The residents of Washington, D.C., the capital of the oldest democracy in the world, are not allowed to pass their own laws without the federal government agreeing with them first. That’s because DC is not a state, something DC residents want to change.
# Stuff You Should Know: DC Statehood
Josh and Chuck dive into the surprisingly complex and frustrating history of why Washington DC isn't a state despite having nearly 700,000 residents—more people than several existing states. The episode traces DC's origins back to the Constitution and explores the fascinating reasons it was intentionally designed to be stateless, then reveals how racial politics have kept it that way for over 150 years. They break down the current roadblocks to statehood, explain the very real consequences DC residents face by not having full representation, and discuss why the answer to "why not just make it a state?" turns out to be almost entirely about partisan politics rather than any legitimate constitutional or practical concerns.
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