José R. Coleman Tió argues the current commonwealth relationship between the United States and Puerto Rico is insufficient to satisfy Puerto Rico's democratic aspirations. Coleman believes that Puerto Rico can and should be given congressional representation through federal legislation.

In response, Christina Duffy Burnett and John C. Fortier argue that Coleman cannot surmount the constitutional and normative challenges to his proposal. Taking a different perspective, Ezra Rosser argues that early treaties with Native American tribes provide historical examples of similar non-state congressional representation.

José R. Coleman Tió, Democracy, Not Statehood: The Case for Puerto Rican Congressmen, 116 Yale L.J. Pocket Part 397 (2007), http://thepocketpart.org/2007/05/19/coleman.html.

Christina Duffy Burnett, Two Puerto Rican Senators Stay Home, 116 Yale L.J. Pocket Part 408 (2007), http://thepocketpart.org/2007/05/19/burnett.html.

John C. Fortier, The Constitution Is Clear: Only States Vote in Congress, 116 Yale L.J. Pocket Part 403 (2007), http://thepocketpart.org/2007/05/19/fortier.html.

Ezra Rosser, Promises of Nonstate Representatives, 117 Yale L.J. Pocket Part 118 (2007), http://thepocketpart.org/2007/10/17/ rosser.html.