What is the difference between states that have the "commonwealth title" as opposed to those states that dont?
396197
A commonwealth state still has some of the old rules that were in place way back when, on top of all the other Federal laws in place.
688945
Because most people use England, United Kingdom and Great Britain interchangably. While it's technically incorrect, there's not a very important distinction. England's no more a country than California is, despite the official title.
1079091
Jay leno would have a field day with this site.....\n\n\nI'm totally blown away!! Hi nice ta meet ya massachusetts is in fact a state!  a lil quote from wikipedia.. .. i used caps for the most important line.... \n\n"Four of the states bear the formal title of Commonwealth: Kentucky, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. In these cases, THIS IS MERELY A NAME AND HAS NO LEGEL EFFECT.   Somewhat confusingly, two U.S. territories -- Puerto Rico and the Northern Marianas -- are also referred to as commonwealths, and do have a legal status different from the states.\n\n50 states!!!.. count the damn stars........  \n\n  oh look theres even a site for it \nhttp://www.50states.com/\n\nMaybe your highschool should add that to the civics class curriculum\n\n\njust in case heres a lil list too.. ..\nAlabama\nAlaska\nArizona\nArkansas\nCalifornia\nColorado\nConnecticut\nDelaware\nFlorida\nGeorgia\nHawaii\nIdaho \nIllinois\nIndiana\nIowa\nKansas\nKentucky \nLouisiana \nMaine\nMaryland\nMassachusetts\nMichigan\nMinnesota\nMississippi\nMissouri\nMontana\nNebraska\nNevada\nNew Hampshire\nNew Jersey\nNew Mexico\nNew York\nNorth Carolina\nNorth Dakota\nOhio\nOklahoma \nOregon\nPennsylvania\nRhode Island\nSouth Carolina\nSouth Dakota\nTennessee\nTexas\nUtah\nVermont\nVirginia\nWashington\nWest Virginia\nWisconsin\nWyoming\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nhave a splendid day =)
124394
As of September 2005 in the United States, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts recognizes same-sex marriage, while California, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Maine, New Jersey and Vermont grant persons in same-sex unions a similar legal status to those in a civil marriage by domestic partnership, civil union or reciprocal beneficiary laws.
194620
The first answer is correct...the standards differ by state, though there are a lot of commonalities.\n\nCheck this article for more info: http://www.journal.naeyc.org/btj/200503/01Kauerz.asp
1079656
Puerto Rico is in fact a US Colony.  The term Commonwealth is not mutually exclusive from the term Colony.  The statehood and pro-commonwealth movements account for around 95% of the population (1 to 1 ratio) and the independence movement is around 5%.  Puerto Ricans do not have the power to obtain either independence or statehood.  Any final decision will be in the hands of the US Congress.  I hope Puerto Rico becomes a state at one point in the future.  Although Puerto Ricans have the right to become independent, most of them do not want it.  In that respect, and if democracy prevails, Puerto Rico will not be independent.  Until we decide to change our status quo, the US legislators will go to the island to campaign and seem interested in our situation, and nothing important will happen.
762752
This is different in each state.
968129
This is a practice known as "squatting." The laws vary from state to state and nation to nation. I've heard of a few places that allow you to acquire the title to the property after a predetermined amount of years but you need to check that out with your local laws.
670282
In what state?  Laws differ from state to state as to qualifications...
615690
Australia has three levels of government - Commonwealth, State and Territory, and Local.  Within the Commonwealth (national) government, there are executive, legislative, and judicial arms.
266954
See the below link for a concise discussion of the difference.  But it's not specific to Missouri.
656988
I think you are confused. Virginia is a state, one of the few that call themselves commonwealths. If you want to think of the United States as a "commonwealth" of sorts, it is a part of a commonwealth, but not THE Commonwealth, which is used primarily to mean the former British empire nations.\n\nhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commonwealth
494915
New Jersey is the mildew state. Washington State is the apple state while Washington, DC is not a state. The "DC" stands for District of Columbia.
472497
well a slave state owns slaves and slaves are kept and sold there while a free state is a state that doesnt believe in slavery and slaves can go there to become free normally free states are in the north while slave states are in the south
862967
vary from state to state...
152260
Commonwealth, form of administration signifying government by the common consent of the people. To Locke and Hobbes and other 17th-century writers the term meant an organized political community similar to what is meant in the 20th cent. by the word state. Certain states of the United States are known as commonwealths (Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Kentucky), and the federated states of Australia are known collectively as the Commonwealth of Australia. In the same collective sense, the now independent components of the former British Empire and Britain's remaining dependencies are described as the Commonwealth of Nations. The Commonwealth in English history was the government set up by the victorious army power following the English civil war and the execution (1649) of King Charles I. The Commonwealth was dominated from the outset by Oliver Cromwell, who by the Instrument of Government (1653) was made lord protector of the Commonwealth. The subsequent government is usually known as the Protectorate, though the Commonwealth formally continued until Restoration in 1660.\n\n\nAs a noun, a people permanently occupying a fixed territory bound together by common habits and custom into one body politic exercising, through the medium of an organized government, independent sovereignty and control over all persons and things within its boundaries, capable of making war and peace and of entering into international relations with other states. The section of territory occupied by one of the United States. The people of a state, in their collective capacity, considered as the party wronged by a criminal deed; the public; as in the title of a case, "The State v. A. B." The circumstances or condition of a being or thing at a given time.\n\nAs a verb, to express the particulars of a thing in writing or in words; to set down or set forth in detail; to aver, allege, or declare. To set down in gross; to mention in general terms, or by way of reference; to refer.
235589
Republic means that there is a President instead of a Monarch.  The Commonwealth is a league of nations that were part of the British Empire.  The heads of these nations meet every two years in a member country.  Being part of the Commonwealth does not imply that the Queen of Great Britain should be the head of the member country but every country should accept that the Queen of Great Britain is the Head of the Commonwealth.