Puerto Rican GovernmentBecause Puerto Rico was founded as a colony of the Spanish Crown and then ceded to the United States after the Spanish-American War, it has never had the full independence as other countries. Currently, it is an unincorporated territory of the United States called the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. While it is not entirely sovereign, Puerto Rico does have its own government under the US federal government that is also a republican form of government with separation of powers.
The Branches
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The Role of the United States
According to Welcome to Puerto Rico, “the United States controls: interstate trade, foreign relations and commerce, customs administration, control of air, land and sea, immigration and emigration, nationality and citizenship, currency, maritime laws, military service, military bases, army, navy and air force, declaration of war, constitutionality of laws, jurisdictions and legal procedures, treaties, radio and television--communications, agriculture, mining and minerals, highways, postal system, Social Security, and other areas generally controlled by the federal government in the United States.”