Washington, D.C.

=== Politics ===
{{Main|Elections in the District of Columbia}}
{{See also|District of Columbia home rule|List of District of Columbia symbols}}
[[File:John A. Wilson Building west side.jpg|thumb|The [[John A. Wilson Building]] is the headquarters for much of the [[Government of the District of Columbia]], including the offices of the [[Mayor of the District of Columbia|mayor]] and [[Council of the District of Columbia|D.C. Council]].]]
[[Article One of the United States Constitution|Article One, Section Eight of the United States Constitution]] grants the [[United States Congress]] "exclusive jurisdiction" over the city. The district did not have an elected local government until the passage of the [[District of Columbia Home Rule Act|1973 Home Rule Act]]. The Act devolved certain Congressional powers to an [[Mayor of the District of Columbia|elected mayor]] and the thirteen-member [[Council of the District of Columbia]]. However, Congress retains the right to review and overturn laws created by the council and intervene in local affairs.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dccouncil.washington.dc.us/pages/dc-home-rule |title=DC Home Rule |publisher=Council of the District of Columbia |access-date=December 3, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111117031522/http://www.dccouncil.washington.dc.us/pages/dc-home-rule |archive-date=November 17, 2011}}</ref> Washington, D.C., is [[Political party strength in the District of Columbia|overwhelmingly Democratic]], [[United States presidential elections in the District of Columbia|having voted]] for the Democratic presidential candidate solidly since it was granted electoral votes [[1964 United States presidential election|in 1964]].{{citation needed|date=June 2023}}

Each of the city's eight [[Ward (country subdivision)|wards]] elects a single member of the council and residents elect four at-large members to represent the district as a whole. The council chair is also elected at-large.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dcboee.org/candidate_info/elected_officials/elected.asp |title=Current Elected Officials in DC |access-date=January 11, 2012 |publisher=D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics |archive-date=December 13, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111213133659/http://www.dcboee.org/candidate_info/elected_officials/elected.asp |url-status=live }}</ref> There are 37 [[Advisory Neighborhood Commission]]s (ANCs) elected by small neighborhood districts. ANCs can issue recommendations on all issues that affect residents; government agencies take their advice under careful consideration.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://anc.dc.gov/page/about-anc |title=About ANC |access-date=September 22, 2012 |publisher=Government of the District of Columbia |archive-date=September 15, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120915003209/http://anc.dc.gov/page/about-anc |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[Attorney General of the District of Columbia|attorney general of the District of Columbia]] is elected to a four-year term.<ref>{{cite web |title=§&nbsp;1–204.35. Election of the Attorney General. |url=http://dccode.org/simple/sections/1-204.35.html |website=Code of the District of Columbia (Unofficial) |publisher=Open Law DC |access-date=January 2, 2015 |archive-date=January 2, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150102183010/http://dccode.org/simple/sections/1-204.35.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Washington, D.C., observes all [[Federal holidays in the United States|federal holidays]] and also celebrates [[Emancipation Day]] on April 16, which commemorates the end of slavery in the district.<ref name=emancipation /> The [[flag of Washington, D.C.]], was adopted in 1938 and is a variation on George Washington's family [[coat of arms]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Glaser |first=Jason |title=Washington, D.C. |year=2003 |publisher=Capstone |isbn=978-0-7368-2204-6 |page=[https://archive.org/details/washingtondc0000glas/page/55 55] |url=https://archive.org/details/washingtondc0000glas |url-access=registration}}</ref>

Washington, D.C., has been a member state of the [[Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization]] (UNPO) since 2015.<ref>{{Cite web |title=UNPO: District of Columbia (Washington, DC) |work=unpo.org |access-date=November 4, 2021 |url=https://unpo.org/members/18770 |date=December 4, 2015 |archive-date=October 23, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191023192317/https://unpo.org/members/18770 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The idiom "[[Inside the Beltway]]" is a reference used by media to describe discussions of national political issues inside of Washington, by way of geographical demarcation regarding the region within the Capital's Beltway, Interstate 495, the city's highway loop (beltway) constructed in 1964. The phrase is used as a title for a number of political columns and news items by publications like ''[[The Washington Times]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-beltway-as-a-target-of-populists-1510871274|title=Why 'Inside the Beltway' Is a Target of Populists|date=November 17, 2017|work=The Wall Street Journal|access-date=April 8, 2022|archive-date=May 11, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180511141050/https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-beltway-as-a-target-of-populists-1510871274|url-status=live}}</ref>