Democrats Should Prioritize Statehood for D.C. and Territories to Shake Up American Politics
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/by/jamelle-bouie. "Opinion | Thank You, President Trump - The New York Times." May 20, 2026. www.nytimes.com
The Gist
America hasn't added new states in over 60 years, making our politics feel stuck and unchanging. Democrats should fix this by making D.C. and territories like Puerto Rico into states when they're back in power, which would give underrepresented Americans a voice and shake up our political system.
Conclusion
Democrats should embrace statehood for Washington D.C. and U.S. territories as a top political priority when they next have power
Premises
- The U.S. has not admitted a new state in over 60 years, creating an impression that the country is static and finished
- Historically, admitting new states regularly upset political equilibrium and shook up the system in beneficial ways
- Washington D.C. and U.S. territories like Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands have residents who are Americans but lack congressional representation
- There is nothing in the Constitution preventing D.C. from becoming a state
- The Senate is currently much whiter and more male than the country at large, indicating a representation problem
- Black representation in the House of Representatives is facing catastrophic collapse
- Partisan advantage is a legitimate reason for creating new states, just as it has been historically
Assumptions
- Political stagnation is inherently bad for American democracy
- Demographic representation in Congress should roughly match the country's demographics
- Residents of D.C. and territories deserve the same political rights as other Americans
- Democrats will eventually regain unified control of government
- Adding new states would meaningfully improve representation and shake up politics