The warmer weather of late spring is finally here and that means, among other things, walks home from the office—or, at least, walks from the office eventually to a Metro station, and then home.

I can’t help but think that we were better off when this place was simply the Federal City. The growth in Washington, DC, and particularly the wealth, prestige, and the centralization associated with this city do not strike me as good for republican virtue, let alone the effective administration of government.