Inside the Beltway

The Beltway is an interstate highway that encircles Washington, DC & passes through the states of Maryland and Virginia. When something is referred to as inside the Beltway it means that the question is only of interest to Washington, DC residents and workers, specifically policymakers and law enforcement agencies. An individual may also be characterized as having an inside the Beltway mentality, meaning that he or she does not have the broad perspective of the average American citizen. Denizens of Capitol Hill and the various executive branch offices are also said to have their own unique and often unclear language, so-called – Beltwayese.