Home Rule or House Rule?: Congress and the Erosion of Local Governance in the District of Columbia

by Michael K. Fauntroy

Overview

Article I, Section 8, Clause 17 of the Constitution of the United States grants Congress complete authority over the seat of government, the District of Columbia. This clause creates an infirmity that renders the residents of the District without the same measure of democracy enjoyed by Americans in the states. Various remedies have been attempted, none of which put the residents of the District on par with their fellow Americans. This book presents a political analysis of the relationship between Congress and the local government of Washington, D.C. It examines the influence of suburban members of Congress on District affairs, the fiscal crisis of the 1980s and 1990s, governmental inefficiency, and the Control Board.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780761827139
Publisher:	University Press of America
Publication date:	10/28/2003
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	254
Product dimensions:	5.68(w) x 8.84(h) x 0.94(d)

About the Author

Michael K. Fauntroy is Assistant Professor, School of Public Policy, George Mason University.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 List of Tables and Figures Chapter 2 Preface Chapter 3 Acknowledgments Chapter 4 Introduction Chapter 5 Evolution of Democracy in the District of Columbia Chapter 6 Role of Partisanship in Congressional Intervention Chapter 7 Suburban Influence on District Affairs Chapter 8 Changing Governmental Problems Facing the District, the Responses of Elected Officials, and the Resulting Fiscal Crisis Chapter 9 Control Board as Response to Fiscal Crisis Chapter 10 Summary and Conclusions Chapter 11 Bibliography Chapter 12 Index Chapter 13 About the Author