# What is the impact of moving the American capitol? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 10, 2009, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-impact-of-moving-the-american-capitol/480679 "2009-01-10T16:41:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![ctnguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@ctnguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ctnguy)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2009, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-impact-of-moving-the-american-capitol/480679/21 "2009-01-11T15:55:41Z")
To continue the South Africa hijack, and to expand on Driver8’s post, the South African constitution doesn’t actually specify any capital city. As it happens, the ministerial offices are in Pretoria, the Parliament is in Cape Town, the Supreme Court is in Bloemfontein and the Constitutional Court is in Johannesburg; but there is no legal requirement that it be this way. In the South African situation, a capital city is such because a branch of government is headquartered there, rather than the other way round. Loath though I am to admit it as a Capetonian, it would actually be perfectly reasonable to say that Tshwane/Pretoria is _the_ capital of South Africa. ETA: it should also be noted that the multiple-cities situation is not the result of moving capitals around; it was created that way when South Africa was created as the union of four colonies. Essentially it was a (possibly cheaper) solution than the build-a-new-city-as-a-federal-territory approach used in the US and Australia. ---
**Author:** ![spike404](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@spike404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spike404)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2009, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-impact-of-moving-the-american-capitol/480679/22 "2009-01-11T16:05:25Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > I dunno, South Africa has _three_ capital cities and they seem like a pretty peaceful and likable bunch of fellows, wot-wot. ? After Colombia, S. Africa has the highest murder rate in the world. 67/100,000. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2009, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-impact-of-moving-the-american-capitol/480679/23 "2009-01-11T16:19:53Z")
I’m not sure why you’d want to move the capitol to, essentially, the middle of nowhere, and AWAY from most of the United States population, which tends to congregate on the coasts. What would be the point? ---
**Author:** ![brownie55](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f14d63/32.png) [@brownie55](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brownie55)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2009, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-impact-of-moving-the-american-capitol/480679/24 "2009-01-11T16:59:00Z")
> [@Captain\_Amazing](#): > > They better not. You can have the Nationals. Yeah, but wouldn’t the Capitals feel out of place if they stayed? They better move too, and the Wizards, but just because they SUCK! ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2009, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-impact-of-moving-the-american-capitol/480679/25 "2009-01-12T14:16:13Z")
It would be really nice to have a second capital, if we had changed to Communism instead of Democracy. But as a Democracy we shouldn’t lose all the much to Corruption per turn, even on the west coast. I personally think we should save our forbidden Palace for when we start expanding to other continents, rather then waste it here, where things should still be ok. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2009, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-impact-of-moving-the-american-capitol/480679/26 "2009-01-12T19:27:43Z")
> [@ShibbOleth](#): > > I’m not sure why you’d want to move the capitol to, essentially, the middle of nowhere, and AWAY from most of the United States population, which tends to congregate on the coasts. What would be the point? Many state capitals are in this situation. Consider Albany, Springfield, Sacramento, Harrisburg, Tallahassee, Juneau, Carson City, Bismarck… > [@Markxxx](#): > > Washington DC never developed into the port/industrial city the original founders envisioned. Don’t be so sure. On _24_ last night, Jack Bauer chased a bad guy across Washington into a large, heavily industrial commercial port. :dubious:😃 ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2009, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-impact-of-moving-the-american-capitol/480679/27 "2009-01-12T19:39:04Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > Many state capitals are in this situation. Consider Albany, Springfield, Sacramento, Harrisburg, Tallahassee, Juneau, Carson City, Bismarck… That doesn’t make an argument to move them there. It’s just an observation that they are relatively out of the way. Also, not sure Bismarck is a good example, that whole state is out of the way. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-impact-of-moving-the-american-capitol/480679/28 "2009-01-13T02:15:49Z")
When the oil money started flowing to the state Alaska planned a new state capital city north of Anchorage. Rumors got out that it would be in Willow. People went out and bought a lot of cheap land near Willow so they could make a quick buck selling it to the state. The plans were canceled so they were left with a lot of worthless land. ---
**Author:** ![shallora](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f9ae1b/32.png) [@shallora](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shallora)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-impact-of-moving-the-american-capitol/480679/29 "2009-01-13T15:08:51Z")
**There is actually 27 replies to this thread? In all seriousness?** ---
**Author:** ![Tracy\_Lord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@Tracy\_Lord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tracy_Lord)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-impact-of-moving-the-american-capitol/480679/30 "2009-01-13T15:29:10Z")
> [@shallora](#): > > **In all seriousness?** No. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-impact-of-moving-the-american-capitol/480679/31 "2009-01-13T16:33:04Z")
Tallahassee was picked in Florida because at the time most people lived in North Florida. The 2 biggest cities back then were Pensacola and Jacksonville. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-impact-of-moving-the-american-capitol/480679/32 "2009-01-13T16:45:20Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > Tallahassee was picked in Florida because at the time most people lived in North Florida. The 2 biggest cities back then were Pensacola and Jacksonville. Orlando very nearly became the new state capital between 1963 and 1968. Assuming our hypothetical city of Usa is built in the geographic center of the nation (ie., Kansas), there would be massive infrastructure projects required. You’d need a water supply sufficient for a city of a million people, for one thing- that’s roughly the metro population of DC, and I imagine the new city would very quickly approach that. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-impact-of-moving-the-american-capitol/480679.md?page=1)