The Atlantic noted that President Obama used the term "these United States" instead of "the United States" during the recent dedication of the George W. Bush library and went into the historical significance of the two different terms.
The former describes the US as a collection of discreet states while the latter sees it as a singular nation. This is an important distinction.
The author notes that Ronald Reagan used the term alot, but not many other recent presidents, and few since the Civil War. They speculate on what this means for the internal cohesion of the nation. Is the polarization we've witnessed in Congress spreading throughout the nation? If so, are we approaching an increased crisis in our collective ability to govern?
We cover this topic in early lectures. The Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation treated the phrase "Unites States of America" as a descriptive, plural term, while the Constitution attempted to solidify the status of the nation and the relationship between the states and used the phrase to refer to a single entity. An ongoing battle has been waged in defining relationship between the powers of the national and state governments ever since. The story simply highlights that fact.
I recommend a quick read.
