It's been 59 years since a state was admitted into the American republic. The flag of the world's most powerful country has been adorned with 50 stars for almost six decades now. On Aug. 21, 1959, the Territory of Hawaii was admitted as the 50th state in the union, joining the Territory of Alaska (which joined in January of that same year) as the last two territories of the republic to join as full-fledged states.
That's a long stretch to go without new stars, and it's high time to start thinking about adding some more to Old Glory. Annexation shouldn't be done via conquest or coercion, of course, but neither should the possibility of expanding American constitutionalism (and the liberties protected therein) beyond its current borders be shied away from. Annexing new states means federation, and federation means ceding some sovereignty (“costs”) in exchange for some perceived benefits, which could range from more accurate representation in Congress to better military protection to fuller access of American markets.
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