Crossword puzzle clue "31 state nation"

Nation within a nation, casually, with "the"

Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue and Wisconsin

Blog with the subhead "State of the Nation"

Nation invented by a John Kerry flub in his first major speech as US Secretary of State

31-state nation

Ones with bad things to say about the state of the nation?

State that was once a nation

Article of tropical apparel ... whose start is a state nickname for the state indicated by the circled squares