The Capital Who Watches Over All

National Mall, Washington, D.C.

The U.S. Capitol building sits atop Capitol Hill at the eastern end of the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The Senate Wing of the building was completed in 1800, and the House Wing was completed in 1811. The building is still home to both the Senate and the House of Representatives which together form Congress. The National Capital holds many true and symbolic powers. The majority of the time it holds the most influential and important elected officials of the U.S. Government. However, when it is empty it still seems to be active, watching over the city like a big brother.

As you can see in the picture above, the Capitol is situated in an elevated position looking over the National Mall and the City as a whole. This position makes it visible in nearly every area of the city. Although there is not truthfully a person peering out from inside the capital on a daily basis, it still appears to be watching over the city. Whether they are conscious of it or not, people are constantly in the field of vision of the capital.

The picture to the left was taken by a photographer with the last name Bettmann in the 1940's. Run-down tenements sit in the foreground. In the background, the capitol sits in the direct center, watching every corner of the city. This picture is quite ironic if we interpret the capital as watching over the city. It is watching the people suffer in the crowded tenements yet doing nothing about it. Additionally, the U.S. Capitol is a symbol of the 'American Dream'. The people who inhabit these tenements are not living this dream yet they look at the capitol nearly every day.

Watching over the city, the capital serves the same person as a false security camera. Upon seeing it, the viewer adjusts their behavior, thinking someone is watching. The capitol is just a more primitive form of false surveillance, causing people to take just a little more consideration. This surveillance connects to the concept of a "Smart City" which we discussed in class a few days ago. The Capitol helps to make Washington D.C. a "smart city" in a sense, always surveying everyone and everything in sight.

Here is a video History of the United States Capitol.

This idea of constant surveillance connects to the Panopticon style prison.