Utah Invades Idaho: What Happens Now? (WITH AUDIO)

And why protests often get renamed “violent protests” by the federal government

Welcome back to our crash course in the U.S. Constitution — everything you need to know to better debate those aunts and uncles of yours on Facebook, without the law school price or the weird professors. Each issue tackles a different big idea that’s shaped American life: free speech, due process, equal protection, search and seizure, etc.. Expect real-world examples, understandable explanations, and the occasional lawyer joke (now you’ve been warned, so you can’t be upset). Whether you're a news junkie, a student, or just someone who wants to finally understand what “strict scrutiny” actually means, you’ll leave each issue a little smarter — and way more equipped to fight mistruths. The law was meant to be understood by the people. This series is here to prove it.

Today’s Issue: Utah Invades Idaho: What Happens Next? And why protests often get renamed “violent protests” by the federal government.

Previous Issue: Thanks for the $400 Million Jet: Here’s Why the Constitution Doesn’t Actually Stop Bribes (available here)

Next Issue: How to Rewrite the Rules Without Breaking the Rulebook: Article V and Amending the Constitution

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NOTE TO PAID SUBSCRIBERS: Due to requests for an on-the-go option while driving or working, audio narrated by me is now available on posts.

💡You’ll find the embedded audio voiceover below the “Part 1” header of this issue.

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Let’s say you’ve got four kids (hypothetically, of course…). One’s stacking couch cushions to create a makeshift trampoline. Another’s trying to unionize against bedtime. The third just declared the living room an independent kingdom. And the fourth is teething and planning a coup with a disturbingly sharp banana.

Now, imagine the U.S. Constitution as the exhausted but determined parent trying to keep order.

Article IV, Section 4 is the part of the parenting manual that says, essentially: “Look, every one of these tiny humans has to follow the same basic rules.” Or, to extend the metaphor more, “All these states have to act like republics. No monarchs. No toddler tyrants. And if the neighbors invade or things get out of hand, Mom and Dad (aka the federal government) will step in.”

Sounds simple, right? Except when it’s not parents involved…things look much, much different.

Let’s say Utah decides to invade Idaho (cue concern: “What are we gonna do about our potatoes?”). Or a country invades California? Or those protests you hear about on the news are suddenly being labeled “violent protests”? Or what if a state tries to expand its representation in the Senate because it thinks its population deserves more say in the government?

What happens next?

That’s where things get constitutional. And often, when it comes to things like labeling protests as “violent” or a “threat to peace” — it’s where it gets intentional.

So today — Article IV, Section 4. The “my house, my rules” clause.

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🏛️ Part 1: Put On Your Listening Ears — What Article IV, Section 4 Actually Says