What Makes Washington DC Unique in US Political System?

Asianet News English

Washington DC stands out in America. This is a city marked by taxation without representation, limited home rule, and a powerful push for statehood. Amid a complex crime landscape and a richly diverse population, D.C. is more than the nation's capital; it's a melting pot and symbol of democracy's challenges. Now, with President Trump deploying National Guard troops to the city, tensions escalate.    #WashingtonDC #NationalGuard #DCStatehood #TaxationWithoutRepresentation #USPolitics #TrumpNews #DCPolice #World  🔊 LIKE ➡ SHARE ➡ SUBSCRIBE  For More Updates:  English: https://newsable.asianetnews.com/  Hindi: https://hindi.asianetnews.com/  Malayalam: https://www.asianetnews.com/  Kannada: https://kannada.asianetnews.com/  Tamil: https://tamil.asianetnews.com/  Telugu: https://telugu.asianetnews.com/  Bengali: https://bangla.asianetnews.com/  Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AsianetNewsa...  Follow us on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/AsianetNewsEN  Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ann.newsable/  ➡ If you like our video, give us a thumbs up and subscribe to our channel to get the daily dosage of news, entertainment, sports and more.

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00:00The capital of the world's leading superpower is a city unlike any other in the United States,

00:09not just in symbolism but in its legal and political structure.

00:15President Donald Trump's repeated threats to impose his will on the city

00:19has brought its unique status back into the spotlight.

00:23Washington, D.C. is a bustling urban center,

00:26with schools and businesses serving 700,000 residents.

00:32But it is also the seat of national power, home to the White House, Capitol and Supreme Court.

00:40This dual identity often places local interests at odds with federal oversight,

00:46in a city where democracy is on full display daily,

00:50even as the locals themselves lack full democratic rights.

00:54Unlike the 50 other states, the city operates under a unique relationship

01:00with a federal government that limits its autonomy

01:03and grants Congress extraordinary control over local matters.

01:08The overwhelmingly democratic city faces complaints from Republican politicians

01:13that it is overrun by crime, plagued by homelessness and financially mismanaged.

01:25The city was established by the Constitution in 1780 as a federal district,

01:32not part of any state, as the founders wanted the capital to be independent of any single state's influence.

01:40The land for the district was ceded by Maryland and Virginia,

01:46although Virginia's portion was returned in 1847.

01:50Because of its federal structure, Washington is governed under the authority of Congress.

01:56Residents pay federal taxes but lack voting representation in the House and Senate,

02:02earning the city the long-standing slogan seen on bumper stickers,

02:07taxation without representation.

02:14In 1973, Congress passed the Home Rule Act,

02:19allowing citizens to elect a mayor and a city council.

02:23Although laws passed by the body are subject to congressional review and veto.

02:29Congress also controls the city's budget,

02:32which has led to political tensions when lawmakers have blocked local initiatives

02:38on marijuana legalization, reproductive rights and police funding.

02:43Supporters of making the U.S. capital the nation's 51st state

02:53have framed their cause as an effort to end a glaring American civil rights violation.

03:00Despite having no say in the congressional votes,

03:03the city's residents fight and die in U.S. wars

03:07and face a higher federal tax burden than people in the 50 states.

03:13Statehood advocates argue that the residents,

03:16who are more numerous than the population of Vermont or Yoming,

03:20deserve full congressional representation and local autonomy.

03:25In 2021, the House of Representatives passed a bill

03:29to make the District of Columbia the 51st state,

03:33but it stalled in the Senate.

03:36Opponents argue that the city was never intended to be a state

03:40and that making it one would require a constitutional amendment.

03:46A constitutional amendment ratified in 1961

03:49gave the city votes in the Presidential Electoral College.

03:58Washington is not among the top 10 U.S. cities

04:01for the rate of violent offenses.

04:03Although it has historically struggled with crime.

04:08The 1990s saw soaring homicide rates,

04:12peaking at around 480 deaths in 1991.

04:16During a crack cocaine epidemic,

04:18crime dropped significantly in the 2000s,

04:21but then it surged again after the COVID-19 pandemic.

04:24In 2023, homicides reached a 20-year high,

04:29with 274 lives lost,

04:32a 36% increase on the previous year.

04:35However, preliminary data for 2024 indicates a substantial drop,

04:41with homicides down by 32% compared to 2023.

04:46The decrease has contributed to an overall reduction

04:50in violent crime in the city,

04:52which is down 35% from 2023.

05:00As of 2020 census,

05:03Washington's population stood at 683,000,

05:08although it is now estimated to be 702,000.

05:12A racially diverse melting pot,

05:15Washington is around 44% black and 37% white,

05:21with Hispanic and Asian Americans

05:23making up much of the rest of the population.

05:27It is one of the best educated

05:28and richest urban areas in the country,

05:32though stark income inequality

05:35persists between neighborhoods.

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