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5 Big Questions About Washington, D.C.

Many members of Congress—and residents of the nation’s capital—want Washington, D.C., to become the 51st state.

1. If Washington, D.C., isn’t a state, what is it?

It’s a city. But unlike other cities, it is also a federal district that was created for the sole reason of becoming the nation’s capital.

Washington, D.C.’s unique status goes back to the country’s early days. America’s Founders worried that if the national capital were located within a state, that state might have too much power over the federal (national) government. So they wrote in the Constitution that the nation’s capital should be located in a federal district that isn’t part of any state.

The federal government moved to the District of Columbia in 1800.

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The state of Maryland donated the land that is now Washington, D.C.

2. Why do some people want the nation’s capital to become a state?

For residents of Washington, D.C., it’s about fairness. The capital is home to nearly 700,000 people. Its population is larger than that of two states, Wyoming and Vermont. For more than 200 years, D.C. residents have served in the U.S. military and died for their country. Also, people in D.C. pay billions in taxes to the U.S. government each year.

But only Americans who live in a state get to elect members of the U.S. Senate. D.C. residents do elect one member to the U.S. House of Representatives, but that person isn’t allowed to vote on laws. That means people who live in D.C. have no say in how their federal tax dollars are spent.

They say this is unfair, calling it “taxation without representation.” It’s the same rallying cry used by the colonists during the American Revolution (1775-1783).

A Closer Look at Congress

Congress is the branch of the U.S. government that writes, debates, and votes on plans for new laws, called bills. It has two parts: the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives.

Senate

  • 100 senators
  • Each senator is elected to a six-year term.
  • Each state elects two senators. They represent a whole state.

House of Representatives

  • 435 representatives
  • Each representative is elected to a two-year term.
  • Each state elects at least one representative, who serves the people in a particular district within a state. States with larger populations have more districts—and more representatives.

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Congress meets in the U.S. Capitol.

3. What would it take for the U.S. to add a new state?

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Both parts of Congress would need to approve the idea. Then the president would need to sign the bill into law. That’s how every state other than the original 13 Colonies has joined the United States.

In April, the effort to make Washington, D.C., a state cleared a big hurdle. The House of Representatives voted 216-208 in favor of statehood. Carolyn Maloney, a representative from New York, says the bill honors “the most fundamental principle of this nation—that all people have a right to full and equal representation in their government.”

4. Does this mean we’ll soon be adding a 51st star to the American flag?

Not so fast. Before the bill can reach the president, it would have to be approved by the Senate—and that isn’t expected to happen. Many members of both parts of Congress argue that making D.C. a state would go against the wishes of America’s Founders.

“They never wanted the seat of our government to be a state, and they specifically framed the Constitution to say so,” says Jody Hice. He is a representative from Georgia who voted against the bill in April.

In 1959, Alaska and Hawaii became the 49th and 50th states.

 

5. If it became a state, would Washington, D.C., still be the U.S. capital?

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Yes. The bill approved by the House of Representatives would keep the part of the city that includes the White House, the U.S. Capitol, and the major monuments as a federal district. That would still meet the requirements of the Constitution. Areas where residents live—as well as businesses, schools, and churches—would become a new state.

The state would be called Washington, D.C., but D.C. would stand for “Douglass Commonwealth.” It would be named after Frederick Douglass (right), one of the leaders of the movement to end slavery during the 1800s.

1. Why did America’s Founders believe that the nation’s capital should be in a federal district that wasn’t part of any state?

2. Why does the author mention the American Revolution?

3. What would need to happen for Washington, D.C., to become a state?

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