Possible Clues:

• Concerned with open country
• His tale, as told by Mailer, was old somehow
• Country in which supreme power is held by the people
• Perhaps soaking is not for this
• State item that's left around bar
• State of concern to the populace
• The dialogue concerning Joe?
• Something ancient about local form of government
• Form of government Plato wrote about
• State in which the people hold the power