How are Puerto Rican citizens' political rights different from those in the US citizens?

Answer 1

Puerto Ricans have the same rights as any other American Citizen. Residents of the island of Puerto Rico do not have direct representation in Congress, cannot vote in presidential elections and do not pay Federal Personal income tax on money earned on the territory (They pay every other sort of tax invented by man, just not Federal Personal Income tax). Puerto Ricans that move to one of the 50 states or DC can vote for president.

Puerto Ricans are citizens of the US by legislative act (1917 Jones Act), unlike citizens born in the 50 states which are constitutional citizens. The difference is that Federal legislation only requires a majority of the US House and Senate plus a presidential signature to repeal any existing law. The Constitution requires 75% of the existing state legislatures in the country and their governors to approve any change which is much more difficult. Theoretically, this means that Puerto Rican-born US Citizens could have their citizenship revoked if the political winds blow the wrong way. However there is a constitutional question here that would need to be tested: Is legislative citizenship fundamentally different than Constitutional citizenship?

It is also thought that some one Born in Puerto Rico may not be eligible to be President. However some think if the Puerto Rican-born US citizen has residency in one of the 50 states, there is no legal reason why that citizen couldn't run. This is a constitutional question that has not been tested. On two occasions viable presidential candidates born on territories, not states were defeated in the general election so no precedent has been set. The two candidates were Barry Goldwater who was born in the Territory that became Arizona, and John McCane who was born on the Panama Canal Zone when it was a US Territory.

A resident of any US territory not a state cannot be President of the United States. The Constitution also states that anyone who would be President must have resided in the United States for 14 years, but it is untested whether this means 14 years consecutive or commutative years. It also does not state whether the 14 years can be on US Territory or within a State.

Answer 2

Puerto Ricans have the same rights as any other citizen of the United States. RESIDENTS of Puerto Rico do not have federal representation nor the vote for president. However a Puerto Rican-born citizen has the right to vote for president if he is a resident of another US State.

There is a question that has not be completely answered whether a Puerto Rican born person can run for President or not. Puerto Ricans are citizens by statute, not by Constitutional right. But most legal scholars say this is a distinction without a difference.

Answer 3

Sames as any U.S. citizen.

Answer 4

Same as any other U.S. Citizen.