The Chronicles of Democracy | AP Government Pre-Teach

AP Exam Connection

This lesson complicates a comforting assumption — that U.S. citizenship guarantees equal federal representation. It does not. For the AP exam, connect geography to popular sovereignty and to the structure of the Electoral College and Congress.

23rd AmendmentFederalismPopular sovereigntyStructural inequality

Engage · Object Lesson

One citizen, two addresses

A U.S. citizen born in San Juan, Puerto Rico cannot vote for President while living there. She moves to Orlando, Florida — and now she can. Nothing about her citizenship changed.

Predict first — If citizenship did not change, what did? Predict the single variable that turned her presidential vote on.

Explore · Recitation

State the rule: what determines whether a U.S. citizen can vote for President in the general election?

What did the Jones–Shafroth Act (1917) grant, and what did it NOT grant?

What did the 23rd Amendment give D.C. — and what did it withhold?

Distinguish 'U.S. citizen' from 'U.S. national.' Which territory's residents are generally nationals?

What do all five territories send to the House, and can that person cast a final floor vote?

Which government created each territory's status — Congress, an amendment, or a covenant?

Explain · The Lesson

Political citizenship and federal representation developed unevenly across U.S. territories. The Foraker Act (1900) and Jones–Shafroth Act (1917) built Puerto Rico's civilian government and granted its residents statutory U.S. citizenship — but not statehood. Puerto Rico residents vote in territorial elections and elect a Resident Commissioner, yet they do not vote for President in the general election or elect voting members of Congress while residing there.

For the District of Columbia, the Twenty-Third Amendment (1961) granted presidential electors — so D.C. residents vote for President — but D.C. still has no voting representation in Congress. Guam (Organic Act, 1950) and the U.S. Virgin Islands (citizenship mostly since 1927) elect non-voting delegates, as does the CNMI (via Covenant, delegate since 2008). Hawaii's residents gained full participation only at statehood in 1959.

Citizen vs. national

Residents of Puerto Rico, Guam, the USVI, and the CNMI are U.S. citizens. People born in American Samoa are generally U.S. nationals — a distinct status that is not automatic citizenship. Territorial residents do not vote in the presidential general election unless they establish voting residence in a state or D.C.

Compare the jurisdictions at a glance:

Jurisdiction	Birth Status	Vote for President?	Congressional Representation
A U.S. State	Citizens	Yes	2 Senators + voting Representatives
Washington, D.C.	Citizens	Yes (23rd Amendment)	Non-voting delegate; no Senators
Puerto Rico	Citizens (Jones–Shafroth, 1917)	No (while resident)	Resident Commissioner (non-voting)
Guam	Citizens (Organic Act, 1950)	No (while resident)	Non-voting delegate
U.S. Virgin Islands	Citizens (mostly since 1927)	No (while resident)	Non-voting delegate
Northern Mariana Is.	Citizens (via Covenant)	No (while resident)	Non-voting delegate (since 2008)
American Samoa	U.S. nationals (not citizens) by birth	No (while resident)	Non-voting delegate

Elaborate · Commonplace Book

Build the contrast

In your ledger, add a short block contrasting a citizen in a state, a citizen in Puerto Rico, and a national in American Samoa. For each, record: birth status, presidential vote (yes/no), and congressional representation.

Evaluate · Examination

Could this person vote? — apply before you quiz

Three U.S.-connected people in 2024: a citizen in Ohio, a citizen in Guam, and a national born in American Samoa. For each, state whether they can vote for President and what they send to Congress. Then identify which one is not a citizen at all.

Territories & Representation — Quick Check

1 / 4 · Score: 0

A U.S. citizen residing in Puerto Rico cannot vote for President in the general election. Yet if that same person moves to Florida, they can. Why?

AP-style short response

Explain why “all U.S. citizens have equal federal voting representation” is false. Use D.C. and Puerto Rico as evidence, and identify which reform (amendment, statute, or statehood) would change each outcome.