The AZ Constitution
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Dec 6, 2023
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The AZ Constitution
Logan Erffmeyer
CCOB, Grand Canyon University
Arizona and Federal Government: POS-301
Instructor Tawney
November 26
th
, 2023
Short Essay Questions
1)
Historical and political influences on Arizona’s road to statehood and the
development of the Arizona Constitution:
The area that became the state of Arizona began as a territory of New Spain, then Mexico,
followed by becoming a U.S. territory in 1848 following the Mexican-American war. Influenced
by political ambitions and the area’s unique resources and relative location, Arizona did not
become a state in 1912. Issues such as water rights, balance of power, and mining labor rights for
citizens delayed Arizona’s statehood and became the forefront of how the constitution was
formed (Davis, 2022). Progressive-era ideals ended up developing the state constitution to focus
heavily on direct democracy.
2)
Importance of the Victim’s Bill of Rights and the bill’s three tenets:
Arizona’s Victim’s Bill of Rights is extremely important as it champions the rights and
welfare of victims of crime. It ensures fair treatment and resources for victims, which reflects the
state’s constitution’s focus on aiding the people. There are three core tenets of this bill. The first
is that victims are given the right to be informed about court proceedings and to attend them. The
second is that victims have the right to seek restitution for financial losses due to the crime
committed against them. The third and final is that they are assured reasonable protection from
the offender (
Victim’s Rights
, n.d.).
3)
The principle of direct democracy related to the Arizona Constitution:
When it comes to direct democracy, Arizona’s system is a prime example of how a state
should empower their citizens. The state constitution allows citizens to directly shape legislation
through initiatives where they can propose and enact laws, through referendums where they can
vote to approve or reject laws and recall where they can remove elected officials if deemed
necessary (Knox, 2022). These mechanisms embody what it means for a citizen to actively
participate in their government. This results in a more inclusive, responsive, and responsible
government that serves the people, not representatives.
Citations
Davis, J. (2022, February 14).
Arizona Statehood Anniversary
. The Library of Congress.
https://blogs.loc.gov/law/2022/02/arizona-statehood-anniversary/
Knox, A. (2022, February 14).
Honoring Arizona’s History as a Bastion of Democracy
. Arizona
State Law Journal. https://arizonastatelawjournal.org/2022/02/14/made-of-sterner-stuff-
honoring-arizonas-history-as-a-bastion-of-democracy/
Victim’s Rights
. AZCrimeVictimHelp.org. (n.d.). https://azcrimevictimhelp.org/victim-
rights/victim-bill-of-rights
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