Idaho: Government, Politics, and Higher Education

Idaho's constitution, adopted in 1889, became effective in 1890 upon statehood. The state's chief executive is a governor elected for a term of four years. The legislature consists of a 42-member senate and an 84-member house of representatives. The state also elects two representatives and two senators to the U.S. Congress and has four electoral votes. Idaho is a Republican state in national politics but had Democratic governors from 1970 to 1994.

Outstanding among Idaho's institutions of higher learning are the Univ. of Idaho, at Moscow; Idaho State Univ., at Pocatello; and Boise State Univ., at Boise.

Sections in this article:

• Introduction
• Putting Water and the Atom to Work
• Development and Disputes
• Gold, Settlement, and Resistance
• Early Explorers and Fur Traders
• Government, Politics, and Higher Education
• Economy
• Geography
• Facts and Figures

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