Companion course · Idaho
🏔️ The Idaho Constitution: How Idaho's Own Charter Really Works
Idaho's 1889 constitution decides more of daily civic life than the federal one: school funding, local debt, the initiative right, the plural executive and the rules for how every bill must be written. This course explains how it really works, with the Boise convention record, the Idaho Supreme Court cases that shape it, the amendments on the November 3, 2026 ballot, and step-by-step guides to researching a constitutional question yourself.
- 1Idaho in 1889: The Boise ConventionHow 72 delegates wrote Idaho's constitution in Boise in the summer of 1889 without an act of Congress, what they feared, and how voters and Congress made it official. Includes a how-to for reading the convention debates yourself.19 min
- 2Reading the Idaho ConstitutionA practical guide to the 21 articles of the Idaho Constitution: how sections are numbered, how to cite them, where the official current text lives, how to find annotations and older versions, and how Idaho's charter differs from the U.S. Constitution.17 min
- 3Idaho's Declaration of RightsArticle I of the Idaho Constitution compared with the federal Bill of Rights, section by section, with the Idaho Supreme Court cases that show where Idaho's protections match, differ or go further, from search and seizure to gun rights, victims' rights and the 2023 abortion ruling.19 min
- 4Three Branches, Idaho StyleHow Idaho's Constitution divides power among a part-time Legislature, seven separately elected executive officers and an elected, nonpartisan judiciary, with real fights over vetoes, adjournment and acting governors.19 min
- 5How a Bill Must Be WrittenArticle III of the Idaho Constitution sets drafting rules every bill must follow: one subject expressed in the title, three readings, revenue bills from the House, amendments printed in full, no special laws, and rules on when laws take effect. Learn how courts enforce them and how to check any bill yourself.18 min
- 6The People's Reserved PowerIdaho voters reserved the initiative and referendum in 1912. Learn the signature rules, the 2021 Reclaim Idaho decision that made these fundamental rights, what an initiative can and cannot do, and how HJR 4 and the 2026 ballot fit in.17 min
- 7Schools and the ConstitutionHow Article IX of the Idaho Constitution governs public schools, religion and school money, and the school endowment, told through the ISEEO funding cases, the no-aid clause, the grazing lease case and the February 2026 ruling on the Parental Choice Tax Credit.19 min
- 8Debt, Taxes and Local GovernmentHow Articles VII, VIII, XII and XVIII of the Idaho Constitution control taxes, state and local debt, city police powers and county offices, with the cases that decide when a local project needs a two-thirds vote.17 min
- 9Changing the ConstitutionHow Article XX lets the Legislature and voters amend Idaho's Constitution, how courts have enforced its rules, and a neutral walk-through of HJR 4 and HJR 6 on the November 3, 2026 ballot using the official text and Legislative Council statements.19 min
- 10How To Research an Idaho Constitutional QuestionA step-by-step method for answering an Idaho constitutional question from the official text, the 1889 convention debates, amendment records, Idaho Supreme Court opinions, Attorney General opinions and legislative history, with two worked examples and guidance on writing a fair story or testimony.16 min
Verify independently
Every case, citation, vote count and quotation in this lesson was checked against a primary or reliable source in October 2026, but constitutions are amended, opinions are withdrawn and links move. Check the official text and the opinion itself before you rely on anything here.