That is why we call them states and not providences. Look up the definition of state and it is basically the same as nation. The trend has been to gut state sovereignty and the 10th amendment but the idea was always to be group of states that ran their own affairs and only relied on the federal government for big things but of course people just couldn't live with the idea that place like Louisiana wanted to decide what the drinking age should be an insisted that they get to tell other people how to run things. The left of course is the worst offender in this an seem unable to accept the idea that people don't always want to follow their idea of fair.