19 March 2013 UTC TFD An academic forum of scholars rewrote their papers for academic publication co author edited by Sanford Levinson and Bartholomew Sparrow Sparrow the political scientist lead noted historical context can inform the earlier mistaken view in the field of political science that the federal republic was solely the states without territories The U S has always been more than states Correcting errors of narrow scope in the fields was the point of constitutional historians and political scientists talking to one another and the book Territories can be a part of a federal republic They are incorporated prior to statehood by congressional legacy of the Northwest Territory The modern U S territories all enjoy more privileges than the last four territories admitted to the Union You admit Arizona New Mexico Alaska and Hawaii were all incorporated into the U S federal republic before statehood but you still misunderstand Sparrow s direct quote cited and linked copied and pasted 10 15