Welcome to New Columbia: The Fiscal, Economic and Political Consequences of Statehood for D.C.

Abstract

Returning from work on a stormy day a few months ago, I was somewhat surprised to find the lampposts on the street covered in D.C. Statehood signs. While such campaigns ebb and flow, this level of full-street coverage was, to say the least, impressive. At that moment, with a whoosh of wind, the banners fell off one of the lampposts and flew down Connecticut Avenue. Independence, you might say, was in the air. And with good reason, too: the District is booming. Over the past five years, the economic growth of metro D.C. has dramatically outstripped the nation as a whole. In 2013, D.C.'s population rose at a faster rate than every state but North Dakota, growth that is particularly startling given D.C.'s high housing prices. Indeed, at 646,449, its population has come to exceed that of Wyoming and Vermont. Given this growth, it is not surprising that there are increased calls for a new political status.