Meta tags:
Headings (most frequently used words):
the, union, with, state, contents, list, background, governments, relationships, admission, into, proposed, additions, secession, from, name, origins, geography, see, also, references, further, reading, external, links, constitutions, unitarism, interstate, federal, government, other, countries, guam, puerto, rico, washington, borders, regional, grouping, executive, legislative, judicial,
Text of the page (most frequently used words):
the (669), and (218), states (209), state (191), from (108), united (76), are (68), retrieved (67), original (65), #federal (63), for (59), government (53), archived (53), constitution (50), each (46), new (45), congress (45), with (41), 2018 (40), 2016 (39), that (36), district (35), national (33), list (33), territory (33), union (33), court (33), law (31), has (30), which (30), american (28), have (28), virginia (27), not (27), was (26), local (26), powers (25), power (25), puerto (24), their (24), article (24), other (23), statehood (23), all (22), rights (22), war (22), october (22), march (22), its (22), history (21), area (21), may (20), census (20), courts (20), governments (20), house (20), this (19), rico (19), supreme (19), most (19), isbn (18), november (18), august (17), pdf (17), were (17), political (16), legislatures (16), one (16), legislature (16), such (16), west (15), washington (15), information (15), over (15), also (15), been (15), two (15), languages (14), under (14), july (14), civil (14), constitutions (14), executive (14), people (14), recognized (14), act (14), texas (14), york (14), 2012 (14), clause (14), first (13), office (13), county (13), land (13), indian (13), 2017 (13), into (13), legal (12), territories (12), health (12), further (12), commerce (12), held (12), authority (11), population (11), public (11), system (11), elections (11), president (11), representatives (11), september (11), island (11), june (11), constitutional (11), amendment (11), admitted (11), form (11), some (11), wikipedia (10), about (10), city (10), regions (10), time (10), columbia (10), rates (10), names (10), california (10), more (10), april (10), secession (10), there (10), during (10), but (10), number (10), policy (9), articles (9), english (9), divisions (9), level (9), north (9), geography (9), voting (9), legislative (9), native (9), districts (9), general (9), income (9), sovereignty (9), 978 (9), those (9), 2013 (9), december (9), admission (9), status (9), election (9), interstate (9), commonwealth (9), years (9), main (9), citizens (9), another (9), they (9), called (9), terms (8), bureau (8), congressional (8), statistical (8), areas (8), islands (8), jurisdiction (8), counties (8), white (8), transportation (8), heritage (8), confederation (8), com (8), how (8), used (8), january (8), 2019 (8), does (8), vote (8), them (8), several (8), who (8), among (8), part (8), example (8), borders (8), generally (8), after (8), within (8), individual (8), these (8), three (8), right (8), proposed (8), equal (8), view (7), non (7), use (7), division (7), america (7), international (7), school (7), alaska (7), guam (7), while (7), consent (7), name (7), elected (7), senators (7), sovereign (7), judicial (7), governor (7), senate (7), south (7), era (7), 1776 (7), vermont (7), massachusetts (7), four (7), times (7), voters (7), referendum (7), february (7), university (7), process (7), many (7), must (7), due (7), either (7), set (7), various (7), through (7), between (7), both (7), required (7), toggle (6), foundation (6), move (6), administrative (6), independent (6), oklahoma (6), tribal (6), reservation (6), insular (6), changes (6), 2010 (6), missouri (6), legislators (6), cities (6), republican (6), electoral (6), tribes (6), territorial (6), judges (6), western (6), 1865 (6), period (6), resolution (6), carolina (6), mexico (6), nebraska (6), order (6), section (6), become (6), 2020 (6), slavery (6), 2015 (6), presidential (6), justia (6), full (6), practice (6), than (6), any (6), only (6), established (6), including (6), others (6), single (6), can (6), existing (6), before (6), limited (6), member (6), code (5), page (5), date (5), country (5), historical (5), race (5), minor (5), home (5), colony (5), rate (5), representation (5), laws (5), same (5), age (5), historic (5), human (5), officials (5), archives (5), governors (5), members (5), spanish (5), movement (5), energy (5), care (5), class (5), social (5), economic (5), third (5), college (5), council (5), federally (5), service (5), federalism (5), bill (5), appeals (5), current (5), mississippi (5), revolution (5), independence (5), dakota (5), jersey (5), kentucky (5), gov (5), populations (5), 2008 (5), guide (5), department (5), administration (5), elect (5), ricans (5), 2007 (5), press (5), lines (5), david (5), criminal (5), compacts (5), veto (5), had (5), ceded (5), create (5), large (5), often (5), countries (5), following (5), never (5), cases (5), since (5), electors (5), regulate (5), contents (4), search (4), against (4), index (4), politics (4), traffic (4), analysis (4), hawaiian (4), corporation (4), places (4), quarters (4), systems (4), self (4), life (4), pro (4), chief (4), justices (4), wyoming (4), alabama (4), libraries (4), comparison (4), highest (4), spending (4), poverty (4), domestic (4), employment (4), economy (4), separation (4), security (4), insurance (4), red (4), police (4), library (4), world (4), nevada (4), post (4), ratification (4), declaration (4), colonies (4), colonial (4), 1964 (4), atoll (4), minnesota (4), maryland (4), maine (4), links (4), region (4), widely (4), regional (4), 2009 (4), cornell (4), voted (4), 2014 (4), favor (4), rules (4), affairs (4), 2005 (4), essays (4), delegate (4), see (4), multi (4), when (4), secede (4), case (4), became (4), created (4), did (4), until (4), whole (4), admit (4), republic (4), still (4), known (4), being (4), although (4), upon (4), expanded (4), relationships (4), well (4), chosen (4), enumerated (4), exercise (4), term (4), hide (4), sidebar (4), subsection (4), topic (3), table (3), safety (3), organization (3), commons (3), 2026 (3), categories (3), written (3), protected (3), pages (3), different (3), org (3), data (3), france (3), control (3), budget (3), growth (3), lists (3), england (3), town (3), based (3), off (3), northern (3), category (3), buildings (3), crime (3), statutory (3), smoking (3), enforcement (3), expectancy (3), education (3), montana (3), official (3), alphabetical (3), agriculture (3), geographic (3), nature (3), parks (3), per (3), funds (3), median (3), prices (3), inequality (3), credit (3), largest (3), attainment (3), pacific (3), household (3), birth (3), related (3), portal (3), outline (3), issues (3), food (3), standard (3), personal (3), society (3), indigenous (3), culture (3), democratic (3), foreign (3), special (3), charter (3), municipality (3), attorney (3), commissioner (3), corps (3), coast (3), publishing (3), central (3), intelligence (3), vice (3), colorado (3), arkansas (3), great (3), military (3), 1991 (3), 1896 (3), perpetual (3), lee (3), association (3), thirteen (3), 1849 (3), 1789 (3), wisconsin (3), tennessee (3), rhode (3), pennsylvania (3), ohio (3), hampshire (3), michigan (3), louisiana (3), kansas (3), hawaii (3), georgia (3), florida (3), external (3), definitions (3), ellis (3), 6246 (3), 1861 (3), southwest (3), river (3), creation (3), help (3), cite (3), michael (3), lincoln (3), 1850 (3), 2021 (3), charles (3), forte (3), encyclopedia (3), mountain (3), cambridge (3), charges (3), background (3), equality (3), rule (3), conference (3), unicameral (3), recall (3), convention (3), 1787 (3), interpretation (3), second (3), events (3), defined (3), once (3), declared (3), boundary (3), few (3), year (3), 1791 (3), instance (3), subsequently (3), features (3), seven (3), french (3), named (3), origins (3), six (3), source (3), holds (3), whether (3), early (3), residents (3), will (3), end (3), assembly (3), associated (3), version (3), unincorporated (3), organized (3), additions (3), delayed (3), 1837 (3), even (3), nation (3), long (3), ultimately (3), grants (3), 1845 (3), unorganized (3), organize (3), enabling (3), footing (3), ratified (3), then (3), thirds (3), procedures (3), recent (3), entitled (3), total (3), guaranteed (3), mandated (3), approximately (3), direct (3), across (3), decisions (3), equivalent (3), delegated (3), considered (3), tenth (3), reserves (3), shared (3), broad (3), existence (3), trial (3), separate (3), own (3), contained (3), tools (3), 124 (2), statistics (2), contact (2), privacy (2), additional (2), using (2), site (2), wikimedia (2), inc (2), license (2), cs1 (2), url (2), short (2), description (2), wikidata (2), types (2), title (2), portals (2), spain (2), management (2), ethnicity (2), block (2), urban (2), designated (2), place (2), metropolitan (2), trust (2), virgin (2), mariana (2), samoa (2), topics (2), zones (2), symbols (2), highways (2), newspapers (2), abbreviations (2), violent (2), codes (2), bans (2), seat (2), incarceration (2), agencies (2), gun (2), violence (2), firearms (2), death (2), driving (2), abortion (2), register (2), landmarks (2), societies (2), etymologies (2), obesity (2), development (2), statewide (2), tempore (2), party (2), lieutenant (2), capitol (2), capitals (2), mountains (2), centers (2), extreme (2), points (2), sites (2), emissions (2), environment (2), capita (2), unemployment (2), taxes (2), wealth (2), factors (2), minimum (2), wages (2), taxation (2), tax (2), revenue (2), exports (2), companies (2), arts (2), funding (2), density (2), populated (2), popular (2), given (2), educational (2), hispanic (2), immigration (2), african (2), demographics (2), mass (2), environmental (2), lgbtq (2), capital (2), women (2), living (2), middle (2), homeownership (2), homelessness (2), affluence (2), ideologies (2), holidays (2), flag (2), rail (2), welfare (2), labor (2), unions (2), financial (2), greenhouse (2), communications (2), parties (2), anti (2), relations (2), meeting (2), township (2), manager (2), mayor (2), commission (2), coterminous (2), consolidated (2), equivalents (2), recognition (2), guard (2), space (2), force (2), forces (2), regulations (2), agency (2), community (2), water (2), rivers (2), southern (2), eastern (2), mid (2), gulf (2), park (2), peaks (2), outlying (2), reservations (2), demographic (2), cold (2), century (2), 1954 (2), reconstruction (2), treaty (2), founding (2), fathers (2), continental (2), 1980 (2), 1945 (2), 1917 (2), 1815 (2), tribe (2), baker (2), utah (2), oregon (2), iowa (2), indiana (2), illinois (2), idaho (2), delaware (2), connecticut (2), arizona (2), tables (2), densities (2), resource (2), stein (2), mark (2), books (2), got (2), shapes (2), reading (2), classification (2), developed (2), 1997 (2), 384 (2), questions (2), overview (2), report (2), 1998 (2), institute (2), puertoricoreport (2), approve (2), 51st (2), again (2), cosponsors (2), representative (2), concurrent (2), 2023 (2), making (2), 2011 (2), 296 (2), richard (2), via (2), museum (2), choctaw (2), convenience (2), chapter (2), incompatibility (2), book (2), question (2), day (2), professor (2), 2001 (2), records (2), 2004 (2), documents (2), unt (2), proposals (2), provisions (2), redistricting (2), draws (2), darby (2), 100 (2), 1941 (2), 2000 (2), thomson (2), 4th (2), supremacy (2), extradition (2), doctrine (2), dillon (2), limit (2), unitary (2), key (2), much (2), edward (2), radan (2), 2022 (2), center (2), scope (2), 1959 (2), 1781 (2), agreements (2), 700 (2), theory (2), frequently (2), citizenship (2), internal (2), resident (2), references (2), encyclopedias (2), defines (2), nine (2), definition (2), commonly (2), cultural (2), rather (2), grouping (2), potential (2), occurred (2), newly (2), formed (2), numerous (2), adjustments (2), boundaries (2), disputed (2), agreed (2), purposes (2), occasionally (2), notable (2), roughly (2), exceptions (2), northwest (2), portion (2), additionally (2), largely (2), determined (2), claims (2), beyond (2), divided (2), settlement (2), formerly (2), british (2), remaining (2), mainly (2), retain (2), five (2), language (2), 1869 (2), perfect (2), speaks (2), body (2), found (2), reference (2), decision (2), means (2), unilaterally (2), explicitly (2), discuss (2), joined (2), csa (2), confederate (2), brought (2), adopted (2), strong (2), majority (2), supported (2), approved (2), result (2), serve (2), get (2), binding (2), becoming (2), wherein (2), percent (2), chose (2), went (2), polls (2), enacted (2), option (2), ballots (2), refers (2), itself (2), free (2), matter (2), significant (2), partition (2), conflict (2), series (2), desire (2), existed (2), franklin (2), establish (2), leaders (2), lands (2), 1907 (2), previously (2), 1820 (2), 1792 (2), addition (2), entered (2), make (2), pass (2), toward (2), governed (2), entire (2), plenary (2), establishment (2), forbids (2), parts (2), give (2), 1790 (2), says (2), possess (2), meaning (2), role (2), amendments (2), ratify (2), ratifying (2), parameters (2), basic (2), running (2), 538 (2), establishes (2), represented (2), size (2), prior (2), presently (2), staggered (2), include (2), serves (2), drinking (2), upheld (2), highway (2), reality (2), intrastate (2), structure (2), invoked (2), past (2), holding (2), conditions (2), activities (2), fair (2), greatly (2), matters (2), delegates (2), treaties (2), made (2), pursuant (2), provides (2), bound (2), grounded (2), principles (2), guarantee (2), debate (2), vis (2), application (2), faith (2), arrangements (2), specific (2), acts (2), common (2), enter (2), infrastructure (2), choose (2), enact (2), what (2), allow (2), jurisdictions (2), granted (2), words (2), necessarily (2), fourth (2), units (2), degree (2), unitarism (2), usually (2), base (2), incorporation (2), certain (2), exception (2), million (2), filed (2), 000 (2), appellate (2), bodies (2), way (2), citizen (2), larger (2), electing (2), chamber (2), similar (2), responsibilities (2), appropriate (2), remove (2), branch (2), doing (2), bills (2), item (2), head (2), 1777 (2), consequently (2), elaborated (2), frame (2), unlike (2), share (2), villages (2), borough (2), entity (2), branches (2), bicameral (2), relation (2), regulation (2), consisting (2), governmental (2), constituent (2), square (2), miles (2), smallest (2), here (2), appearance (2), upload (2), file (2), read (2), edit (2), norsk (2), bahasa (2), беларуская (2), log (2), account (2), donate (2), menu (2), add, mobile, cookie, statement, developers, conduct, contacts, disclaimers, text, available, apply, you, agree, registered, trademark, profit, creative, attribution, sharealike, rendered, parsoid, last, edited, utc, hidden, errors, unfit, mdy, dates, indefinitely, semi, vandalism, https, php, _state, oldid, 1371278423, yale, lux, israel, latvia, bnf, fast, databases, censuses, tract, group, zone, microdata, municipio, micropolitan, core, combined, zip, tabulation, temperature, extremes, tallest, snowiest, beautiful, oldest, numbered, nicknames, mottos, malls, plates, coats, arms, insignia, hotels, flags, demonyms, cemeteries, casinos, bus, transit, airports, miscellaneous, speed, limits, belt, prisons, peace, marriage, sex, polygamy, cousin, legality, cannabis, incest, homicide, cell, phone, alford, plea, dry, communities, alcohol, partitions, museums, road, deaths, infant, mortality, hospitals, fertility, 1985, treasurers, superintendents, presidents, speakers, secretaries, auditors, strength, poets, laureate, attorneys, commissioners, volcanoes, lakes, forest, elevation, coastline, beaches, bays, wilderness, superfund, renewable, electricity, wildlife, refuges, natural, carbon, dioxide, botanical, gardens, vehicles, affiliation, socioeconomic, savings, sales, millionaire, households, gross, product, imports, ratings, budgets, billionaires, irreligion, religiosity, net, migration, populous, speaking, islander, lgbt, latino, asian, amish, xenophobia, church, opioid, epidemic, terrorism, illegal, hunger, shootings, climate, change, racism, islamophobia, intersex, antisemitism, affirmative, action, discrimination, criticism, punishment, reproductive, medical, deserts, physician, shortage, disability, prescription, drug, costs, finance, rationing, immigrant, hospice, prenatal, healthcare, aging, dream, visual, art, video, games, theater, sports, sexuality, religion, philosophy, uncle, sam, statue, liberty, mount, rushmore, anthem, music, television, radio, internet, journalism, media, literature, asl, housing, folklore, fashion, family, literacy, working, eviction, dance, cuisine, cinema, architecture, americana, trucking, industry, aviation, transport, wall, street, programs, silicon, valley, debt, position, reserve, gas, currency, trade, tourism, science, technology, mining, manufacturing, banking, sector, scandals, nationalism, exceptionalism, americanism, imperial, presidency, blue, backsliding, corruption, clerk, sheriff, uniform, utilities, auditor, comptroller, treasurer, secretary, noaa, air, navy, marine, army, armed, uniformed, preemption, liberties, tribunals, associate, justice, accountability, speaker, inspectors, tsa, secret, marshals, ice, fbi, dea, diplomatic, cbp, atf, reconnaissance, director, departments, cabinet, supply, sanitation, longest, yukon, rio, grande, southwestern, southeastern, northwestern, northeastern, midwestern, atlantic, plains, east, sierra, rocky, appalachian, ranges, earthquakes, enclaves, contiguous, technological, industrial, postal, inventions, discoveries, covid, pandemic, recession, iraq, afghanistan, terror, attacks, feminist, vietnam, korean, assassination, john, kennedy, attack, pearl, harbor, depression, roaring, twenties, imperialism, 1968, suffrage, progressive, gilded, genocide, wars, mexican, evolution, 1812, federalist, drafting, frontier, paris, halifax, resolves, stamp, pre, event, present, pituffik, guantanamo, bay, concessions, wake, palmyra, navassa, midway, kingman, reef, johnston, jarvis, howland, 50states, statemaster, database, usa, guides, ucb, govpubs, smithsonian, collins, 143138, ost, consumption, presented, format, pamela, goyan, kittler, kathryn, sucher, 5th, 475, 9780495115410, cengage, learning, perhaps, dale, lewison, 461427, prentice, hall, retailing, follow, seymour, sudman, norman, bradburn, 1982, 205, jossey, bass, asking, practical, questionnaire, design, modeling, 2003, doe, eia, 0581, linda, verdict, ruling, high, gives, ithaca, www, nbcwashington, gray, measure, santiago, abdiel, kustov, alexander, valenzuela, ali, 0190, 8286, issn, 115th, robles, frances, fox, news, opt, cnn, freymann, eyck, counter, china, staff, kuam, uog, poll, guamanians, prefer, interior, organizations, doi, oakes, james, norton, pgs, freedom, destruction, winders, bruce, 2002, rowman, littlefield, google, 8420, 2801, crisis, struggle, wvculture, twelve, reorganized, approves, explorer, 14th, holt, 200, hill, wang, 8090, 4439, fate, politicians, extension, coming, summer, studies, quarterly, riccards, recreation, thegreenpapers, harpercollins, xvi, 334, 9780061431395, property, krasner, stephen, 9780231121798, problematic, contested, possibilities, wines, nyt, inside, conservative, push, amend, whitaker, paige, neale, thomas, research, digital, reform, fried, xii, levitt, justin, los, angeles, loyola, kristin, burnett, economics, apportionment, briefs, c2010br, robertson, brian, notre, dame, 122, identity, tragic, compromise, shultz, infobase, 8160, 5086, 522, 312, stanley, lewis, engerman, 521, 55307, 464, burnham, william, 2006, paul, introduction, edu, ernest, abbott, otto, hetzel, bar, 9781604428179, homeland, emergency, adam, liptak, interracial, offer, perspective, gay, ones, moses, ray, dally, carl, 1966, answer, 166, journal, degolian, crady, league, dean, kenneth, 1976, 548, review, encyclopædia, britannica, findlaw, differences, wilson, reid, your, paid, why, salmon, emily, campbell, eds, 1994, richmond, graphic, 88490, 177, hornbook, lehman, jeffrey, phelps, shirelle, gale, 9780787663674, volume, govinfo, 10th, reserved, barnett, randy, gerken, heather, overall, observing, helped, build, beeman, jensen, merrill, 184, 299, 00204, 1774, zimmerman, joseph, suny, 9781438442365, cooperation, edition, transcription, course, harvard, faculty, sciences, resources, project, discussions, 1868, pavković, aleksandar, peter, ashgate, 222, 7546, 7163, creating, asked, erler, xiv, measurements, point, coordinates, typically, maintained, universities, humanities, councils, online, iso, 3166, grouped, variations, possible, groupings, collection, unofficial, affinity, midwest, northeast, pertaining, violation, start, alternative, consented, improved, surveys, ambiguous, mutually, settle, border, disputes, won, stable, grew, appreciably, turn, 1847, swath, occasions, lost, returned, platte, purchase, modified, 1780s, 1790s, followed, range, influenced, patterns, controlled, institutionalized, relatively, arbitrary, latitude, longitude, prevail, sparseness, russian, charters, european, forms, rest, eleven, royalty, unknown, derive, final, letter, peoples, latinized, latin, taken, wide, variety, twenty, originate, eight, derived, polynesian, uto, aztecan, iroquoian, siouan, algonquian, map, showing, legally, void, drawing, succeeding, intends, politic, authors, possibility, occurring, essentially, decide, leave, preamble, issue, predecessor, stated, shall, unilateral, passionately, debated, feature, nations, discourse, remained, difficult, divisive, 1860, defeat, armies, back, ensuing, nor, validity, seceding, ordinances, support, inhabited, remainder, achieved, intention, should, neutral, giving, 1800, neither, 1961, 23rd, pedro, pierluisi, introduced, purpose, responding, comply, residing, expressed, plebiscites, setting, forth, republicans, democrats, turnout, low, advocates, continued, urging, boycott, requesting, respond, begin, sixty, submitted, blank, estado, libre, asociado, literally, otherwise, committee, future, discussion, opinion, indicating, preference, ocean, entry, distinctive, complicating, petitioned, 1835, adjoining, requested, annexation, fears, 1854, involving, factions, bid, settled, adopt, gradual, abolition, plan, conflicts, dispute, obligation, whose, expresses, operated, claim, comprising, later, sought, slightly, cherokee, chickasaw, creek, seminole, 1905, failed, instead, incorporated, sequoyah, civilized, deseret, salt, lake, mormon, pioneers, 1863, trans, allegheny, claimed, jefferson, fayette, 1848, guadalupe, hidalgo, subsequent, already, having, authorizing, write, step, details, mechanism, officers, traditional, drafted
Text of the page (random words):
ate account log in contents move to sidebar hide top 1 list 2 background 3 governments toggle governments subsection 3 1 constitutions 3 1 1 executive 3 1 2 legislative 3 1 3 judicial 3 2 unitarism 4 relationships toggle relationships subsection 4 1 interstate 4 2 with the federal government 4 3 with other countries 5 admission into the union 6 proposed additions toggle proposed additions subsection 6 1 guam 6 2 puerto rico 6 3 washington d c 7 secession from the union 8 name origins 9 geography toggle geography subsection 9 1 borders 9 2 regional grouping 10 see also 11 references 12 further reading 13 external links toggle the table of contents u s state 124 languages afrikaans alemannisch ænglisc العربية ܐܪܡܝܐ مصرى অসমীয়া asturianu azərbaycanca تۆرکجه basa bali žemaitėška беларуская тарашкевіца беларуская betawi български বাংলা brezhoneg bosanski català cebuano کوردی čeština чӑвашла cymraeg dansk deutsch zazaki ελληνικά esperanto español eesti euskara فارسی suomi français arpetan frysk gaeilge galego gaelg hausa hawaiʻi עברית हिन्दी hrvatski magyar հայերեն interlingua bahasa indonesia igbo ilokano ido íslenska italiano 日本語 la lojban jawa қазақша ಕನ್ನಡ 한국어 kurdî кыргызча latina ladino lëtzebuergesch ladin lietuvių latviešu malagasy македонски मराठी кырык мары bahasa melayu malti မြန်မာဘာသာ مازِرونی nedersaksies plattdüütsch nederlands norsk nynorsk norsk bokmål occitan ଓଡ଼ିଆ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ kapampangan polski پنجابی português română русский русиньскый sardu scots davvisámegiella srpskohrvatski српскохрватски simple english slovenčina slovenščina anarâškielâ shqip српски srpski seeltersk svenska தமிழ் тоҷикӣ ไทย tagalog türkçe татарча tatarça українська اردو oʻzbekcha ўзбекча vèneto tiếng việt west vlams 吴语 მარგალური ייִדיש yorùbá vahcuengh 閩南語 bân lâm gí 粵語 中文 edit links article talk english read view source view history tools tools move to sidebar hide actions read view source view history general what links here related changes upload file permanent link page information cite this page get shortened url switch to legacy parser print export download as pdf printable version in other projects wikimedia commons wikidata item appearance move to sidebar hide from wikipedia the free encyclopedia constituent polity of the united states american states redirects here not to be confused with countries of the americas for the international organization see organization of american states state also known as commonwealth the self designation of four states category federated state location united states number 50 populations smallest wyoming 576 851 largest california 39 538 223 1 areas smallest rhode island 1 545 square miles 4 000 km 2 largest alaska 665 384 square miles 1 723 340 km 2 2 government state government subdivisions county or equivalent in the united states a state is a constituent political entity of which there are 50 bound together in a political union each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sovereignty with the federal government due to this shared sovereignty americans are citizens both of the federal republic and of the state in which they reside 3 state citizenship and residency are flexible and no government approval is required to move between states except for persons restricted by certain types of court orders such as paroled convicts and children of divorced spouses who share child custody state governments in the u s are allocated power by the people of each respective state through their individual state constitutions all are grounded in republican principles this being required by the federal constitution and each provides for a government consisting of three branches each with separate and independent powers executive legislative and judicial 4 states are divided into counties or county equivalents which may be assigned some local governmental authority but are not sovereign county or county equivalent structure varies widely by state and states also create other local governments states unlike u s territories possess many powers and rights under the united states constitution states and their citizens are represented in the united states congress a bicameral legislature consisting of the senate and the house of representatives each state is also entitled to select a number of electors equal to the total number of representatives and senators from that state to vote in the electoral college the body that directly elects the president of the united states each state has the opportunity to ratify constitutional amendments with the consent of congress two or more states may enter into interstate compacts with one another the police power of each state is also recognized historically the tasks of local law enforcement public education public health intrastate commerce regulation and local transportation and infrastructure in addition to local state and federal elections have generally been considered primarily state responsibilities although all of these now have significant federal funding and regulation as well over time the constitution has been amended and the interpretation and application of its provisions have changed the general tendency has been toward centralization and incorporation with the federal government playing a much larger role than it once did there is a continuing debate over states rights which concerns the extent and nature of the states powers and sovereignty in relation to the federal government and the rights of individuals the constitution grants to congress the authority to admit new states into the union since the establishment of the united states in 1776 by the thirteen colonies the number of states has expanded from the original 13 to 50 each new state has been admitted on an equal footing with the existing states 5 while the constitution does not explicitly discuss secession from the union the united states supreme court held in texas v white 1869 that the constitution does not permit states to unilaterally do so 6 7 list further information on each u s state list of states and territories of the united states see also list of u s state and territory abbreviations the 50 states in alphabetical order along with each state s flag alabama alaska arizona arkansas california colorado connecticut delaware florida georgia hawaii idaho illinois indiana iowa kansas kentucky louisiana maine maryland massachusetts michigan minnesota mississippi missouri montana nebraska nevada new hampshire new jersey new mexico new york north carolina north dakota ohio oklahoma oregon pennsylvania rhode island south carolina south dakota tennessee texas utah vermont virginia washington west virginia wisconsin wyoming background the 13 original states came into existence in july 1776 during the american revolutionary war 1775 1783 as the successors of the thirteen colonies upon agreeing to the lee resolution 8 and signing the united states declaration of independence 9 prior to these events each state had been a british colony 8 each then joined the first union of states between 1777 and 1781 upon ratifying the articles of confederation the first u s constitution 10 11 during this period the newly independent states developed their own individual state constitutions among the earliest written constitutions in the world 12 although different in detail these state constitutions shared features that would be important in the american constitutional order they were republican in form and separated power among three branches most had bicameral legislatures and contained statements or a bill of rights 13 from 1787 to 1790 each of the states ratified a new federal frame of government in the constitution of the united states 14 in relation to the states the u s constitution elaborated concepts of federalism 15 governments main article state governments of the united states further information comparison of u s state governments this article is part of a series on political divisions of the united states first level state commonwealth federal district territory commonwealth federally recognized tribe list indian reservation list hawaiian home land alaska native tribal entity off reservation trust land indian country jurisdiction tribal jurisdictional area indian colony pueblo rancheria second level county parish borough unorganized borough census area villages district usvi district as consolidated city county independent city municipality pr unorganized atoll third level township cities towns and villages coterminous municipality census designated place barrio chapter state recognized tribes fourth level ward other areas protected areas conservation district national monument national park congressional district special district school district homeowner association associated state military base federal enclave unincorporated area ghost town united states portal v t e under u s constitutional law the 50 individual states and the united states as a whole are each sovereign jurisdictions 16 the states are not administrative divisions of the country the tenth amendment to the united states constitution reserves to the states or to the people all powers of government not delegated to the federal government consequently each of the 50 states reserves the right to organize its individual government in any way within the broad parameters set by the u s constitution and the republican guarantee enforced by congress deemed appropriate by its people and to exercise all powers of government not delegated to the federal government by the constitution 17 a state unlike the federal government has un enumerated police power that is the right to generally make all necessary laws for the welfare of its people 18 as a result while the governments of the various states share many similar features they often vary greatly with regard to form and substance no two state governments are identical constitutions the government of each state is structured in accordance with its individual constitution all of which are written constitutions many of these documents are more detailed and more elaborated than their federal counterpart for example before its revision in 2022 the constitution of alabama contained 310 296 words which is more than 40 times as many as the u s constitution 19 in practice each state has adopted a three branch frame of government executive legislative and judicial even though doing so has never been required 4 19 early in american history four state governments differentiated themselves from the others in their first constitutions by choosing to self identify as commonwealths rather than as states virginia in 1776 20 pennsylvania in 1777 massachusetts in 1780 and kentucky in 1792 consequently while these four are states like the other states each is formally a commonwealth because the term is contained in its constitution 21 the term commonwealth which refers to a state in which the supreme power is vested in the people was first used in virginia during the interregnum the 1649 60 period between the reigns of charles i and charles ii during which parliament s oliver cromwell as lord protector established a republican government known as the commonwealth of england virginia became a royal colony again in 1660 and the word was dropped from the full title it went unused until reintroduced in 1776 20 executive further information governor united states in each state the chief executive is called the governor who serves as both head of state and head of government all governors are chosen by statewide direct election the governor may approve or veto bills passed by the state legislature as well as recommend and work for the passage of bills usually supported by their political party in 44 states governors have line item veto power 22 elections of officials in the united states are generally for a fixed term of office the constitutions of 19 states allow for citizens to remove and replace an elected public official before the end of their term of office through a recall election 23 each state follows its own procedures for recall elections and sets its own restrictions on how often and how soon after a general election they may be held in all states the legislatures can remove state executive branch officials including governors who have committed serious abuses of their power from office the process of doing so includes impeachment the bringing of specific charges and a trial wherein legislators act as a jury 23 legislative further information state legislature united states the primary responsibilities of state legislatures are to enact state laws and appropriate money for the administration of public policy 22 in all states if the governor vetoes a bill or a portion of one it can still become law if the legislature overrides the veto repasses the bill which in most states requires a two thirds vote in each chamber 22 in 49 of the 50 states the legislature consists of two chambers a lower house variously called the house of representatives state assembly general assembly or house of delegates and a smaller upper house in all states called the senate the exception is the unicameral nebraska legislature meaning it has only a single chamber 24 most states have a part time legislature traditionally called a citizen legislature ten state legislatures are considered full time these bodies are more similar to the u s congress than are the others 25 members of each state s legislature are chosen by direct election in baker v carr 1962 and reynolds v sims 1964 the u s supreme court held that all states are required to elect their legislatures in such a way as to afford each citizen the same degree of representation the one person one vote standard in practice most states elect legislators from single member districts each of which has approximately the same population some states such as maryland and vermont divide the state into single and multi member districts in this case multi member districts must have proportionately larger populations e g a district electing two representatives must have approximately twice the population of a district electing just one the voting systems used across the nation are first past the post in single member districts and multiple non transferable vote in multi member districts in 2013 there were 7 383 legislators in the 50 state legislative bodies they earned from 0 annually new mexico to 90 526 california there were various per diem and mileage compensation 26 judicial further information state court united states states can also organize their judicial systems differently from the federal judiciary as long as they protect the federal constitutional right of their citizens to procedural due process most have a trial level court generally called a district court superior court or circuit court a first level appellate court generally called a court of appeal or appeals and a supreme court oklahoma and texas have s...
|
