Florida State Government and History Flashcards

Under the Florida Constitution, which body has the sole authority to propose amendments to the State Constitution through the legislative process, and what supermajority threshold is required?

Answer: The Florida Legislature, requiring a three-fifths vote of each chamber

Under Article XI of the Florida Constitution, the Legislature may propose amendments by a three-fifths (60%) vote of each chamber. This is distinct from the two-thirds threshold sometimes confused with this process. Proposed amendments still require 60% voter approval at a general election to be ratified.

Florida's 1968 Constitution introduced a significant structural change to the executive branch. Which of the following BEST describes that change compared to the 1885 Constitution?

Answer: It consolidated a fragmented plural executive by reducing the number of independently elected cabinet officers

The 1968 Constitution streamlined Florida's executive branch by reducing the number of independently elected Cabinet positions that had proliferated under the 1885 Constitution, consolidating executive power more coherently around the Governor. The 1885 Constitution's plural executive had created a sprawling, fragmented cabinet system that diffused accountability.

The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act (2018) amended Florida law in multiple ways. Which of the following provisions does it include that is LEAST commonly cited but directly affects classroom instruction rights?

Answer: It created the Coach Aaron Feis Guardian Program, allowing trained school staff — excluding classroom teachers — to be armed on campus

The Coach Aaron Feis Guardian Program, created by the act, permits certain trained school staff to carry firearms but explicitly excluded classroom teachers from eligibility under the original 2018 law. This distinction — that guardians must not be primarily responsible for classroom instruction — is a nuanced provision often overlooked. The exclusion of classroom teachers was later modified in 2023, but the original 2018 act contained this restriction.

Which Florida Governor, serving in the late 19th century, is historically credited with leading the state through Reconstruction and is notable for being the first Florida-born Governor after the Civil War era?

Answer: Francis Fleming

Francis Philip Fleming (1889–1893) was the first native-born Floridian to serve as Governor in the post-Reconstruction era, born in Panama City, Florida. His election represented a symbolic milestone of Florida-native leadership. William Bloxham is notable for land sales to drain the Everglades, George Drew was the first post-Reconstruction Democratic governor, and Jennings served later (1901–1905).

Under Florida's constitutional provisions on home rule, a county ordinance and a municipal ordinance conflict on a matter not preempted by state law. Which legal principle governs the outcome?

Answer: The municipal ordinance prevails if the municipality has a special act charter predating the county ordinance

In Florida, municipalities operating under special act charters (granted by the Legislature) that predate conflicting county ordinances can assert precedence based on those charters. Florida's home rule structure is complex: neither municipality nor county automatically prevails. However, a special act charter that specifically grants authority in a field generally controls over a later general county ordinance in the same field, absent state preemption. This is a nuanced area of Florida municipal law.

Florida's Constitution Revision Commission (CRC), which convenes every 20 years, last met in 2017–2018. Which of the following CORRECTLY identifies a constitutional constraint on the CRC's authority?

Answer: The CRC's proposed amendments bypass the Legislature but still require 60% voter approval at a general election

The Constitution Revision Commission can propose amendments directly to Florida voters — bypassing the Legislature entirely — but its proposals still must be approved by 60% of voters at a general election to become effective. The Governor has no veto over CRC proposals, and no Legislature concurrence is required. This makes the CRC a powerful but still voter-accountable body. Its 2017–2018 session was controversial for bundling multiple unrelated changes into single ballot proposals.