You can live in Washington, D.C. amid the nation’s cherished monuments to democracy and representative government — the U.S. Capitol, the stately congressional office buildings, the White House — and still be among the most disenfranchised citizens in the nation.
Since Congress started meeting in D.C. in 1800, it’s been more overlord than neighbor to the residents of the District. They have no senators and can send only a non-voting delegate to the House of Representatives. And they’ve been able to do that much only since 1971. “Home rule” allowing a locally elected mayor and city council wasn’t enacted by Congress until 1973 — and Congress still retains the power to modify or veto D.C.’s laws and budgets. And it took a constitutional amendment (the 23rd) for D.C. residents to be able to vote for president, which they first did in 1964.