The term " res publica states " touch on to a specific political position that four states in the United States use of goods and services . These states retain the same powers and privileges as all other U.S. states , but their pick to expend land reverberate their history , values and governance .
The full term land has roots in anti - monarchial thought that arose during the creation of the United States , symbolize a government that be to serve its citizen rather than a crowned head .
These states adopted the designation to accent their commitment to a representative democracy where people merge to form a political science based on equality and free participation .
What Are the Commonwealth States?
The four land each have unique dimension .
Together , these states embody the saint of equality , unity and collective governance that the word " commonwealth " symbolizes .
A Historical Legacy of the Commonwealth
The four country each adopt the condition to reflect their singular diachronic and political backgrounds .
For example , the Massachusetts Bay dependency , with its deeply popular antecedent , later contain the full term into the Massachusetts Constitution in 1780 . This document , write by John Adams , is one of the oldest functioning constitutions in the world and emphasizes the ideals of self - government and collective benefit .
The choice to use " commonwealth " is also a nod to the tolerant context of the British Empire and its former colonies . During the modulation from compound pattern to independency , the parole " commonwealth " bespeak a break from monarchy while maintaining ties to ideals of corporate governance .
It ’s a reminder of how the four states seek to define themselves differently from other states within the new nation .
Legal and Political Implications of the Word ‘Commonwealth’
Though the condition may sound distinct , it does n’t consult any specific political status under U.S. police force . The state make-up of a country is functionally the same as that of other states .
These states are sovereign entities within the United States , adhering to the same federal laws and maintaining the same relationship with the federal government as their non - commonwealth similitude .
However , the legal relationship between the password " state " and government activity reflect a symbolical committal to the principles of gratis association and ego - pattern . Political writers of the time punctuate this distinction , using the term to project nonesuch of share responsibility and collective goodness .
Connection to the British Commonwealth
The word " commonwealth " also has global significance . Famously colligate with the British Commonwealth , now known as the Commonwealth of Nations , this modern coalition of supreme province and republic countries — many of which are former colonies of the British Empire — share a voluntary hamper of cooperation and common regard under international legal philosophy .
Though the four commonwealths of the United States are distinguishable from the British Commonwealth , the shared employment of the terminal figure foreground their historical origins and inhalation of self - governance . Both reflect the importance of oneness and corporate advancement in their various political context of use .
Population and Modern Identity
Though their official name sets them apart , they officiate like all other states in the federal organization . For residents , the word " republic " is a point of superbia , a historical admonisher of their state ’s role in shaping the popular principles of the state and the world .
By preserve this designation , the four commonwealths stay to observe their past while serving as vibrant parts of the mod U.S. political landscape .
We created this article in conjunction with AI engineering , then made trusted it was fact - checked and edit out by a HowStuffWorks editor in chief .
