I would like to know what the qualifications for statehood are in the United States. I can't find the information anywhere, but I believe the population of a territory had to be at a minimum of 40,000. Can anyone clear this up?
Qualifications For Statehood In United States
- Thread starter VirginiaHistoryTeacher
- Start date
There are no hard and fast requirements. Congress determines the qualifications a potential state has to meet in an enabling act. The enabling act instructs a territory to draft a state constitution which is then submitted to Congress. Congress can accept the state constitution as is or reject it and require changes. However, the enabling act can also include restrictions by which the territory must abide if it wishes to be admitted. For example, certain states were required to prohibit bigamy in their constitutions as a condition for acceptance. It's worth noting that this procedure is simply historical precedent deriving form the Northwest Ordinance and Enabling Act of 1802, none of it is actually in the Constitution.
So, basically, Congress can set whatever qualifications for statehood it wants (within its powers to regulate territories) and accept or deny statehood as it wishes.
So, basically, Congress can set whatever qualifications for statehood it wants (within its powers to regulate territories) and accept or deny statehood as it wishes.
I believe that this is the set up for a "territory" to become a "state"
1) A government-run territory petitions congress
2) Congress passes act authorizing the territory to make a constitution.
However, Congress can enforce federal laws (no slavery etc.)
3) People of territory vote on it.
4) Constitution's sent to congress, who vote, they can accept or decline. If declined, the territoy has to change it.
5) If step 4 is accepted, Congress passes statehood legislation.
6) President announces the new state.
So example:
1) The Republic of Ireland petition US congress
2) Congress ask the Government of Ireland to make a constitution.
3) Irish Citizens vote in favour of the new constitution.
4) Ireland sends constitution to US Congress, who then vote.
5) US Congress accept Ireland as a State
6) President Obama announces Ireland is the 51st State of America
The population of a territory does not affect the state, for example Wyoming has a population of 582,658, while California has a population of 8,332,521.
All it requires is a democratic elected government.
Below is the USA with the same number of states - 50 - draw by population:
Hope this helps
The commenters upthread are correct. In practice, the criteria Congress seems to apply are:
- The territory should have enough population to justify congressional representation. The Northwest Ordinance (approved under the Articles of Confederation) originally set the target at 60,000, but later the standard seems to have evolved to be roughly the average or target population of a Congressional district. This started out at 33,000 in 1790 and gradually rose to about 200,000 in 1900 and is somewhere around 700,000 today.
- This seems to have been ignored for Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming, which were well below the average congressional district size when they were admitted in the 1890s. I seem to recall reading that the Republican majorities in Congress at the time were strategically admitting new states expected to vote Republican in order to pad their majority in the Senate.
- The state is motivated and politically organized enough to draft and approve a constitution.
- Congress has no major policy objections to the proposed state's laws and constitution. The times I remember there being major hangups over this were in Missouri and Kansas over slavery and in Utah over Mormon polygamy.
I distinctly remember reading somewhere that a new state had to be at least as large as the smallest existing state.
But I think I must be mis-remembering and/or my source back then was wrong.
Was that ever law? Or was this just a massive oversimplification of 'approximately the size of a Congressional District' for non-Usan students.
But I think I must be mis-remembering and/or my source back then was wrong.
Was that ever law? Or was this just a massive oversimplification of 'approximately the size of a Congressional District' for non-Usan students.
Thande
Donor
I believe the form of words in the constitution is 'a republican form of government', so strictly speaking a monarchy wouldn't be accepted no matter how democratic its government was, while an undemocratic republic (e.g. North Korea) theoretically could be, but of course in practice one would expect Congress to say no.
Driftless
Donor
For what it's worth....
Alaska - 1950 population 128,000+ (before statehood process gets rolling) - population density = .2 person/sq mile
Alaska - 1960 populations 226,000+ (right afterhood statehood) - population density = .34 person/sq mile
Alaska - 2013 population (est) 735,000+ - population density = 1.3 person/sq mile
North Dakota 1880 population 37,000 (before statehood process begins) - population density = .5 person/sq mile
North Dakota 1890 population 191,000 (right after statehood) - population density = 2.7 person/sq mile
North Dakota 2013 population 723,000+ - population density = 10.2 person/sq mile
The common US definition for "frontier" is 6 persons/sq mile or less.
Alaska - 1950 population 128,000+ (before statehood process gets rolling) - population density = .2 person/sq mile
Alaska - 1960 populations 226,000+ (right afterhood statehood) - population density = .34 person/sq mile
Alaska - 2013 population (est) 735,000+ - population density = 1.3 person/sq mile
North Dakota 1880 population 37,000 (before statehood process begins) - population density = .5 person/sq mile
North Dakota 1890 population 191,000 (right after statehood) - population density = 2.7 person/sq mile
North Dakota 2013 population 723,000+ - population density = 10.2 person/sq mile
The common US definition for "frontier" is 6 persons/sq mile or less.
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