‘Taxation without representation': The ongoing fight for Washington DC's full democratic rights
President Donald Trump's repeated threats to impose his will on the city has brought its unique status back into the spotlight.
Washington DC is a bustling urban centre with schools and businesses serving 700,000 residents—but is also the seat of national power, home to the White House, Capitol and Supreme Court.
This dual identity often places local interests at odds with federal oversight, in a city where democracy is on display daily, even as the locals themselves lack full democratic rights.
Unlike the 50 states, the city operates under a unique relationship with the federal government that limits its autonomy and grants Congress extraordinary control over local matters.
The overwhelmingly Democratic city faces complaints from Republican politicians that it is overrun by crime, plagued by homelessness and financially mismanaged.
'Taxation without representation'
The city was established by the constitution in 1790 as a federal district, not part of any state as the Founders wanted the capital to be independent of any single state's influence.
The land for the district was ceded by Maryland and Virginia, although the Virginia portion was returned in 1847.
Because of its federal status, Washington is governed under the authority of Congress.
Residents pay federal taxes, but lack voting representation in the House and Senate—earning the city the long-standing slogan seen on bumper stickers: 'Taxation without representation.'
Limited home rule
In 1973, Congress passed the Home Rule Act, allowing residents to elect a mayor and a city council, although laws passed by the body are subject to congressional review and veto.
Congress also controls the city's budget, which has led to political tensions when lawmakers have blocked local initiatives on marijuana legalization, reproductive rights and police funding.
Push for statehood
Supporters of making the US capital the nation's 51st state have framed their cause as an effort to end a glaring American civil rights violation.
Despite having no say in congressional votes, the city's residents fight and die in US wars and face a higher federal tax burden than people in the 50 states.
Statehood advocates argue that the residents—who are more numerous than the populations of Vermont or Wyoming—deserve full congressional representation and local autonomy.
In 2021, the House of Representatives passed a bill to make the District of Columbia the 51st state, but it stalled in the Senate.
Opponents argue that the city was never intended to be a state and that making it one would require a constitutional amendment.
A constitutional amendment ratified in 1961 gave the city votes in the presidential electoral college.
Mixed crime picture
Washington is not among the top 10 US cities for the rate of violent offenses, although it has historically struggled with crime.
The 1990s saw soaring homicide rates, peaking at around 480 deaths in 1991, during a crack cocaine epidemic.
Crime dropped significantly in the 2000s but then surged again after the Covid-19 pandemic.
In 2023, homicides reached a 20-year high with 274 lives lost—a 36 per cent increase on the previous year.
However, preliminary data for 2024 indicates a substantial drop, with homicides down by 32 per cent compared to 2023, according to the Metropolitan Police Department.
The decrease has contributed to an overall reduction in violent crime in the city, which is down 35 per cent from 2023.
Melting pot
As of the 2020 Census, Washington's population stood at 683,000, although it is now estimated at 702,000.
A racially diverse melting pot, Washington is around 44 per cent Black and 37 per cent white, with Hispanic and Asian Americans making up much of the rest of the population, according to Census data.
It is also one of the best educated and richest urban areas in the country, though stark income inequality persists between neighborhoods. — AFP
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