Final answer:
The Texas Constitution of 1876 was designed to curb governmental power, focusing particularly on reducing the governor's authority as a way to prevent executive overreach, which was a common concern during the era.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Texas Constitution of 1876 was indeed designed to limit the power of government, with particular emphasis on reducing the powers of the governor's office. This was part of a broader trend during the Revolutionary Era where many states were wary of executive overreach and thus, they enacted measures to ensure that no single branch of government, including the executive, could dominate. In Texas, the Constitution divides the government into three distinct departments: legislative, executive, and judicial, with a clear separation of powers to preclude any department from exercising the powers of another, unless explicitly allowed by the Constitution.
To ensure that the governor did not accumulate too much power, akin to that of a monarchy or a form of elected tyranny, provisions were generally made across various state constitutions to limit the governor's term, restrict executive patronage, and have the legislature rather than the voters choose the governor, among other restrictions. Consequently, the intent to restrain the governor's authority was evident in Texas, which reflects the widely held sentiments of the era against executive overreach.