Puerto Rico territorial status

[jman123]

I personally think that Puerto Rico should remain as is. Many people want statehood. Others want Nationhood. What do you think?

  Spanish is an issue that would have to be dealt with if that were to occur. not to mention the Flag would need to be redesigned.

[justfollowingtheelections]

Why is Spanish an issue?
The US do not have an official language.

[memphis]

Let them decide for themselves.

[seanNJ9]

Not before the residence of D.C. get representation.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Statehood (normal).

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

I personally think that Puerto Rico should remain as is. Many people want statehood. Others want Nationhood. What do you think?

  Spanish is an issue that would have to be dealt with if that were to occur. not to mention the Flag would need to be redesigned.

Actually, the US Army Institute of Heraldry has already designed flags with additional stars in case they are needed.

But as for what happens with Puerto Rico, that's up to them.

[Ban my account ffs!]

If they want to become a state, then they should be allowed.  All of our territories should be allowed in if they want in.  And we shouldn't be closed to admitting new territories under the right circumstances.

But that's how the statehood process goes... first a territory, then a full fledged state.

[Zioneer]

Statehood, because yes, even if the question was awkwardly worded, even if it turned the question of statehood into FPTP, the Puerto Rican people still voted to become a state.

[traininthedistance]

If they want to become a state, then they should be allowed.  All of our territories should be allowed in if they want in.  And we shouldn't be closed to admitting new territories under the right circumstances.

But that's how the statehood process goes... first a territory, then a full fledged state.

Aside from Puerto Rico, all of our territories are way, way too small to realistically be states.  The combined population of Guam, American Samoa, the Mariana Islands, and the Virgin Islands is still smaller than Wyoming. 

I think they would need to combine forces, either with each other or with Hawaii/Puerto Rico, to have a reasonable claim to statehood.

[Blue3]

The United States should starting pushing for statehood for all its inhabited territories, and see if some smaller island countries around the world would also want to join.

[7,052,770]

It's sad that Washington is ignoring Puerto Rico's decision for statehood last November.

[Blue3]

They did come up with a response to it, saying they'll study it and see if it has strong support at the polls again in a couple years or if it was a fluke.

[Del Tachi]

If Puerto Rico is admitted as a state, Mississippi jumps from last to next-to-last in several bad indicators including infant mortality, median household income, AIDS/HIV infection rates, underage pregnancy, and literarcy.

So, I say...let 'em in!

[Vosem]

Statehood (normal).

Preferably combined with the U.S. Virgin Islands. If you're part of the US, you have the right to representation in Congress.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

If they want to become a state, then they should be allowed.  All of our territories should be allowed in if they want in.  And we shouldn't be closed to admitting new territories under the right circumstances.

But that's how the statehood process goes... first a territory, then a full fledged state.

Aside from Puerto Rico, all of our territories are way, way too small to realistically be states.  The combined population of Guam, American Samoa, the Mariana Islands, and the Virgin Islands is still smaller than Wyoming.

I think they would need to combine forces, either with each other or with Hawaii/Puerto Rico, to have a reasonable claim to statehood.

Actually, there are eighteen States that never went through the territorial stage.  There are the obvious thirteen, but can you name the other five?

I think a combined Guam and Northern Marianas would be large enough in population to justify admission as the state of Mariana Islands.

American Samoa doesn't want to be a State.  They (or at the least the chiefs) don't even want to be an organized territory.

The Virgin Islands want to be a State but they are too small and it makes no sense to have them be part of Puerto Rico.  Even if we were to annex the British Virgin Islands to them, it would still be too small.  Even with Culebra and Vieques detached from Puerto Rico and added to the Virgin Islands, the population still wouldn't top 150K.

If all of the former British Leeward Islands were added to the Virgins, it would barely be big enough in population to be a State, but I doubt most of the those islands would want that.

It's sad that Washington is ignoring Puerto Rico's decision for statehood last November.

That was hardly a full throated endorsement of Statehood.  If it had been a simple referendum asking if there was a preference between Statehood or the current Commonwealth, Statehood would likely have failed once more to get majority support.

[Benj]

If they want to become a state, then they should be allowed.  All of our territories should be allowed in if they want in.  And we shouldn't be closed to admitting new territories under the right circumstances.

But that's how the statehood process goes... first a territory, then a full fledged state.

Aside from Puerto Rico, all of our territories are way, way too small to realistically be states.  The combined population of Guam, American Samoa, the Mariana Islands, and the Virgin Islands is still smaller than Wyoming.

I think they would need to combine forces, either with each other or with Hawaii/Puerto Rico, to have a reasonable claim to statehood.

Actually, there are eighteen States that never went through the territorial stage.  There are the obvious thirteen, but can you name the other five?

Vermont (created from an area disputed between New York and New Hampshire or arguably admitted from previous status as an independent country)
Kentucky (created from part of Virginia)
Maine (created from part of Massachusetts)
West Virginia (created from part of Virginia)
Texas (admitted from previous status as an independent country)

I believe Tennessee was also never properly organized as a territory, but it did have some existence as part of the US that was not part of a state after North Carolina ceded it to the federal government.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Make that nineteen states, I had neglected Maine.  Tennessee spent a few years as the Southwest Territory. The other state that never went through the territorial stage was California. It was unorganized territory under military administration after the Mexican Cession and was admitted as State without ever being an organized territory.

[traininthedistance]

Make that nineteen states, I had neglected Maine.  Tennessee spent a few years as the Southwest Territory. The other state that never went through the territorial stage was California. It was unorganized territory under military administration after the Mexican Cession and was admitted as State without ever being an organized territory.

Without looking at Benj's answers, I guessed Vermont, Maine, WV, and Texas, but did not think of Kentucky.

California crossed my mind, but I dismissed it because I figured that even if there wasn't a "California Territory" (which I wasn't sure of) it had to have been part of the US before it was a state in some sort of territorial capacity.  Though, sure, unorganized territory straight to statehood is unique.

[ag]

Not before the residence of D.C. get representation.

What about the residence of Mr. Adams? Considering how much of a problem English is.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

It's sad that Washington is ignoring Puerto Rico's decision for statehood last November.

The way the vote was held in November wasn't the best.  I support Puerto Rico becoming a state, but only if they truly want it.

Personally, I'm pro-statehood.

[dead0man]

It should be up to them, but I'm pro-statehood and like others in the thread, think we should invite other nations to join as well.

[politicallefty]

I'm very much pro-statehood. If Congress takes up the issue, it'll probably require another referendum (probably an up-or-down yes/no vote on statehood). Even if you don't fully accept the second part of last year's referendum, it's clear that the people of Puerto Rico have voted against the status quo. I think Congress needs to take some action.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

Puerto Rico's government is very right-wing.

[MyRescueKittehRocks]

Statehood. And no to DC.

[Dave from Michigan]

anyone think if Puerto Rico becomes a state we could get a larger House of representatives for good. I guess they would raise it however many seats (5?) until the next census then reappoint all 435 seats in 2020. But several states would lose seats. Could there be enough support to raise it. I guess you would have support to raise it to 440 if Puerto rico got 5 seats, but what about even more like 500 seats. One of the problems I see is I doubt the American people would support it. Anyone know how many seats they would get and what states would lose most likely lose seats if they just reappointed to 435 in 2020.