Puerto Rico Research Paper

Puerto Rico should become the 51st state because nearly 54 percent, or 922,374 people, wanted statehood. Even three American Presidents Gerald Ford, George Bush I, and even Reagan supported statehood. Also “For me, being a U.S. citizen is a lot more than carrying a passport,” says Caraballo-Sandoz. “I’m very hopeful that one day we are going to be a state of the Union.” The people of Puerto Rico deserve better than the way they are being treated. Puerto Ricans

held in the new federal capital located in Washington D.C., then little less than a semi-desert

Every state in the U.S. is different, which is the beauty of the country. These differences are however, not at all recently carved. Nearly 100 years before its birth, parts of the nation had divided and set themselves apart from one another. The regions of New England and the Chesapeake area would make themselves vastly unlike each other through their people, communities, and governments.

In Document D also called Big States vs. Small States it is stated that all states have 2 senators for the Senate and the amount for the House of Representatives varies per state based on population. The amount per state for the House of Representatives is as follows: New Hampshire 3, Massachusetts 8, Rhode Island 1, Connecticut 5, New York 6, New Jersey 4, Pennsylvania 8, Delaware 1, Maryland 6, Virginia 10, North Carolina 5, South Carolina 5, Georgia 3. The reasoning behind this decision is so no one state can overlap

after they were pushed to them in 1776. Maryland was the last state to ratify the Article of

Before one can fully back and support the movement for this amendment, they must first observe the characteristics of Washington D.C. that make it a viable candidate for statehood. The first impressive statistic regarding Washington D.C. is its population size; in 2016 the district had a population of 681,170 people. This large amount of residents would make Washington D.C. eligible for representation in the House of Representatives, which is an impressive feat. Washington D.C. has also managed to amass a booming economy in addition to its large population. In 2011 the District of Columbia possessed an unemployment rate of 5.9%, a percentage that was 3.1 points lower than the national average of 9% (ncsl.org). Another impressive statistic from 2011 was the fact that Washington D.C. accounted for 6% of the United State’s overall job despite the fact that at the time it only contributed for about 2% of the country’s overall

At the constitutional convention every state had representation regardless of if it was small or large. One of those states involved was Maryland,

the right to choose representatives belongs not to the States, but to the people. ... Following

Following the Revolutionary War, our union devised the Articles of Confederation, a document which concentrated almost all power in the hands of the states. However, this document yielded problems such as economic disorder, weak central leadership, and legislative inefficiency. As a result, citizens reacted violently, prompting protests such as Shay’s Rebellion, and demanded for change. We can stop these issues for reoccurring by ratifying the Constitution in order to build a solid foundation for the nation’s government. This will create a uniform and centralized power that overlooks and approves the passing of laws, preserves public peace, regulates foreign affairs, and maintains a common defense (national security). Although ratifying the Constitution will reduce the sovereignty of Massachusetts, it will establish a strong federal government, managed by a system of checks and balances, that can further the prosperity of our nation.

As anyone can tell the two great states of Illinois and North Carolina have many similarities and differences in their legislative and executive branches of state government. Overall, one thing is sure these two states contribute the magnificents of the greatest nation on earth; The United States of

The debate between who should hold more power; the state or federal government, has been debated and discussed since the inception of our nation. The original debate was centered on two opposing parties and their respective ideas, the Federalists and Anti-Federalists. Due to the numerous debates and shifting political climates, the powers have shifted between the states and federal government several times through the nation’s short history.

This was an important issue in the new United States. Small states, with little population, wanted their voices heard in the US government as well as those of large states with a large population, such as Virginia or New York. With its plan, Virginia wanted to have greater representation because a large percentage of the US population was in that state. In this way they would have control over what happened in the United

“ It’s residents are U.S. citizens, but they cannot vote for president and they don’t have voting representation in congress. “ ( Source 3 ) The residents of the island do not have a say in anything due to them not being a state which means they do not have any representation in congress, they’re forced to obey whatever congress goes through with even though they do not have anyone in congress to represent them and to state their opinions about bills that are passed. Also the residents of the island are not provided with all the benefits that the citizens of states are provided. “ For federal programs like Social Security and Medicare, Puerto Rico pays a full share but don’t receive nearly the level of federal benefits they would as citizens of a state. “ ( Source 3 ) Just for the simple reason that Puerto Rico is not considered a state the residents of it are deprived of important benefits of Medicare and Social Security. The United States has to simple integrate Puerto Rico as a state and the residents of the island would be treated as equally as the residents of the 50

One of the most unforgettable moments in my life was when I got to go to Puerto Rico. It was so unbelievable that my family got to go to a tiny island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.

The politics of Puerto Rico takes place in the framework of a republican democratic form of government that is under the jurisdiction and sovereignty of the United States as an organized unincorporated territory.