D.C. Rewards Consequence, Not Popularity

Using Paul Graham’s city-ambition frame, the author argues Los Angeles runs on who-you-know, while Washington, D.C. elevates people who can actually move levers of government. In D.C., prestige comes from proximity to formal decision power and producing policy outcomes, not from being liked or famous. — This helps explain why viral influencers and hype campaigns rarely change policy and why effective political strategy requires institutional roles and impact.