The US Territories

[Caliga]

Puerto Rico should become a US state, yes.

[Valmy]

At various times, Puerto Rico has had votes on whether to apply for statehood, seek independence, or continue commonwealth status.  IIRC, the voters have always chosen to continue commonwealth status.

As Tim linked, not the last time. There are some perverse incentives to remain a territory but I think something should be done.

Even if the smaller inhabited territories (US VI, Guam, American Samoa) cannot become states then they need some other sort of status.  Perhaps with no Senators but with one Congressional rep and a corresponding 1 EV POTUS elections. But something like that would require nothing less than a Constitutional Amendment and our political system presently has little ability to do things like that anymore. That would probably be the most rational thing with the three smaller territories though.

Even just putting them in the same territory status has been a non-starter, so fat chance of that sort of thing happening.

[Valmy]

3.9 million of those 4.1 million live in Puerto Rico (and the US Virgin Islands which would probably end up a county of PR if it ever became a state). It's the only one that can become a state.

Not a big deal IMO. US VI would be part of a Puerto Rican state, Guam and American Samoa would join Hawai'i. Naturally with some sort of self-governing status that can be worked out in the states' constitutions.

[Admiral Yi]

As Tim linked, not the last time.

In that vote current status beat statehood 46 to 33.

[Valmy]

As Tim linked, not the last time.

In that vote current status beat statehood 46 to 33.

Current status lost 54 to 46. Statehood did not win though. The perverse incentives to remain a territory are not really the point.

[jimmy olsen]

As Tim linked, not the last time.

In that vote current status beat statehood 46 to 33.

How do you figure? More people vote for statehood than voted to keep the current political status.

970,910 (54.00%) voted "No" on the first question, expressing themselves against maintaining the current political status, and 828,077 (46.00%) voted "Yes", to maintain the current political status. Of those who answered on the second question 834,191 (61.11%) chose statehood, 454,768 (33.34%) chose free association, and 74,895 (5.55%) chose independence.[3][4]

[Eddie Teach]

Looking at the numbers on the wiki page, it seems the current status voters were allowed to vote on the second question, so statehood did win. However, that included half a million spoiled ballots.

Personally, I'd appreciate a bit more consensus. Considering we're talking about an irrevocable bond which even a unanimous vote in the legislature(see SC 1860) is not allowed to break.

[Admiral Yi]

So 500K PRs voted yes to current status and yes to something else.  Good work PR.

[Valmy]

Of course in my opinion territories was never intended to be a permanent status, it was always supposed to be a transition to something. And having it exist as a permanent status is counter to our basic ideology as a nation.

So my position is they either need to transition to statehood or independence. However, I suppose we might also come up with another status designed to be permanent that provides equal citizenship and representation of some kind but not statehood. But I doubt that would happen, our government is too dysfunctional at the Federal level right now for that kind of dramatic new invention even if there was any sort of demand for that kind of thing.

That is my point rather than 'the people of PR demand statehood/independence and we need to give them what they want' because if that was the case this whole thing would not be an issue.

[Valmy]

So 500K PRs voted yes to current status and yes to something else.

I don't see why that is so strange. 'If the no vote wins what would you prefer?' seems logical. Probably should have been done in two voting rounds though.

1. 'Should we remain a territory?'

2. 'Ok we are not going to remain a territory, what should we do?'

Though if they really want to be taken seriously by the Congress on that point, as it stands, they probably needed at least 60% no on point one.

[Josephus]

Beeb gets all territorial when it comes to Canada.

I will defend the Yukon Territory till the day I die. 

People in the Yukon vote, I think the issue with the American territories is that its inhabitants don't.

[Valmy]

People in the Yukon vote, I think the issue with the American territories is that its inhabitants don't.

Well they do, of course, they just have no vote or representation on the Federal level.

[derspiess]

Puerto Rico should become a US state, yes.

Nah-- 50 is a nice, even number.  Though it would be nice if that resulted in more people realizing PR it is part of the US, so my PR friends on Facebook and stop complaining about it.

[Caliga]

  We could combine the Dakotas into one state?

[frunk]

Or CT and RI.