Going local, American style

It’s time to move our Nation’s capital to the interior of our Country. Nothing against Washington, D.C is intended. Our founding fathers picked its location as part of establishing the federal republican government and our Constitution they approved in the late 1700’s. And we were a coastal nation then, and land travel was limited, and the District of Columbia was a good choice in hindsight. The earlier Capitals were Philadelphia and New York, so the choice to start a new capital was a bold move. This story is the simple version, and while the history is more complicated, the theme is there. Most importantly it was to be ‘federal land”, as opposed to “state land”.

Our nation has expanded since our founding, going from being an Atlantic coastal nation to a “sea-to-sea” nation, one might even say a “continental nation”. Sea to sea was the Atlantic to the Pacific. But we are also (still) a new world nation where ideas count as much as our family’s geographical location and genealogy. We are way past the “old world”. Most busy Americans don’t think about this, or even care, but think all the present state is normal, thank goodness. The alternative is to feel threatened, and vote that way.

Astute politicians will consider the idea of moving the Nation’s capital to a more present representative location in the center of our Country. The states of Kansas and Colorado stick out. The real intent is to be a new American federal capital city, though other good intents like infrastructure support, and spending money should be highly popular. The Brazilians tried to move their new capital to the interior Brasilia in about five years. Perhaps we Americans can learn from them, and take much longer, like 15 years.

A key point in this idea, though boring to many, is the idea of infrastructure support. We can only cram so much into the District of Columbia, or go vertical, which is presently restricted. And the present size of the House of Representatives is 435 based on an early 1900 law when the number of Americans was much less than today. Eventually we Americans will change the old law and make more representatives, and perhaps the suggested new capital for the next 200 years may help in supporting our future leaders we do have to provide for, by our vote. Again, this is just the boring infrastructure support idea.

Newt Gingrich has offered the idea of a National evolution leading to most regular Americans reacting against a small minority ruling elite. He may be correct, but then maybe he may not be. Most Americans choose to lead, not follow, using our own experience and judgment. Going local, American style, is still a big factor.