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A comparison of state and federal constitutions.

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In America we have a federal constitution that outlines powers of the national government and describes its responsibilities. Each state also has its own state constitution which mirrors the federal constitution but on a smaller scale. How are these constitutions similar and in which ways are they different? Are there some responsibilities that are better administered on the federal rather than the state level? Are there some powers that are best reserved for the state as opposed to the federal government? In this post we take a look at these questions and make some observations about them.

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This is a discussion regarding similarities and differences between state and federal constitutions. This discussion contains 450 words of original text

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A constitution is a plan that provides for the governing of an area be it a state or nation. There are three basic purposes for a constitution:
1. It sets in place the basic beliefs and values of the people involved.
2. It sets in place the basic structure of government.
3. It defines the responsibilities and powers of the government.

The federal constitution is by design very general. It lists the powers of the national government but is only specific about a few. Any powers that are not explicitly stated as belonging to the federal government are supposed to be reserved for the individual states. For example the federal government is supposed to provide for the national defense, but how this is to happen is not ...

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