Part One The History of the Wyoming Constitution, The History and Development of the Wyoming Constitution

Wyoming’s state constitutional tradition can perhaps best be described as one of relative stability and pragmatism. Throughout its 125-year history, Wyoming has had only one constitution. Reflecting the emerging spirit of western populism and progressive reform, the constitution was adopted in 1889 to bolster Wyoming’s prospects for statehood. It has been amended eighty times in the state’s history; forty-nine proposed amendments have failed. None of the amendments can be seen as a broad-based attack on the general structure of state government or on the basic...