51st state
51 star-flags have been designed and used as
a symbol by supporters of statehood in vari-
ous areas. Above is the official 51-state flag
design by the Army Institute of Heraldry.
Below is a design by the New Progressive
Party of Puerto Rico.
51st state, in American political discourse,
is a phrase that refers to areas either seri-
ously or derisively considered candidates for
addition to the 50 states already part of the
Union. Before 1959, when Alaska and Hawaii
joined the U.S., the term "the 49th state" was
used.
"51st state", when used in a negative
sense, can refer to independent nations
which are, or are perceived to be, under ex-
cessive U.S. influence or control. In Aus-
tralia, Canada, and Europe (perhaps most
significantly in Canada), people who believe
their local and/or national culture has be-
come too Americanized sometimes use the
term "51st state" in critical reference to their
respective countries. The pejorative term
51st stater usually refers to non-U.S. resid-
ents who emulate mannerisms and culture of
an American, or a non-American politician
who is a supporter of the United States, espe-
cially its foreign policy, to a degree viewed as
excessive.
Legal requirements
Under Article IV, Section Three of the United
States Constitution, which outlines the rela-
tionship among the states, Congress has the
power to admit new states to the union. The
states are required to give "full faith and
credit" to the acts of each other’s legislatures
and courts, which is generally held to include
the recognition of legal contracts, marriages,
and criminal judgments. The states are guar-
anteed military and civil defense by the fed-
eral government, which is also obligated by
Article IV, Section Four, to "guarantee to
every state in this union a republican form of
government." New states are admitted into
the Union by the precedents and procedures
established by the Northwest Ordinance. Fol-
lowing the precedent established by the En-
abling Act of 1802, an Enabling Act must be
passed by Congress as