Is the US Capitol a 'temple of democracy'? Its authoritarian architecture suggests otherwise
- Written by Megan Goldman-Petri, Part-time Lecturer, New York University
The U.S. Capitol is modeled on the baroque Cathedrals of Europe, which were built to honor monarchs and popes. PixnioHonoring the Capitol Police officer killed in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi recently invoked the building’s symbolic role in American democracy.
“Each day, when members enter the...










