Seat of Government Clause
E884681
The Seat of Government Clause is a provision in the U.S. Constitution that authorizes Congress to establish and exercise exclusive authority over a federal district serving as the nation’s capital.
Statements (46)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
clause of the United States Constitution
ⓘ
constitutional provision ⓘ |
| adopted | 1788 ⓘ |
| alsoKnownAs |
District Clause
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Enclave Clause NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| appliesTo |
District of Columbia
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
federal enclaves within states ⓘ |
| authorizes | creation of a federal district as the national capital ⓘ |
| basisFor |
Congressional authority over federal buildings and installations within states
ⓘ
Congressional authority over military bases within states ⓘ federal enclave jurisdiction ⓘ |
| cameIntoForce | March 4, 1789 ⓘ |
| category |
United States constitutional clauses
ⓘ
United States federalism NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| citedIn |
debates over D.C. statehood
ⓘ
debates over representation of D.C. in Congress ⓘ |
| confers | exclusive legislative authority over the federal district to Congress ⓘ |
| constitutionalNumbering | Article I, Section 8, Clause 17 ⓘ |
| distinguishes | federal district from U.S. states ⓘ |
| enables | establishment of the District of Columbia ⓘ |
| foundIn | Article I, Section 8, Clause 17 of the United States Constitution NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| governs |
exclusive legislation over places purchased for forts, magazines, arsenals, dockyards, and other needful buildings
ⓘ
relationship between federal government and capital district ⓘ |
| grantsPowerTo | United States Congress NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| historicalContext | concerns about state influence over the national capital after the Revolutionary War ⓘ |
| historicallyLinkedTo | Residence Act of 1790 NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| influencedBy | Pennsylvania Mutiny of 1783 NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| interpretedBy | Supreme Court of the United States ⓘ |
| jurisdictionOver | federal district serving as the seat of the U.S. government ⓘ |
| languageSource | United States Constitution (original text) NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| legalEffect | removes the seat of government from exclusive control of any single state ⓘ |
| limitsDistrictSizeTo | ten miles square ⓘ |
| partOf | Article I of the United States Constitution NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| purpose | to provide a neutral, federally controlled seat of the national government ⓘ |
| relatedTo |
federalism in the United States
ⓘ
home rule in the District of Columbia ⓘ voting rights of District of Columbia residents ⓘ |
| requires |
acceptance of ceded territory by Congress
ⓘ
cession of territory by particular states ⓘ |
| subjectOf |
Supreme Court case law on federal enclaves
ⓘ
constitutional law scholarship ⓘ |
| textBegins | "To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever" ⓘ |
| textRefersTo | "such District (not exceeding ten Miles square)" ⓘ |
| usedToJustify |
Congressional authority over D.C. budget
ⓘ
Congressional control over District of Columbia local laws ⓘ Congressional review of D.C. legislation ⓘ |
Referenced by (1)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.