the state constitutions include?
Higher and natural rights, social contract, popular sovereignty, representation and the right to vote, legislative supremacy
.
What state has the longest state constitution?
The average length of a state constitution is about 39,000 words (compared to 7,591 words for the U.S. Constitution including its amendments). The longest state governing document is that of
Alabama
, which has approximately 389,000 words.
Which state has the oldest constitution?
Why Study the
Massachusetts
Constitution
The 1780 Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, drafted by John Adams, is the world's oldest functioning written constitution. It served as a model for the United States Constitution, which was written in 1787 and became effective in 1789.
Why were the first state constitutions written down?
Americans believed that each of
the State Constitutions should be written down
. … The framers of the State Constitutions believed that publishing these written documents would make it harder for state governments to violate basic principles.
Do state constitutions have a Bill of Rights?
Every State constitution possesses a “bill of rights
” or “declaration of rights.” … State constitutions provide for the organs of the State government such as: Legislature. The office of the Governor.
What did most state constitutions have that the original Constitution did not have?
What did most State Constitutions have that the original United States Constitution did not have?
A bill of rights
.
How many US constitutions are there?
| Constitution of the United States | First court February 2, 1790 | Amendments 27 | Last amended May 5, 1992 |
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