Colorado, state, United States: Government, Politics, and Higher Education

Colorado's state government is based on the constitution drawn up in 1876 and since amended. The governor serves for a term of four years. The legislature is made up of a senate with 35 members and a house of representatives with 65 members. Colorado is represented in the U.S. Congress by two senators and six representatives and has eight votes in the electoral college. Over the last century, the state has elected more Democrats (17) than Republicans (12) as its governor, and has voted Democratic in all the presidential elections since 2008.

Among Colorado's institutions of higher learning are the Univ. of Colorado, at Boulder; the Univ. of Denver, at Denver; Colorado State Univ., at Fort Collins; and the United States Air Force Academy, at Colorado Springs.

Sections in this article:

• Introduction
• Developments since 1900
• Decline and Diversification
• Gold, Settlement, and Statehood
• Early Inhabitants, European Exploration, and U.S. Conquest
• Government, Politics, and Higher Education
• Economy
• Geography
• Facts and Figures
• Bibliography

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