Pennsylvania Avenue National Historic Site - Area As Metaphor

Area As Metaphor

The historic site is often used as a political metaphor in the United States. Political scientists and political commentators often use the mile-and-a-half (2.4 kilometres) length of Pennsylvania Avenue as a metaphor for the political gulf which sometimes exist between the President's and Congress' policy priorities. It has also been used as a metaphor for the separation of powers under the United States Constitution. The area is also seen as a political synonym for the seat of government as well as the White House. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, for example, was often called "the sphinx of Pennsylvania Avenue."