Expanded States of America/Playing With

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Basic Trope: The United States has expanded to include more states, or surrounding nations.

  • Straight: The United States now has 53 states.
  • Exaggerated: The US expands to encompasses most of the world.
  • Downplayed: The US only has one new state, and it is one of its former territories.
  • Justified: A nation became too weak to support itself and asked to join the Union, or a territory voted to join the Union because of political reasons
  • Inverted: The United States loses states for whatever reason, becoming smaller.
  • Subverted: The US joins with Canada and Mexico, not because the US is more powerful, but because it is weak now and needs them to survive.
  • Double Subverted: However, the US sector of the new Union becomes powerful enough that it takes over and the Union is pretty much an Expanded States of America.
  • Parodied:
    • A nation (usually that the US has considerable influence over in real life) becomes a state.
    • The trope in the form of a Visual Pun.
  • Deconstructed: Members of the new state are upset having to lose certain rights or privileges due to joining the US.
  • Reconstructed: The trope is played straight, but with the problems brought up by the Deconstruction dealt with or addressed.
  • Zig Zagged: The US expands West, gathering up Asia, but another power expands into the US taking up the East Coast.
  • Averted: The US stays as 50 states.
  • Enforced: A patriotic group wants to show a positive world with America at the forefront.
  • Lampshaded: A Genre Savvy Character points out that the trope will be used and/or the ridiculousness of the trope being used in the current situation.
  • Invoked: A Genre Savvy Character sets up a situation where the trope can occur.
  • Exploited: A Genre Savvy Character takes advantage of the fact that the trope will occur, possibly-- but not necessarily-- Invoking it in the process.
  • Defied: A Genre Savvy Character tries to prevent a trope from happening.
  • Discussed: Genre Savvy Characters talk about the trope in a situation where it is likely to happen.
  • Conversed: Genre Savvy Characters talk about the trope in a Show Within a Show.
  • Played For Laughs: The trope is played in the most comedic way possible.
  • Played For Drama: The US expands violently, crushing all in its path.
  • Plotted A Good Waste: The (normally unintentional) trope is used quite intentionally.

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