President Donald Trump’s unprecedented decision to place the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Police Department under direct federal control has put the spotlight on a 50-year-old law governing the relationship between the federal government and the District: the District of Columbia Home Rule Act.

Enacted on December 24, 1973, the Home Rule Act was the result of decades of advocacy by Washington, D.C. residents seeking a greater say in local affairs. For most of its history prior to that time, the nation’s capital was governed directly by Congress. The act established an elected mayor, a 13-member District of Columbia Council, and neighborhood advisory commissions, which was a major step toward self-government.

Although the act was a major advance for Washington, D.C.’s self-government, i

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