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鈥淣ation-state鈥�: A term from political theory that Donald Trump and his supporters are using to explain his 鈥淎merica-first,鈥� anti-globalist stance.

鈥淲e will no longer surrender this country or its people to the false song of globalism,鈥� Mr. Trump in his widely publicized, and , foreign-policy speech last week. 鈥淭he nation-state remains the true foundation for happiness and harmony.鈥�

鈥淣ation-state鈥� generally to an entity of people whose cultural and political interests coincide through shared history, language, and traditions.

Nation-states seek to use government to promote unity by getting rid of tolls (as in Germany) or building an extensive internal rail network (as in France).

In the current US context, the phrase 鈥渟eems to be a way to emphasize sovereignty,鈥� said Paul Stob, a communication studies professor at Vanderbilt University who focuses on rhetoric and history. 鈥淭he term draws attention to the United States鈥� ability to make its own rules, protect its own interests, and pursue its own agenda. 鈥楴ation-state鈥� is a shorthand way of pointing to America鈥檚 unique 鈥� perhaps even exceptional 鈥� position in the world.鈥�

Trump鈥檚 employment of the phrase appears to reflect the influence of Sen. Jeff Sessions (R) of Alabama, Congress鈥檚 聽of Trump and the Senate鈥檚 most outspoken critic of illegal immigration. Trump adviser Stephen Miller, a former Sessions aide, that the presidential election amounts to a debate over 鈥渘ation-state versus globalism.鈥� And Sessions : 鈥淭he elites have become international, and they鈥檝e ceased to have a primary loyalty to the nation-state.鈥�

Despite its prevalence on the political right, the term was also used by Sen. Bernie Sanders last year when asked in an interview on Vox.com about the idea of opening U.S. borders to immigrants. 鈥淚t would make everybody in America poorer 聽鈥� you鈥檙e doing away with the concept of a nation-state, and I don't think there鈥檚 any country in the world that believes in that,鈥� Sanders . 鈥淚f you believe in a nation-state or in a country called the United States or U.K. or Denmark or any other country, you have an obligation in my view to do everything we can to help poor people.鈥�

His comments led a Daily Kos contributor, 鈥淪teve1960,鈥� to post a lengthy of the Vermont senator鈥檚 phraseology. 鈥淭he appropriate phrase in that instance, in my opinion, is sovereign state, that is, a state which incontestably rules over a delimited territory and which completely obligates those therein to obey its laws,鈥� he wrote. 鈥淎 nation-state, on the other hand, is a technical social science term and represents something completely different. It is a concept more deeply rooted in a particular historical epoch than is the much more transcendental concept of sovereignty, which merely denotes legitimate or recognized political authority over a particular area.鈥�

Chuck McCutcheon writes his 鈥淪peaking Politics鈥� blog exclusively for Politics Voices.

Interested in decoding what candidates are saying? Chuck McCutcheon and David Mark鈥檚 latest book, 鈥淒oubletalk: The Language, Code, and Jargon of a Presidential Election,鈥� is