Proposed political status for Puerto Rico includes various ideas for the future of Puerto Rico, and there are differing points of view on whether Puerto Rico's political status as a territory of the United States should change.
Puerto Rico is a Caribbean island that was a colony of the Spanish Empire for about four centuries until it was ceded in the Treaty of Paris to the United States in 1898. Over the course of the 20th century, more rights were granted to the people, and especially important dates were 1917, when U.S. citizenship was granted, and the 1950s and 60s, when it became a commonwealth of the United States. Referendums in the 1960s and 1990s supported this as the will of the Puerto Rican people, and they maintain their own elected officials and a non-voting representative in Congress.
The U.S. has had many territories since its establishment, and currently there are 50 states and 5 inhabited territories. In the 21st century, the status quo was disrupted by a referendum in 2012 that tilted towards change, with one of the most favored options being statehood. Though questions have been asked about the referendums in 12 years, four referendums have all had statehood as the most favored option. The power to change its status lies in the United States Congress; a majority in both houses and the president signing it into law would make it possible. However, the changes would be dramatic, with Puerto Rico becoming fully integrated into the United States; it would gain two senators and several representatives and would vote in the presidential election. Several U.S. Presidents going back to Ronald Reagan have stated they support Puerto Rico's right to determine its fate.
If it continues its current status, some changes are possible but difficult; for example, for Washington D.C. to vote in presidential elections, it took a constitutional amendment as it is not a state. Independence would have severe changes also; Puerto Rico would become a sovereign nation with no help from the United States and would no longer participate in U.S. politics; the people of Puerto Rico would cease to be U.S. citizens. Free association would result in independence also, but various economic benefits like visas, monetary aid, defense, or currency agreements would be negotiated between the two nations. There are three nations that maintain free association with the United States under the Compact of Free Association: Palau, Micronesia, and the Marshall Islands.