By using a rhetorical question Steele is able to inform and influence both the opponents and proponents of New Sovereignty. Steele words this question in way that is prejudice in his favor of the message he is trying to get across while letting us know that something in a sense went wrong in transition. “How did America evolve its now rather formalized notion that groups of tis citizens could be entitled collectively?” (Steele 454). Steele uses diction in the following quote such as “rather”, “notion” and “could be” all in attempts to persuade the reader. He will continue to use these types of questions to keep the reader involved, so one could say the abundant appearance of these well worded rhetorical questions throughout the piece are all