The [first/next] off-case is Topicality Subsets: Interpretation —

There are over 89,000 local governments

How Do We Compare with the Rest of the Country?

To see how Washington compares with other states, I looked at the state rankings provided by the Census Bureau’s 2007 Census of Governments. They haven’t provided these yet for the 2012 census. I’m guessing, though, that the overall rankings have not shifted that much in the last five years. In 2007, Washington State ranked 19th in the country with respect to overall numbers of general and special purpose governments (1,845), 33rd in the number of counties (39), 28th in the number of cities and towns (281), and 10th in the number of special purpose districts (1,229). By the way, in 2007, Washington ranked 14th overall in population.

Among the more interesting findings from the 2012 Census of Governments preliminary counts:

There are 89,004 local governments in the U.S., down from 89,476 in 2007

Illinois leads the country in overall units of local government (6,968)

Illinois has the most special purpose districts (4,137)

Illinois also has the most municipal and township governments (2,729)

Texas has the most county governments (254)

Texas also has the most school districts (1,079)

Hawaii has the fewest local governments of any state (21) with three county governments, 17 special districts, and one municipal government

16 territories

You Asked:

Marshall Answered:

Everyone knows that the United States has 50 states. But the U.S. also has a number of territories that have various relationships with the United States.

Puerto Rico is probably the best known of these territories.

View Larger Map

It is not a state, in that it does not have any voting representation in the U.S. house or senate. But residents of Puerto Rico are United States citizens. They do participate in United States payroll taxes like social security, but they don’t have to pay United States income tax. Instead, they pay Peurto Rican income tax. Most U.S. laws apply in Puerto Rico, but Puerto Rico also has its own laws. For more info on the government see: this article. See also: Puerto Rico.

The other U.S. territories are: The U.S. Virgin Islands, American Somoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and eleven other small islands in the pacific ocean. Many of these small islands have not fared so well under U.S. sovereignty. For example, the Johnson Atoll has been the site of twelve thermonuclear bomb blasts.

2NC/1NR — Grammar

Grammar —

“United States” is capitalized---referring to the collective, not individual states

Q. Should I capitalize “the states” when used alone (referring to the United States)? I’m copyediting a novel in which the author capitalizes “the States” when used alone. I think it would be lowercased.

A. Actually, “the States” is capped when it means the United States. It’s only when referring to individual states collectively that you should lowercase: “Each of the states elects two senators,” as opposed to “I’m going back to the States.”

It’s a singular noun

We're coming up on the Fourth of July, when the United States is full of barbecues, fireworks, parades, and competitive hot dog eating. But why do we say "the United States is full of..." instead of "the United States are"? On Independence Day, there's no better time to reflect on how the rise of America's national unity was mirrored by its grammatical unity, as "the United States" turned into a singular noun.

The late historian Shelby Foote repeated an oft-told tale for the popular documentary series The Civil War (first broadcast on PBS in 1990):

Before the war, it was said "the United States are." Grammatically, it was spoken that way and thought of as a collection of independent states. And after the war, it was always "the United States is," as we say today without being self-conscious at all. And that sums up what the war accomplished. It made us an "is."

Foote's tidy narrative is just a little too tidy, reiterating conventional wisdom that has been floating around since a couple of decades after the end of the Civil War. In 1887, a Washington Post writer declared that the Civil War "settled forever the question of grammar... The surrender of Mr. Davis and Gen. Lee meant a transition from the plural to the singular." Four years later, clergyman G. H. Emerson wrote that "the change from the plural to the singular was vital, though it has taken a War of Rebellion to make the difference unmistakable." And in 1909, classics scholar and former Confederate soldier Basil Lanneau Gildersleeve stated, in a widely quoted lecture, "It was a point of grammatical concord which was at the bottom of the Civil War — 'United States are,' said one, 'United States is,' said another."

Rather than just accepting such sweeping claims, one writer sought to track the actual shift in usage from "the United States are" to "the United States is." In 1901, former secretary of state John W. Foster contributed an article to the New York Times finding that the transformation from plural to singular was a slow and messy one. In the Constitution, for instance, "the United States" is treated as plural, but so is "the House of Representatives," "the Senate," and "Congress." Over time, usage changed in American English, so that these collective nouns became construed as singular. (In British English, collective nouns can still take plural verb forms.) "The United States" also went the singular route, but its path was complicated by the plural ending -s at the end of "States."

Foster shoots down the popular notion that the Civil War was wholly responsible for the change in thinking. Before the war, there were writers and statesmen who preferred the singular, and afterwards there were still many who held on to the old plural usage. You can see the persistence of the traditional plural treatment of "the United States" in the 13th Amendment, ratified at war's end in 1865:

Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.

In fact, the "United States is/are" debate raged for decades and was hardly settled by the surrender of the Confederacy. An 1895 column in the Indianapolis Journal defended the usage of Secretary of State Richard Olney, who preferred "the United States are." The writer insisted that this was correct usage on grammatical grounds: "Thoroughly as one may believe in the idea of nationality, one cannot ignore the structural principles of the English language." As late as 1909, Ambrose Bierce was clinging to this grammatical defense of "the United States" as plural. In his peevish compendium Write it Right, Bierce griped, "Grammar has not a speaking acquaintance with politics, and patriotic pride is not schoolmaster to syntax."

But Bierce was on the losing side of that argument. Already, as a result of Secretary Foster's careful historical research on the subject, the House of Representative's Committee on Revision of the Laws had ruled in 1902 that "the United States" should be treated as singular, not plural. The tide had finally turned — four decades after the Civil War.

Grammar outweighs --- it determines meaning, making it a pre-requisite to predictable ground and limits – and, without it, debate is impossible

Allen 93 (Robert, Editor and Director – The Chambers Dictionary, Does Grammar Matter?)

Grammar matters, then, because it is the accepted way of using language, whatever one’s exact interpretation of the term. Incorrect grammar hampers communication, which is the whole purpose of language. The grammar of standard English matters because it is a codification of the way using English that most people will find acceptable.

Extend: “The”

“The” means all parts

Encarta 9 (World English Dictionary, “The”, http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/features/dictionary/DictionaryResults.aspx?refid=1861719495)

2. indicating generic class: used to refer to a person or thing considered generically or universally

Exercise is good for the heart.
She played the violin.
The dog is a loyal pet.

Extend: “United States”

All of the states

U.S. Code 6 – United States Code, 2006, V. 3, Title 7, Sections 701-End, p. 1227

(20) UNITED STATES.—The term ‘‘United States’’ means all of the States.

“United States” refers to all areas of U.S. jurisdiction

Rainey, 95 - US District Judge (John, DONALD RAY LOOPER, INDIVIDUALLY AND ON BEHALF OF HIS FIRM'S CLIENTS, Plaintiff, v. WILLIAM C. MORGAN, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY UNITED STATES CUSTOMS SERVICE, AND ALL UNKNOWN INDIVIDUALS AND AGENCIES INVOLVED IN THE SEARCH OF A BRIEFCASE AT INTER-CONTINENTAL AIRPORT IN HOUSTON, TEXAS, Defendants.

1995 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 10241, lexis)

The term "United States" means the United States and all areas under the jurisdiction or authority thereof.

Extend: “In” Means “Throughout”

“In” means throughout

Oxoden 1866

(Ashton, Reverend and Honorary Canon of Canterbury, “Our Church and Her Services”, p. 67, Google Books)

Thirdly, that His will may be done by us here on earth, as it is done by saints and angels in the world above. We say "in earth," and not on earth; for the word in means throughout—that is to say, in every part of the earth.

Link — Native Reservations

Native reservations don’t exist in all fifty states.

Indians.org no date — http://indians.org/articles/indian-reservations.html

There are roughly three hundred Indian Reservations in the United States. An Indian Reservation is a piece of land that has been given over to Native Americans. They do not have full power over the land, but they do have limited governmental rule. Many Indian Reservations make money through gambling casinos.

Not every state in the United States has an Indian Reservation, and not every Native American tribe has one. There are also Indian Reservations in Canada, however they are set up and run a bit differently then here in America.

Affirmative

2AC — Subsets

1. Counter-Interpretation:

“The United States” means any of the states or territories.

Army CPOL no date — The Department of the Army's Office of the Assistant G-1 for Civilian Personnel, no date (“Questionnaire for Overseas Benefits Determination,” Available Online at http://cpol.army.mil/library/employment/fareast/Overseas%20Allowances%20Questionaire.pdf, Accessed 07-11-2017)

The United States is defined as: Any of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and any U.S. territory or possession.

“In” means within, not “throughout”

Cullen 52 – Cullen, Court of Appeals of Kentucky, 52, Commissioner, Court of Appeals of Kentucky, November 13, 1952 Riehl et al. V. Kentucky unemployment compensation commission; the judgment is affirmed. Rehearing denied; COMBS, J., and SIMS, C. J., dissenting. http://ky.findacase.com/research/wfrmDocViewer.aspx/xq/fac.19521113_0040095.KY.htm/qx

We do not find any ambiguity in KRS 341.070(1). It is our opinion that the key word in the statute is the word 'in,' preceding the words 'each of three calendar quarters', and if the word is accorded its ordinary and common meaning, the statute does not require simultaneous employment. According to Webster's New International Dictionary, the word 'in,' used with relation to a period of time, means 'during the course of.' The same meaning, expressed in another way, would be 'within the limits or duration of.' Employing this meaning, the statute says that an employer is subject to the Act if, during the course of, or within the limits or duration of each of three calendar quarters, he had in covered employment four or more workers, to each of whom the required amount of wages was paid. This clearly means that the employment need not be simultaneous. Obviously, the word 'in' does not mean 'throughout' or 'for the entire period of,' because then there would be no point in adding the requirement of the payment of a minimum of $50 in wages. In these times, no worker employed for a full calendar quarter would be paid less than $50 in wages. The appellant seeks to read into the statute the words 'at the same time,' following the words 'had in covered employment'. There is no justification for this, unless the word 'in' means 'during any one period of time in.' We are not aware of any authority for ascribing such a meaning to the word 'in'.

2. Plain Meaning DA — policies implemented “in the United States” include policies implemented in Michigan. Deviations from plain meaning are unpredictable and elitist — outweighs “grammatical precision.”

3. Unbeatable PICs DA — requiring plans to be throughout the U.S. gives the neg PICs out of single schools or districts. The aff can’t beat these because advocates of national-level policies don’t discuss specific exceptions and even a trivial net-benefit will outweigh an unquantifiable solvency deficit. Neg has a better shot against small affs than the aff does against PICs.

4. Unbeatable States Counterplan DA — aff needs federal jurisdiction affs to beat the states counterplan. State control of education makes most national cases unstrategic — the states can mostly solve, and structural advantages ensure the neg will win some risk of a DA.

5. Infinite Regression DA — “must affect all fifty states” is arbitrary because their definition of “in the United States” is “throughout all fifty states.” They exclude core cases like Title I reform and desegregation because some schools won’t be affected by these policies.

6. Functional Limits Protect Neg Ground — few affs can simultaneously beat the states counterplan and non-education advantage counterplans. Tilting the topic toward federal jurisdiction cases keeps it small enough for negs to thoroughly prepare.

7. Good is Good Enough — debatability outweighs precision. Requiring the aff to meet the “best” definition incentivizes negs to specialize in T at the expense of substantive policy research.

Extend: “In” Means “Within”

“In” means within --- this is the core meaning

Encarta 7 – Encarta World English Dictionary, 7 (“In (1)”, 2007, http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/features/dictionary/DictionaryResults.aspx?refid=1861620513)

in [ in ] CORE MEANING: a grammatical word indicating that something or somebody is within or inside something.

1. preposition indicates place: indicates that something happens or is situated somewhere

He spent a whole year in Russia.

2. preposition indicates state: indicates a state or condition that something or somebody is experiencing

The banking industry is in a state of flux.

3. preposition after: after a period of time that will pass before something happens

She should be well enough to leave in a week or two.

4. preposition during: indicates that something happens during a period of time

He crossed the desert in 39 days.

5. preposition indicates how something is expressed: indicates the means of communication used to express something

I managed to write the whole speech in French.

6. preposition indicates subject area: indicates a subject or field of activity

She graduated with a degree in biology.

7. preposition as consequence of: while doing something or as a consequence of something

In reaching for a glass he knocked over the ashtray.

8. preposition covered by: indicates that something is wrapped or covered by something

The floor was covered in balloons and toys.

9. preposition indicates how somebody is dressed: indicates that somebody is dressed in a particular way

She was dressed in a beautiful suit.

10. preposition pregnant with: pregnant with offspring

The cows were in calf.

11. adjective fashionable: fashionable or popular

always knew which clubs were in

12. adjective holding power or office: indicates that a party or group has achieved or will achieve power or authority

voted in overwhelmingly

“In” means within the limits of

Webster’s 6 – Merriam Webster Online Dictionary, 06 (http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=in)

Main Entry: 1in

Pronunciation: 'in, &n, &n

Function: preposition

Etymology: Middle English, from Old English; akin to Old High German in in, Latin in, Greek en

1 a -- used as a function word to indicate inclusion, location, or position within limits

Being enclosed by

OED 8 – Compact Oxford English Dictionary, 8 (“in”, 2008, http://www.askoxford.com/concise_oed/inxx?view=uk)

in

preposition 1 expressing the situation of being enclosed or surrounded. 2 expressing motion that results in being within or surrounded by something. 3 expressing a period of time during which an event takes place or a situation remains the case. 4 expressing the length of time before a future event is expected to take place. 5 expressing a state, condition, or quality. 6 expressing inclusion or involvement. 7 indicating a person’s occupation or profession. 8 indicating the language or medium used. 9 expressing a value as a proportion of (a whole).

adverb 1 expressing movement that results in being enclosed or surrounded. 2 expressing the situation of being enclosed or surrounded. 3 present at one’s home or office. 4 expressing arrival at a destination. 5 (of the tide) rising or at its highest level.

Inclusion within a place

Dictionary.com 6 (“in”, 2006, http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=in&r=66)

1. (used to indicate inclusion within space, a place, or limits): walking in the park.

2. (used to indicate inclusion within something abstract or immaterial): in politics; in the autumn.

3. (used to indicate inclusion within or occurrence during a period or limit of time): in ancient times; a task done in ten minutes.

4. (used to indicate limitation or qualification, as of situation, condition, relation, manner, action, etc.): to speak in a whisper; to be similar in appearance.

5. (used to indicate means): sketched in ink; spoken in French.

6. (used to indicate motion or direction from outside to a point within) into: Let's go in the house.

7. (used to indicate transition from one state to another): to break in half.

8. (used to indicate object or purpose): speaking in honor of the event.

Extend: “USFG” Means Three Branches

United States federal government means the three branches

OECD 87 (“United States,” Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Council, 1987 The Control and Management of Government Expenditure, p. 179)

1. Political and organisational structure of government The United States of America is a federal republic consisting of 50 states. States have their own constitutions and within each State there are at least two additional levels of government, generally designated as counties and cities, towns or villages. The relationships between different levels of government are complex and varied (see Section B for more information). The Federal Government is composed of three branches: the legislative branch, the executive branch, and the judicial branch. Budgetary decisionmaking is shared primarily by the legislative and executive branches. The general structure of these two branches relative to budget formulation and execution is as follows.

“The” is Specific

Requires specification

Random House 6 (Unabridged Dictionary, http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/the)

(used, esp. before a noun, with a specifying or particularizing effect, as opposed to the indefinite or generalizing force of the indefinite article a or an): the book you gave me; Come into the house.

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