Featured in Issues & Controversies:
D.C. STATEHOOD: Should Congress Make Washington, D.C., the 51st State?
Should Congress grant D.C. statehood? Be sure to check out Issues & Controversies’ complete and unbiased coverage of this divisive issue. Here is a sample of the pro/con arguments on both sides of the issue.
Try Issues & Controversies today!
| SUPPORTERS ARGUE | OPPONENTS ARGUE |
| Denying Washington, D.C., residents a voice in Congress is undemocratic. Opposition to D.C. statehood has long been rooted in racism, partisan interest, and hollow legal arguments, none of which should obscure the moral imperative of eliminating taxation without representation and allowing local self-rule. | D.C. statehood is an unconstitutional power grab that would leave the federal government dependent on a surrounding state, exactly the recipe for undue influence and favoritism the authors of the U.S. Constitution hoped to avoid. Washington, D.C., does not have the size, industry, or governance necessary to become a state. |
The pro/con article links to rich related resources that enhance the debate. Students and researchers can explore the “By the Numbers” data, primary sources that provide context, debate videos, NPR podcasts, infographics, editorials, a Reuters® newsfeed, a chronology, and a bibliography and further resources. Plus, discussion questions are provided to inspire critical thinking and analysis.
What Is the Issues & Controversies Database?
The award-winning Issues & Controversies helps researchers understand today’s crucial issues by exploring hundreds of hot topics in politics, government, business, society, education, and popular culture. Updated weekly, with an extensive backfile, Issues & Controversies offers in-depth articles—each presenting both sides of an issue clearly, coherently, and without bias—made to inspire thought-provoking debates. Its straightforward presentation of the key facts, arguments, history, and current context of today’s most important and timely issues makes the database an ideal resource for research papers, debate preparation, and persuasive writing assignments.
Click on the links below for more information about Issues & Controversies and to take a free trial:
See also:
- Transgender Rights: A Featured Controversy from Issues & Controversies
- Immigration Policy: A Featured Controversy from Issues & Controversies
- Educator Tools: Learning Through Debate
- Climate Change: A Featured Controversy from Issues & Controversies
- Issues and Controversies Receives 2021 MLA Awards’ Gold Distinction: Q&A with the Editor
