1. State Constitutions Chapter 24
Basic principles & provisions
Process for constitutional change
Need for reform

2. State constitutions are built on what 2 principles?
Popular sovereignty
--the people are the sole source of authority for government

3. State constitutions are built on what 2 principles?
Limited government
--government is restricted in what it may do, it may not take away the rights of individuals

4. Supreme law of the….
US Constitution
United States
State constitutions
Each state

5. The Supremacy Clause Article VI, Section 2
State constitutions subordinate to US Constitution
Nothing in state constitution can conflict with any form of federal law.

6. State Constitutions Today
First were modeled after colonial charters
Most are direct descendents of earlier documents.
Most have been amended dozens of times

7. 5 ways to describe state constitutions
Basic Principles
Protections of Civil Rights
Governmental Structure
Government Powers and Processes
Constitutional Change

8. States work under principle of Popular sovereignty
Basic Principles
States work under principle of Popular sovereignty
Powers of government divided into 3 branches
Legislative, Executive, Judicial
Checks and balances

9. Protections of Civil Rights
Most have a bill of rights, listing the rights of people against the state and its officers and agencies

10. Governmental Structure
Deal with structure of government at state and local levels
Most go into a lot of detail

11. Governmental Powers and Processes
List powers given to each branch of government
Taxing, spending, borrowing, providing for education
Processes for…
Elections, legislation, State-local relations

12. Constitutional Change
Each state sets up its own way to be amended or revised
MI—every 16 years the question of calling for a convention is submitted to the voters
By initiative
Voters sign petitions in favor of a proposal

13. Need for Reform
Popular distrust in government has led to very lengthy constitutions
Difficulty in separating fundamental law & statutory law
Many outdated provisions
Mass (1780)& New Hampshire (1784) oldest & still in force today.

14. Preamble of Michigan’s Constitution - 1963
We, the people of the State of Michigan, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of freedom, and earnestly desiring to secure these blessings undiminished to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this constitution.