The U.S. Territories (and Districts) and Statehood

An overview of the major U.S. territories and district with the arguments for and against statehood

media by Grace

Web header photo for “The Fight for Statehood: An Overview of the U.S. Territories” article, featuring a the Dominican Republic from Google Maps.

by Grace Uhrain, Editor in Chief
February 24, 2021

Imagine belonging to a country but not being able to vote. Imagine feeling as if you have no representation in your government.

Nov. 3, thousands in Puerto Rico, Washington D.C., and other territories either mailed ballots in or stood on poll lines and hoped their votes would make a change for their community. Citizens of U.S. territories cannot vote in general United States elections. In U.S. politics, the question of statehood for certain U.S. territories and districts is becoming an increasingly relevant issue, with some calling for territories like Puerto Rico and Washington D.C. to become a 51st state. These are very relevant issues in today’s politics, and still, many do not understand the points of view associated with this topic.

“There are many benefits to Puerto Ricans if it becomes the 51st state,” U.S. History teacher Larissa Fillingham said.

Puerto Ricans would be able to vote in general U.S. elections, have members of Congress that would be able to vote on legislation, and have more opportunities to make change on a federal level.

“This would give [Puerto Ricans] a voice in government, a voice that they do not have as of now,” AP World History and U.S. History teacher Wes Chapman said. “Statehood would culturally impact Puerto Rico. If Puerto Rico was a state, federal income taxes would be collected. Tourism’s economic benefit would be affected, as it wouldn’t be a cheap destination for Americans.”

Puerto Ricans have voted three times, once in 2012, 2017, and 2020, in favor of becoming a state.

Many liberals want statehood for Puerto Rico because it would give Puerto Ricans more representation in the federal government. “Congress has the responsibility, by the Constitution, to add territories as a state,” Puerto Rican Resident Commissioner Jenniffer González Colón argued in a PBS interview.

However, conservatives oppose this measure because it seems to some to be a way to add more Democratic votes to Congress and would not to help the Puerto Rican people. While the majority of people did vote for statehood in the 2020 election, 48% voted against it. An argument for this is that making Puerto Rico a state would increase federal taxes.

“In fact, white liberals’ newfound desire to grant Puerto Rico statehood to thwart Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., is just the latest form of American colonialism,” Julio Ricardo Varela, co-host of “In the Thick” and creator of website LatinoRebels.com, said on NBC.

Liberals also vie for Washington D.C.’s statehood because it would allow citizens to vote in general elections and have voting members in Congress, while many conservatives hope it will not become a state.

“DC residents fulfill all of the obligations of US citizenship and yet are denied representation,” the Statehood for DC website reads. “[…] DC residents have fought and died in every war, yet those armed service members are denied the freedoms they have fought to protect.”

Washington D.C. has one non-voting representative in the House, but residents pay federal taxes. D.C. residents have no say on who becomes Senators, ambassadors, or Supreme Court Justices.

However, many conservatives believe that these arguments are a democratic effort to gain more votes.

According to the Washington Post, Senate Minority leader Mitch McConnell labeled statehood for Washington D.C. as “full-bore socialism”.

Whether these territories become states or not, the effects on the U.S. government will be significant for one party or the other. A common perception is that Puerto Rico would be a blue state, however it would be more likely to become a swing state, according to Politico.

“Clearly the admittance of a 51st state would change the structure within Congress,” Chapman said. “If Puerto Rico were to come in as the 51st state, it would give one political party a clear advantage in the Senate.”

Puerto Rico has had statehood four times on the ballot since 1967, with the appeal for statehood winning since 2012, yet it is up to the federal government to decide on the fates of these territories.

“Realize that adding a state adds more seats in Congress, therefore the party that feels like they would most likely gain those seats would need to be in the majority in both houses of Congress for statehood to be pursued,” Social studies teacher Matthew Sassali said. “So to make a long story short, politics has prevented it from becoming a state in recent years.”

Ways you can get involved if you want Puerto Rico and Washington D.C. to become states:

Follow @pr51st, @hs4dcstatehood, and @dcstatehood on Instagram
Follow #Statehood4PR, @prssa, or @51stDC on Twitter
Write letters or emails to state Congress members Jason Crow, John Hickenlooper, or Michael Bennet and explain why you want them to vote for statehood.

If you do not want Puerto Rico and Washington D.C. to become states:

Write letters or emails to state Congress members Jason Crow, John Hickenlooper, or Michael Bennet and explain why you don’t want them to vote for statehood.

Overview of US Territories and Districts

The U.S. territories and D.C. were acquired in various ways and currently have different political situations from one another.

“Most of the territories the United States currently has were acquired during the time period of Imperialism in the United States (roughly 1898 – 1919). Puerto Rico and Guam were purchased by the United States from Spain as part of the Treaty of Paris in 1898 that ended the Spanish American War,” Sassali said. “The Virgin Islands were bought by the United States from Denmark in 1917, and many of the smaller Pacific Ocean island chains that are still controlled by the U.S. were gained from Japan as a result of World War II.”

Puerto Rico:

Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory in the Caribbean, an island not far from the Dominican Republic and the U.S. and U.K. Virgin Islands. Puerto Rico was transferred to the United States from Spain in 1898, but Puerto Ricans were not recognized as U.S. citizens that are not completely under U.S. control until 1917. Puerto Ricans cannot vote in general elections, only Puerto Rican elections.

“One major reason [Puerto Ricans cannot vote in general elections] is that there is no official process for an unincorporated territory to become a part of the U.S.” Fillingham said. “From my understanding, Puerto Rico would need to become an incorporated territory for it to be considered for statehood.”

An unincorporated territory is a territory included in the United States, but not in constitutional law, according to the Department of the Interior.

Guam:

Guam is a U.S. territory that lies in the Pacific Ocean. It was acquired during World War II, which has had many effects on the people of Guam. Guam has some representation, but with limits.

“Guam also elects a delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives for a term of two years,” said Sophie Foster of Britannica. “That delegate has limited voting rights that exclude the ability to vote on the final passage of legislation.”

Washington D.C.:

Washington D.C. (District of Columbia) is the capital of the United States, bordering Virginia and Maryland. While citizens of Washington D.C. have more voting rights than citizens of the U.S. territories, the voting rights still do not match those of a state. Many also question the reason Washington D.C. was not made a state in the first place.

Becky Little from History.com explained it in an article, claiming that at the time [that British colonists took land between Virginia and Maryland from the Nacotchtank people in 1790] there were about 3,000 people living in D.C.—too few to become a state—and white men who owned property in D.C. continued to vote in either Maryland or Virginia as they had before.”

American Samoa:

The American Samoa is an unincorporated territory of the United States which was acquired in 1900. The American Samoa has autonomy from the central U.S. government.

“Even without an organic act or other explicit Congressional directive on governance, the people of American Samoa developed their own constitution in 1967 and first constitutional elections were in 1977. Unlike citizens of other U.S. territories who are U.S. citizens, American Samoans are U.S. nationals. However, neither citizens nor nationals of U.S. territories vote in Federal elections and pay Federal taxes,” said the DOI’s website.

Northern Mariana Islands:

The Northern Mariana Islands lie in the Pacific Ocean north of Guam.

“Northern Mariana Islands, also called Northern Marianas, officially Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, a self-governing commonwealth in association with the United States,” Sophie Foster of Britannica wrote.

“… Some aspects of the commonwealth status were implemented in 1976, and the full commonwealth became effective upon the dissolution of the trust territory for the Marianas by the U.S. government in 1986. Eligible residents of the commonwealth became U.S. citizens at that time. According to the constitution of 1978, the U.S. president is head of state,” Foster said. “The head of government is a governor, who is elected by residents to a four-year term, as is a lieutenant governor. The bicameral legislature consists of a 9-member Senate and an 18-member House of Representatives. The commonwealth also elects one representative to the U.S. House of Representatives.”

U.S. Virgin Islands:

The U.S. Virgin Islands, near Puerto Rico, is an unincorporated territory of the U.S.. The people of the U.S. Virgin Islands have three branches of their own government but do not have votes in the federal government.

“The governor, elected by universal adult (18 years and older) suffrage to a maximum of two consecutive four-year terms, appoints heads of the executive branches and administrative assistants for St. Croix and St. John with approval of the unicameral legislature. The 15 members of the legislature, called senators, are elected by universal suffrage to four-year terms,” according to the editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. “The people of the U.S. Virgin Islands are U.S. citizens, and they elect a nonvoting representative to the U.S. House of Representatives but do not vote in U.S. national elections.”