The Concept of Taxation Without Representation

The concept of taxation without representation, which dates back to 1765, means that in order for the English to raises colonial taxes, the Colonists should have a representative back in Parliament. Any taxation without American representation were, therefore, unconstitutional. The Americans and the British had a different outlook on paying taxes, the holding of a legislator’s seat and also being able to vote in London. Because of the controversy, the American’s concept of taxation without representation was not accepted and so they wanted to have their own meetings and handle their own affairs. The British believed that one member of the Parliament should be able to represent the empire.

The taxation without representation led the Americans to become independent from Great Britain. Today in America, things are different because there are more citizens now than in 1765 and it is becoming more complicated to respond to the public. In 1974, Congress created an agency called Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). The work of this agency is to assist Congress in controlling fraud and abuse of the future markets.

The District of Columbia, which is a city in Washington, DC, was the only district that did not have any connections at all with the federal government. They had no one to represent them in Congress. In 1961, the 23rd Amendment was passed, giving the District of Columbia the right to vote by a non-voting delegate. Because the district does not have a representative in the U.S. Senate, they are unable to vote in the House.