The expression status quo is incorrect: the proper form is status quo, which refers to a balance.
This Latin expression is a phrase that does not vary when expressed in the plural, which implies that the only accepted form is status quo . For example: “New legislation will change the nation's status quo ,” “Extremist groups threaten the status quo of Middle Eastern countries.”
What is the status quo
The status quo is the state or situation of something at a certain time . The status quo is generally considered to be a balance or harmony : therefore, when the status quo is disturbed, there is a state of agitation or commotion.
It is very important to take care of spelling when writing foreign words or expressions, as much as for those of our own language, since a small variation can completely alter the meaning or result in a non-existent term. The case of "status quo" instead of statu quo is one of many examples of errors when using Latin expressions, such as saying "por motus propio" instead of motu propio , or "a grosso moda" instead of grosso moda .
Use of the expression
The expression is usually used in the field of politics , especially international politics . One analyst can claim that Cuba's communist regime , which has been in power for more than half a century, is striving to maintain the status quo . The intention of the authorities, in this sense, is that the distribution of power is not modified. Opponents of the government, on the other hand, want to change the status quo so that there is another “order” or “balance” in Cuba.
The new board of directors of a club , for its part, may try to modify the status quo of the institution. For years, the entity did not invest money in works nor did it try to add new partners. The new managers, faced with this reality, decide to request a loan to build a new gym and begin to develop a campaign to attract members, altering the status quo of the club.
The status quo can be linked to harmony.
Status quo ante bellum
We can also appreciate this expression in another well-known by scholars of the Latin language: statu quo ante bellum . Its most accepted translation is "the state in which everything was before the war" and it is a principle that is used in international treaties to refer to the withdrawal of troops from the battlefield to resume the situation that was taking place. before a certain confrontation.
The most important aspect of this term in the context of an international treaty is that it indicates the annulment of war in that neither side becomes a winner or loser , whether of economic or political rights, or of land, regardless of the events that have taken place until its signature.
A principle that is used in the same context but with a very different objective is uti possidetis iure , a Latin expression that can be translated as follows: "as (you) possess according to law, so you (you) will possess." In this case, it is resolved that each side will provisionally retain the territory they possess when a confrontation ends, until a treaty determines otherwise.
The concept in religion
Within the religious sphere we find the fact that there is also talk of “status quo”. Specifically, it is used to refer to the set of traditions, rules and laws of a historical nature that have led to determining different guidelines, precepts and norms within existing religions. Specifically, within various Christian communities it is used to mention the conditions that must mark the functioning, for example, of basilicas.
A clear example of all this is the multi-religious community that exists around the Holy Sepulchre, where Greeks, Franciscans and Armenians coexist. All of them resort to the use of the aforementioned Status Quo to agree on the use of the aforementioned temple as well as on its conditioning and renovation. Thus, in the 1960s everyone agreed to begin the restoration of the roof of said basilica.
The Status Quo Band
Status quo (with S at the end of the first word), finally, is the name of a British rock band. It was formed in 1962 by singer and guitarist Francis Rossi and bassist Alan Lancaster. It should be noted that they chose the name Status Quo only in 1968, since until then they had called themselves The Scorpions , then The Spectres and, finally, Traffic Jam .
They debuted with the song “Pictures of Matchstick Men” which, as in its beginnings, was part of the psychedelic rock and beat genre. However, as the years went by they “turned” towards boogie rock.
Status quo is considered one of the most important groups in England, as demonstrated by its sales figures: more than 120 million copies sold worldwide. Among the songs that gave them the most success and fame internationally we can highlight “Blue For You”, “In the Army Now”, “Ain't Complaining” or “Who Gets the Love?”.