Why don't the 14 (un)incorporated territories of the USA all become states & bring the number up to 64 on the Old Glory Flag & in Congress? ?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unincorporated_terri...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Territories_of_the_U...
Update:Put another way, why doesn’t the USA fully incorporate all its 14 overseas territories into the union? It could then be a nation of 64 states instead. Why can’t they get the full legal status of being an integral state of the USA?
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GOP would never let go of their power in the Senate, which comes from the fact that small rural red states are over represented, getting two Senators each from these tiny states. All 14 of those new states would get two Senators each, and would tend to be Democratic, as most territories are. GOP Senators not gonna vote yes to that!
To become a state has several requirements! One of which is the desire to become a state. Another one is to show how it would benefit the existing states as well as the territory. Then it takes an act of congress. The primary obstacle is the desire to become a US state. Several of those territories are "tax havens" for the well off and those people effectively control the territory in such a way that there is no desire for statehood.
Because they have to apply for statehood!
American territories can also elect to become independent nations. For example Cuba and the Philippines were once American territories.
They don't want to. There has been some talk of Guam being annexed as part of Hawaii but that's still talk.