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9th grade · Social Studies · Unit 11 of 11

Federalism & Texas Government

National, state and local powers

What your child practices

Why the Founders chose federalism, national, reserved and shared powers, the supremacy clause and limits on the states, conflicts between state and national government, and how Texas is governed: the Constitution of 1876, the Legislature, the plural executive, the two high courts, counties, cities and school districts.

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) teks student expectation: GOV.7(H); GOV.8(A); GOV.8(B); GOV.8(C); GOV.8(D); GOV.9(A) · federalism, national, state and shared powers, and the structures of national, state and local government in Texas

How we explain it

Children can open this short lesson before they practice.

  1. Federalism splits power between national and state governments. Under the supremacy clause, federal law wins a conflict.
  2. Texas has a plural executive: the governor, lieutenant governor (who leads the Senate) and attorney general are elected separately.
  3. Locally, a commissioners court governs each county; city elections are usually nonpartisan.

Example: Who presides over the Texas Senate? In Texas this officer is elected statewide. It is the lieutenant governor. Answer: the lieutenant governor

Federalism & Texas Government in Texas

In the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), this is unit 11 of 11 in 9th grade Social Studies, after Government & the Economy.

Gradelings describes a child's practice on this unit as Beginning, Approaching, Meeting or Exceeding (Four practice steps). That reflects practice, not a report-card mark: the teacher decides the mark.

Source: Texas Education Agency (TEA)

Sample questions

A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.

  1. Question 1

    Texas has a plural executive, which means…

    • several top officials are elected separately instead of chosen by the governor
    • the legislature runs the executive branch
    • the governor makes every decision
    • Texas has two governors

  2. Question 2

    A Texas county is governed by a…

    • commissioners court
    • city council
    • state senate
    • school board

  3. Question 3

    Under the 14th Amendment, most of the Bill of Rights now limits…

    • both the national and state governments
    • only city councils
    • only the president
    • no government at all

  4. Question 4

    Texas judges, including Supreme Court of Texas justices, are chosen mainly by…

    • a lottery
    • appointment for life
    • the US president
    • partisan elections

  5. Question 5

    The Texas attorney general is…

    • appointed by the president
    • the leader of the House
    • a federal judge
    • the state's lawyer, elected statewide

  6. Question 6

    The Texas Constitution has been amended more than 500 times mainly because…

    • it is very detailed, so many changes need an amendment
    • the US Constitution requires it
    • amendments are made every week
    • it is only one page long

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