The Real U.S. Map, a Country of Regions (Part 2): Colin Woodard

Sept. 30 (Bloomberg) -- Yesterday, I posited that the U.S.is really divided among nations, and I point out that thecountry isn’t really a nation-state. I don’t mean thatderisively: it’s just a fact.

Americans often confuse the terms “state” and “nation” andare among the world’s only people to use the termsinterchangeably. States are sovereign political entities,official forums through which political power is exercised andexpressed. Nations are groups of people who share -- or believethey share -- a common culture, ethnic origin, language,artifacts and symbols. Some nations have their own states --“nation-states” -- which they usually name after themselves:France, Hungary or Japan. Other states are federations ofdisparate nations: Belgium, Switzerland or Canada. The U.S.belongs to the latter category.