Is the United States Singular or plural?

[vs985]

I came across a Question where I had to make a decision where whether I could use "has" or "have" with "United States". I was under the impression that the US is singular and used "has".... While the correct answer shows the use of "have". What am I missing here?

Thanks!



Here, I marked 'B', due to the lack of a better option...Despite it having a parallelism error.

In his 1796 Farewell Address, George Washington strongly suggested the United States having as little political connection with foreign nations as possible and should avoid permanent alliances beyond existing engagements.

• A. the United States having as little political connection with foreign nations as possible and should avoid permanent alliances beyond existing engagements
  B. the United States has as little political connection with foreign nations as possible and to avoid permanent alliances beyond existing engagements
  C. that the United States should have as little political connection with foreign nations as possible and avoid permanent alliances beyond existing engagements
  D. that the United States has as little political connection with foreign nations as possible and should avoid permanent alliances beyond existing engagements
  E. that the United States have as little political connection with foreign nations as possible and avoid permanent alliances beyond existing engagements

[GMATGuruNY]

I came across a Question where I had to make a decision where whether I could use "has" or "have" with "United States". I was under the impression that the US is singular and used "has".... While the correct answer shows the use of "have". What am I missing here?

United States is singular.
The OA employs the COMMAND SUBJUNCTIVE.
The structure of the command subjunctive is BOSSY WORD + THAT + NOUN + BARE INFINITIVE.
A bossy word serves to express a command or recommendation: requires, suggests, recommends, insists, etc.
The bare infinitive is the infinitive form of a verb with the to omitted.
Example: The bill MANDATES that a bank DISCLOSE its assets.
Here, mandates is a bossy word, while disclose is the bare infinitive form of TO disclose.

OA: George Washington SUGGESTED that the United States HAVE as little political connection with foreign nations as possible.
Here, suggested is a bossy word, while have is the bare infinitive form of TO have.

[RBBmba@2014]

Is it an Official SC ? What is the source ?

[treetree]

I've always thought all Countries were singular, irrespective of their spelling

[GMATGuruNY]

I've always thought all Countries were singular, irrespective of their spelling

Correct.