Which document provides the foundational authority for Texas courts?

• A. The Texas Constitution
• B. The United States Constitution
• C. The Texas Administrative Code
• D. The Texas Education Code

Answer: (A)

The Texas Constitution provides the foundational authority for Texas courts. It establishes the judiciary, defines its jurisdiction and powers, and sets up the structure, organization, and method of selecting judges. While the United States Constitution governs federal limits and applies to Texas courts in federal matters, it does not create or authorize Texas’s court system—that role belongs to the Texas Constitution. The Texas Administrative Code and the Texas Education Code are specific statutes and rules that regulate particular areas, not the general authority and framework of the courts. So the Texas Constitution is the primary source that authorizes and shapes how Texas courts function.