Citizen Democracy

It's spring in Washington DC, which means flowering trees, rainy days, and an upsurge in tourists. Walking to the Union Station metro stop from my preferred work coffee shop takes me past the Library of Congress, the Capitol, and the Supreme Court. As I play human dodge ball with school groups and families, I can only shudder to imagine what it will be like when summer vacation arrives.

One of the unexpected advantages of these encounters is the chance to hear and see people's ideas of government and democracy in action. There are moments of basic civic education (Daddy? What does a Senator do? ... Senators make laws, honey) and chances to see people young and old experience government first-hand (Our first appointment is with Senator so-and-so, and then we'll meet with Representative such-and-such...).


It's also interesting to me to watch people's political beliefs play out in what they choose to see and what they say about the monumental buildings they pass. I''m looking forward to hearing more of these as the summer arrives. One recent encounter nearly sent usually tranquil Anna into conniptions when a father, having looked at a sign to answer his daughter's "What building is that, Daddy?" replied: "Library of Congress, bah. That's the government wasting every penny of our hard earned money."

The Washington that tourists see is a monumental city. Wide avenues with spacious sidewalks lead from national monument to major building, from famous landmark to seat of state, passing grandiose building after grandiose building that houses people doing the mundane work of government. This is a city meant to make people proud
of their nation. Their participation in its festivals, their footsteps through its monuments, their tours of its major buildings echo with symbolic meaning. Sometimes that symbolism seems lost on the people running to get across the street and catch the double-decker tour bus. But sometimes, walking past, you can listen in and hear that some of the messages are hitting home.