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The seat of government is defined by Brewer's Politics as "the building, complex of buildings or city from which a government
Government

Government is the body within any organization that has the authority to make and the power to enforce laws, regulations, or rules. Typically, the government refers to a civil government -- local, provincial, or national -- but commercial, academic, religious, or other formal organizations are also administered by governing bodies....
 exercises its authority
Authority

In government, authority is often used interchangeably with the term "power ". However, their meanings differ: while "power" refers to the ability to achieve certain ends, "authority" refers to a claim of legitimacy , the justification and right to exercise that power....
". The seat of government is usually located in the capital. In some countries
List of countries with multiple capitals

Some countries have multiple capitals; often one city is the seat of government while the other is the legal Capital ....
 the seat of government differs from the capital, e.g. in the Netherlands where The Hague
The Hague

The Hague is the third largest city in the Netherlands after Amsterdam and Rotterdam, with a population of 475,904 and an area of approximately 100 km?....
 is the seat of government and Amsterdam
Amsterdam

Amsterdam is the Capital of the Netherlands and List of cities in the Netherlands with over 100,000 people of the Netherlands, located in the Provinces of the Netherlands of North Holland in the west of the country....
 is the Capital of the Netherlands.

Australia
The seat of government and national capital is Canberra
Canberra

Canberra is the List of Australian capital cities of Australia. With a population of over 340,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth largest Australian city overall....
 in the Australian Capital Territory
Australian Capital Territory

The Australian Capital Territory is the Capital districts and territories of the Australia and its smallest States and territories of Australia....
, a territory excised from New South Wales
New South Wales

New South Wales is Australia's oldest and most populous States and territories of Australia, located in the south-east of the country, north of Victoria and south of Queensland....
 in accordance with the Constitution
Constitution of Australia

The Constitution of Australia is the law under which the Australian Government of Australia operates. It consists of several documents. The most important is the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Australia....
 and the Seat of Government Act
Seat of Government Act 1908

The Seat of Government Act 1908 was enacted by the Australian Government on December 14, 1908. The act selected the Yass, New South Wales-Queanbeyan, New South Wales region as the site for Canberra, the new capital city of Australia....
 of 1908.






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The seat of government is defined by Brewer's Politics as "the building, complex of buildings or city from which a government
Government

Government is the body within any organization that has the authority to make and the power to enforce laws, regulations, or rules. Typically, the government refers to a civil government -- local, provincial, or national -- but commercial, academic, religious, or other formal organizations are also administered by governing bodies....
 exercises its authority
Authority

In government, authority is often used interchangeably with the term "power ". However, their meanings differ: while "power" refers to the ability to achieve certain ends, "authority" refers to a claim of legitimacy , the justification and right to exercise that power....
". The seat of government is usually located in the capital. In some countries
List of countries with multiple capitals

Some countries have multiple capitals; often one city is the seat of government while the other is the legal Capital ....
 the seat of government differs from the capital, e.g. in the Netherlands where The Hague
The Hague

The Hague is the third largest city in the Netherlands after Amsterdam and Rotterdam, with a population of 475,904 and an area of approximately 100 km?....
 is the seat of government and Amsterdam
Amsterdam

Amsterdam is the Capital of the Netherlands and List of cities in the Netherlands with over 100,000 people of the Netherlands, located in the Provinces of the Netherlands of North Holland in the west of the country....
 is the Capital of the Netherlands.

Australia


The seat of government and national capital is Canberra
Canberra

Canberra is the List of Australian capital cities of Australia. With a population of over 340,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth largest Australian city overall....
 in the Australian Capital Territory
Australian Capital Territory

The Australian Capital Territory is the Capital districts and territories of the Australia and its smallest States and territories of Australia....
, a territory excised from New South Wales
New South Wales

New South Wales is Australia's oldest and most populous States and territories of Australia, located in the south-east of the country, north of Victoria and south of Queensland....
 in accordance with the Constitution
Constitution of Australia

The Constitution of Australia is the law under which the Australian Government of Australia operates. It consists of several documents. The most important is the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Australia....
 and the Seat of Government Act
Seat of Government Act 1908

The Seat of Government Act 1908 was enacted by the Australian Government on December 14, 1908. The act selected the Yass, New South Wales-Queanbeyan, New South Wales region as the site for Canberra, the new capital city of Australia....
 of 1908. However, until 1927 the de facto
De facto

De facto is a Latin expression that means "concerning the fact" or in practice but not necessarily ordained by law. It is commonly used in contrast to de jure when referring to matters of law, governance, or technique that are found in the common experience as created or developed without or contrary to a regulation....
 capital was Melbourne
Melbourne

Melbourne is the more common name for the geographic region and Census in Australia of the Greater Melbourne metropolitan area. It is the second List of cities in Australia by population in Australia, with a population of approximately 3.8 million and serves as the List of Australian capital cities of Victoria ....
.

United States

The seat of government of the United States was established by the United States Constitution
United States Constitution

The Constitution of the United States of America is the supreme law of the United States. It is the foundation and source of the legal authority underlying the existence of the United States of America; the Federal Government of the United States; and all the State & local governments and Territorial Administrative bodies contained therein....
 in article I
Article One of the United States Constitution

Article One of the United States Constitution describes the powers of the legislature of the Federal government of the United States, known as United States Congress, which includes the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate....
, section 8
Article One of the United States Constitution

Article One of the United States Constitution describes the powers of the legislature of the Federal government of the United States, known as United States Congress, which includes the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate....
, clause 17:
The Congress
United States Congress

The United States Congress is the Bicameralism legislature of the Federal government of the United States of the United States of America, consisting of two houses, the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives....
 shall have power ... to exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of particular States, and the Acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States, and to exercise like Authority over all Places purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the Same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards, and other needful buildings; ...


The seat of government of the United States has been in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C. , formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D.C., is the Capital of the United States, founded on July 16, 1790....
 since 1800. Before 1800, Congress met in eight different locations
List of capitals in the United States

Washington, D.C. has been the capital of the United States since 1800. #Former national capitals have served as the meeting place for Congress and are therefore considered to have once been the capital of the United States....
.

Other seats of governments:
  • County town
    County town

    A county town is the 'capital' of a county in the United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland. County towns are usually the location of administrative or judicial functions, or established over time as the de facto main town of a county....