OHIO CONSTITUTION POWERPOINT NOTES [Slide 1] Ohio Constitution: Time to Learn About it! Question to be thinking about: NAME: Can you tell how it compares/contrasts to/with the United States Constitution? [Slide 2] A constitution is... The fundamental law of a state or nation. Written document agreed to by the people. Gets its power/authority from the people it governs. Organizes government into branches, explains what their powers are, and specifies how those powers are to be exercised. [Slide 3] Ohio s constitution... Is the fundamental law of Ohio. Is second only to: The United States Constitution, [Slide 4] Ohio s constitution... Acts of Congress (federal level), or Treaties that the United States has entered into with other nations. History dates back to the Northwest Ordinance! Was first approved by Congress in 1802. First step to Ohio s admission to the Union as a state. Ohio became a state in _1803! That is the fundamental law of Ohio today is actually the _2 nd constitution! It s called the Constitution of 1851, and Has been amended to be the law we know today. It substantially revised the relationship among the _3 branches of Ohio s government.
[Slide 5] Under the Constitution of 1851... Proposed amendments to the constitution that are agreed to by three-fifths (3/5) of the members of each house of the _General Assembly are submitted to the for approval or rejection. Amendments may also be proposed by initiative petition and constitutional convention. [Slide 6] Important amendments approved in 1912... Court and legislative reform Protections for workers Increased authority for local government Initiative and referendum [Slide 7] Amendments to the Ohio Constitution since 1912... Many amendments have authorised the issuance of state bonds (funding) for various purposes... Veterans bonuses Highway & school construction. Economic development Environmental cleanup Other amendments have dealt with a variety of issues... Classification of property for tax purposes, Organization of the judiciary branch, Governor s power to grant pardons & communications, Term limits for legislators, and the Definition of marriage.
[Slide 8] The Ohio Constitution... Sets forth the framework and powers of state government. Provides the protections of a Bill of Rights. Is a starting point for researching a wide variety of issues. Is _LARGE!!! The Ohio Constitution has over 36,000 words! The US Constitution has about 9,200 words. [Slide 9] Why is the Ohio Constitution so large? It s a WORKING document. It s a CATALOG of legislative powers of the [Listen for further explanations. Take extra notes here as needed.] GENERAL ASSEMBLY Ohio s state congress. It s a _LEGISLATIVE GUIDE. It s a PARLIAMENTARY guide. It s a DRAFTING manual. [Slide 10] Still... Why does it have to be so LOOOOOOOONG? More inclusive ( DETAILED ) than the United States Constitution. Has provisions pertaining to _ELECTIONS LOCAL GOVERNMENT Finance and TAXATION Public EDUCATION Many other subjects that the US Constitution barely mentions or doesn t even mention!
Ohio s Constitution LIMITS state government; the US Constitution DELEGATES authority to the national government. [Slide 11] How s the Ohio Constitution Structured? Organization of the Ohio Constitution Preamble Broad categories highlighting basic features PREAMBLE I. _BILL OF RIGHTS Bill of Rights II. III. IV. _LEGISLATIVE Executive JUDICIAL Three branches of government V. Elective Franchise VI. Education VII. Public Institutions VIII. Public Debt & Public Works IX. Militia X. County & Township Organizations XI. Apportionment XII. Finance & Taxation XIII. Corporations XIV. Miscellaneous XVI. Amendments XVII. Elections XVIII. Municipal Corporations Provisions relating to ADMINISTRATION of government and subject of law that applies to essential legal principles and rules of right. ( SUBSTANTIVE Law) Schedule CONCLUSION - Schedule (Dates & Transition from old to new Constitution) Go on to next page for Slide 12 & your assignment!
Slide 12] Principles of Government SEPARATION OF POWERS Means that the powers of government are allocated to THREE SEPARATE BRANCHES, each with its own personnel. A person in one branch CANNOT exercise the powers given to ANOTHER BRANCH. Implied from the STRUCTURE of the document. Three _SEPARATE POWERS (legislative, executive, & judicial) brought together in 3 SEPARATE and DISTINCT entities (the General _ASSEMBLY, the GOVERNOR, & the JUDICIARY ). CHECKS AND BALANCES Prevents power from being concentrated in or abused by one branch of government. Examples: Governor can VETO. _GENERAL ASSEMBLY can override a veto. Courts make _COMMON LAW GENERAL ASSEMBLY can pass legislation that modifies common law. _COURTS may restrain by declaring legislation unenforceable ( UNCONSTITUTIONAL ). General Assembly has certain SPECIAL POWERS. House can _IMPEACH ; _SENATE tries impeachment cases. Define JURISDICTION of courts and create new courts, dictate how state _JUDGES are elected, and set the pay of state judges, the GOVERNOR, and other executive officers. Your assignment is to come up with as many similarities and differences as you can about the Ohio Constitution and the United States Constitution. Use the information provided in this PowerPoint presentation, as well as your copies of the United States Constitution and Ohio Constitution, and your Constitution Study Guide! AT MINIMUM: You must list or describe at least 5 items for how the Ohio Constitution is different than the US Constitution, 5 items for how the US Constitution is different than the Ohio Constitution, and 10 items showing how the two are similar.