While that clause did cost DC an EV in the elections before 1984, it's meaningless now unless the size of the House were to be considerably expanded. The district is fully developed now and there's no reasonable prospect that Congress would ever allow changes to the building codes which would allow high-rises to obscure the Capitol or the Mall. Max population for the district is probably 1,000,000 which won't ever be enough for two representatives unless we start seeing major population declines and/or a massive increase in the size of the House. (Even with a cube-root House size, DC would still only get one.)
You're saying, till 1980 D.C. ought to have had 4 EV, and it basically "lost" one since then?
D.C. hit its peak population share in 1950, with 2.316/435 of the US population, and more than 13 states: RI, AZ, UT, NM, SD, ND, MT, ID, NH, VT, DE, WY, and NV, the first eight had two representatives. This was D.C. peak population at 802K.
By 1960, the population share was 1.853/435, and more than 11 states: SD, MT, ID, HI, ND, NH, DE, VT, WY, NV, and AK, the first six had two representatives. Four states passed DC, but HI and AK were added.
By 1970, the population share was 1.619/435, and more than 10 states: NH, ID, MT, SD, ND, DE, NV, VT, WY, and AK, with the first four with two representatives. HI had passed DC, and ND lost its 2nd representative.
By 1980, the population share was 1.226/435, more than 4 states: DE, VT, WY, AK, all with one representative.
By 1990, 1.061/435, more than VT, AK, WY.
By 2000, 0.884/435 more than WY. This was DC's modern low at 571K, down 29% from 1950.
By 2010, 0.848/435 more than WY.
Since 2010, DC has passed VT.
