Nation

A nation is a community of people who usually live upon a distinct portion of the earth. The people of this nation may or may not live under the same government or sovereignty, and is the key point here that allows for multiple political statuses and jurisdictions within the nation. As noted previously, U.S. Citizens don’t have the right of jury or common law, so they cannot be members of “the people” within the definition of nation.

A people, or aggregation of men, existing in the form of an organized jural society, usually inhabiting a distinct portion of the earth, speaking the same language, using the same customs, possessing historic continuity, and distinguished from other like groups by their racial origin and characteristics, and generally, but not necessarily, living under the same government and
sovereignty. Montoya v. U. S., -180 U.S. 261, 21 S. Ct. 358, 45 L.Ed. 521; Worcester v. Georgia, 6 Pet. 539, 8 L.Ed. 483; Republic of Honduras v. Soto, 112 N.Y. 310, 19 N.E. 845, 2 L.R.A. 642

Black’s Law Dictionary 4th Edition, Page 1175

The definitions of state, people, and nation; the people are the political force behind their nation. These three definitions are the trifecta that defines what a National is.

Since the U.S.C. defines a “national” as an individual who owes permanent allegiance to a state, and is a holder of political power in our nation the term national fits very nicely. A national is a member of the people, who as a body politic creates government for the enforcement of their will over things and persons in their territory, and for all intents and purposes is the nation.

A national owes permanent alliance to themselves, at least as a body politic. This makes it quite clear that persons are distinct from people, as a person under the 14th amendment can’t be a member of the “people” in the eyes of the Federal Government, as noted that federal citizenship takes primacy.