# State abbreviations for congressmen **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 25, 2016, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-abbreviations-for-congressmen/775594 "2016-12-25T12:47:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2016, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-abbreviations-for-congressmen/775594/1 "2016-12-25T12:47:11Z")
This morning, I noticed in an AP article a reference to Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis. For all other state abbreviation uses, everyone has for 50 years been used to the standard postal 2-letter code. Why does the media not refer to Paul Ryan as R-WI? Is this a stodgy style-guide J-school thing of generational inertia that the news media doesn’t dare to budge on? Or has Congress declared that those are the official designations of their members and they refuse to budge on them? Or are they both in a stare-down, refusing to blink for fear of alienating each other by stepping on their turf? ---
**Author:** ![Iggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iggy/32/3364_2.png) [@Iggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggy)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2016, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-abbreviations-for-congressmen/775594/2 "2016-12-25T13:27:13Z")
The [AP stylebook](http://apstylebook.blogspot.com/2009/06/state-names.html) uses alternative abbreviations for the states rather than the postal codes. So it is Wis. and not WI for Wisconsin, Calif. not CA for California, and so on. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2016, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-abbreviations-for-congressmen/775594/3 "2016-12-25T14:08:14Z")
Understood. But the AP style guide has a separate paragraph to specifically address this particular use of state designations. Is that because the media is unwilling to change its style, or because Congress has adopted it as the official designation? ---
**Author:** ![Flyer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/flyer/32/7298_2.png) [@Flyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flyer)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2016, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-abbreviations-for-congressmen/775594/4 "2016-12-25T14:54:31Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > This morning, I noticed in an AP article a reference to Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis. For all other state abbreviation uses, everyone has for 50 years been used to the standard postal 2-letter code. Why does the media not refer to Paul Ryan as R-WI? > > Is this a stodgy style-guide J-school thing of generational inertia that the news media doesn’t dare to budge on? Or has Congress declared that those are the official designations of their members and they refuse to budge on them? Or are they both in a stare-down, refusing to blink for fear of alienating each other by stepping on their turf? You’ve got to remember that the people on the Dope are the exception. Most people know very little about anything, and they’re not curious enough to seek out the information. **We** know that “AL” means Alabama, but I can absolutely guarantee you that a lot of people think it means Alaska. With the longer abbreviations, more people know what state is meant. ---
**Author:** ![Me\_Billy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e480ec/32.png) [@Me\_Billy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Me_Billy)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2016, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-abbreviations-for-congressmen/775594/5 "2016-12-25T15:00:12Z")
Growing up with a father in the newspaper business… I learned that reporters are encouraged to write so the least intelligent person reading their story will understand what is being said. So they go to college and learn a lot of big words, then get a job as a reporter, and are told to not use big words because some of their readers will no be able to understand their story! And along with that, not using acronyms or using longer acronyms would be more understandable than a 2 letter acronym. i.e. Calif. would be understood by more people than CA would be. And then there is “PA” (Pennsylvania)! ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2016, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-abbreviations-for-congressmen/775594/6 "2016-12-25T16:05:53Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > Understood. But the AP style guide has a separate paragraph to specifically address this particular use of state designations. Is that because the media is unwilling to change its style, or because Congress has adopted it as the official designation? The media is not a thing and is not synonymous with the Associated Press. Most style guides are extremely conservative. And for good reason. They’ve spent decades training their staff - and their readers - what certain abbreviations mean. Changing that is a huge disruption. Writers would fail to write it the new way, editors would fail to catch the mistakes, and readers would rise up to complain that they don’t understand what is going on. It doesn’t matter how seemingly obvious the change is; change is hard. And any change to AP style affects literally hundreds of millions of people. And what do newspapers do with all the archived material? Go back and change it? Leave it in two ways? Style guides are there for a reason. Continuity is a big one. Changes sometimes must occur, but they are kept to a minimum. This particular change gains nothing in information. So why do it? ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2016, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-abbreviations-for-congressmen/775594/7 "2016-12-25T17:24:40Z")
> [@Iggy](#): > > The [AP stylebook](http://apstylebook.blogspot.com/2009/06/state-names.html) uses alternative abbreviations for the states rather than the postal codes. So it is Wis. and not WI for Wisconsin, Calif. not CA for California, and so on. I surprised that Tenn made the list, but not Penn. I used to see it often, and sometimes Penna. Dennis ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2016, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-abbreviations-for-congressmen/775594/8 "2016-12-25T17:32:03Z")
I prefer the AP style to the USPS two-letter abbreviations. Seems more traditional and classier, somehow. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2016, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-abbreviations-for-congressmen/775594/9 "2016-12-25T19:12:43Z")
> [@mixdenny](#): > > I surprised that Tenn made the list, but not Penn. I used to see it often, and sometimes Penna. > > Dennis In ye olden days, when our founding fathers were just bubbling babes, it was common to use the first letter and the last letter of a name as an abbreviation for the name. Thus, Va for Virginia, Pa for Pennsylvania, Ms for Massachusetts, Ct for Connecticut, etc. Those abbreviations are so old (pre-Revolutionary War old) that it’s pretty much assumed everyone knows them. States admitted to the Union later didn’t always get that treatment, because the usage changed. That’s why you don’t see Tennessee abbreviated “Te”, despite the fact that it was admitted very soon after the start of the nation. Mind you, Kentucky is Ky, which shows that there was mixed usage still. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2016, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-abbreviations-for-congressmen/775594/10 "2016-12-25T22:12:51Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > I prefer the AP style to the USPS two-letter abbreviations. Seems more traditional and classier, somehow. The USPS abbreviations are really only for postal purposes, e.g. to be put on addresses. Many people don’t know that, but the best editors do, as in the AP style. ---
**Author:** ![seal\_cleaner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@seal\_cleaner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seal_cleaner)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2016, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-abbreviations-for-congressmen/775594/11 "2016-12-25T23:32:20Z")
I live in Arkansas (AR) and people often use AK or AR. ---
**Author:** ![Schnitte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/schnitte/32/9033_2.png) [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2016, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-abbreviations-for-congressmen/775594/12 "2016-12-26T10:58:29Z")
> [@suranyi](#): > > The USPS abbreviations are really only for postal purposes, e.g. to be put on addresses. Many people don’t know that, but the best editors do, as in the AP style. Now I find that argument unconvincing. Sure, the two-letter codes were introduced for postal purposes. But what is there to stop the general public from using them for other purposes? There would be nothing inherently wrong with that, and I’m pretty certain the USPS would not mind. The beauty of the USPS two-letter codes is that it boils down the 50 states plus D.C. to a mere two characters, which is the absolute minimum even theoretically necessary for uniquely identifying these areas in an alphanumeric character set with ten digits plus 26 letters. At the same time, they are mostly (though mybe not in all cases) intuitively intelligible, and they are aligned with the provinces of Canada to avoid duplication (they might even be aligned also with the states of Mexico, though I’m not sure about that). It’s quite a well-designed system, so why not use it beyond the purposes of the mail services? ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2016, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-abbreviations-for-congressmen/775594/13 "2016-12-26T15:15:31Z")
MP AS TT AP FM All the above are official USPS codes for the areas they have primary postal responsibility … I can see why these aren’t used in media … 'cause you’d have so many people confusted … MP - Northern Mariana Islands AS - American Somoa TT - Trust Territory of the Pacific AP - Armed forces/Pacific FM - Federated States of Micronesia ---
**Author:** ![Schnitte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/schnitte/32/9033_2.png) [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2016, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-abbreviations-for-congressmen/775594/14 "2016-12-26T19:41:03Z")
> [@watchwolf49](#): > > MP > AS > TT > AP > FM > > All the above are official USPS codes for the areas they have primary postal responsibility … I can see why these aren’t used in media … 'cause you’d have so many people confusted … > > MP - Northern Mariana Islands > AS - American Somoa > TT - Trust Territory of the Pacific > AP - Armed forces/Pacific > FM - Federated States of Micronesia I guess it will be very rare to run into a Congressman or Senator from these areas. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2016, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-abbreviations-for-congressmen/775594/15 "2016-12-26T23:26:44Z")
> [@Schnitte](#): > > I guess it will be very rare to run into a Congressman or Senator from these areas. Meet Amata Coleman Radewagen, Congressional delegate from American Samoa Gregorio Sablan from Northern Mariana Islands Not to mention Madeleine Z. Bordallo, from the territory of Guam (postal abbreviation GU) and Stacey Plaskett from the U.S. Virgin Islands (VI) ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2016, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-abbreviations-for-congressmen/775594/16 "2016-12-26T23:47:46Z")
> [@Schnitte](#): > > I guess it will be very rare to run into a Congressman or Senator from these areas. That’s a good point … but I was addressing the AP style guide point … why they try not to use NE … as Nebr. has wider understanding … especially abroad … ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2016, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-abbreviations-for-congressmen/775594/17 "2016-12-26T23:51:08Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > Meet Amata Coleman Radewagen, Congressional delegate from American Samoa > > Gregorio Sablan from Northern Mariana Islands > > Not to mention Madeleine Z. Bordallo, from the territory of Guam (postal abbreviation GU) and Stacey Plaskett from the U.S. Virgin Islands (VI) To be precise they are [non-voting Delegates](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-voting_members_of_the_United_States_House_of_Representatives) and not Representatives. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2016, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-abbreviations-for-congressmen/775594/18 "2016-12-27T00:38:29Z")
> [@Schnitte](#): > > At the same time, they are mostly (though mybe not in all cases) intuitively intelligible, and they are aligned with the provinces of Canada to avoid duplication At first, the abbreviation for Nebraska was NB. It was quickly changed to NE, no doubt because it was found confusing with New Brunswick. The CA for California is often confused with the ISO Alpha-2 CA for Canada. Yes, they are a different set of abbreviations, but it’s not always obvious which one is meant. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2016, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-abbreviations-for-congressmen/775594/19 "2016-12-27T05:58:52Z")
> [@Schnitte](#): > > Now I find that argument unconvincing. Sure, the two-letter codes were introduced for postal purposes. But what is there to stop the general public from using them for other purposes? There would be nothing inherently wrong with that, and I’m pretty certain the USPS would not mind. > > The beauty of the USPS two-letter codes is that it boils down the 50 states plus D.C. to a mere two characters, which is the absolute minimum even theoretically necessary for uniquely identifying these areas in an alphanumeric character set with ten digits plus 26 letters. At the same time, they are mostly (though mybe not in all cases) intuitively intelligible, and they are aligned with the provinces of Canada to avoid duplication (they might even be aligned also with the states of Mexico, though I’m not sure about that). It’s quite a well-designed system, so why not use it beyond the purposes of the mail services? We’re not talking about the general public. We’re talking about newspaper editors, who have to be worried that their readers won’t know whether AK means Alaska or Arkansas unless they happen to live in one of those states.