NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Government of Puerto Rico

The Government of Puerto Rico is a commonwealth within the United States consisting of a national and state government and 78 administrative sub-divisions called municipalities. The government was created in 1952 by the enactment of the Constitution of Puerto Rico. It is mainly modeled after the democratic government of the United States and consists of three branches of government: the executive branch headed by a Governor, the legislative branch consisting of the Legislative Assembly, and the judicial branch headed by the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico. All branches have their respective headquarters located at Old San Juan, Puerto Rico. The Executive Branch of the Government of Puerto Rico is comprised of various Departments which provide public services to the citizens of Puerto Rico. ... In Puerto Rico, Public corporations are separate legal entities who are owned, either entirely or in great majority, by the Government of Puerto Rico. ... Seal of the Governor of Puerto Rico The Governor of Puerto Rico is the Head of Government of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. ... AnÃbal Salvador Acevedo VilÃ¡ (born February 13, 1962) is the eighth and current Governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. ... The Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico is the legislative branch of the government of Puerto Rico. ... Seal of the Senate of Puerto Rico. ... The House of Representatives of Puerto Rico is the lower house of the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico, larger than the Senate. ... The 15th Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico meets from January 2, 2005, to January 1, 2009. ... The Supreme Court of Puerto Rico is the highest court of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, having the ultimate judicial authority within Puerto Rico to interpret and decide questions of local commonwealth law. ... The Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico is a nonvoting representative of the United States House of Representatives elected by Puerto Ricans every 4 years. ... There are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the United States Government, but Puerto Rico has 78 municipalities at the second order. ... Political parties in Puerto Rico lists political parties in Puerto Rico. ... Politics of Puerto Rico Categories: Election related stubs | Elections in Puerto Rico ... The Puerto Rico General Elections of 2004 took place on Election Day, Tuesday, November 2, 2004. ... General elections will be held in Puerto Rico on 4 November 2008. ... Information on politics by country is available for every country, including both de jure and de facto independent states, inhabited dependent territories, as well as areas of special sovereignty. ... For other uses of Commonwealth, see Commonwealth. ... A state government is the government of a subnational entity in nation-states with federal forms of government, which shares political power with the federal government or national government. ... There are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the United States Government, but Puerto Rico has 78 municipalities at the second order. ... 1952 (MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Constitution of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico is the controlling government document of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico at the Commonwealth level. ... The executive is the branch of a government charged with implementing, or executing, the law and running the day-to-day affairs of the government or state. ... Seal of the Governor of Puerto Rico The Governor of Puerto Rico is the Head of Government of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. ... The Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico is the legislative branch of the government of Puerto Rico. ... The Supreme Court of Puerto Rico is the highest court of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, having the ultimate judicial authority within Puerto Rico to interpret and decide questions of local commonwealth law. ... Main article: San Juan, Puerto Rico Map of Old San Juan. ...

Legislative branch

Article III of the Puerto Rico Constitution grants all legislative powers of the national government to the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico, which is divided into two chambers: a 27 member Senate and a 51 member House of Representatives. The chambers are presided over by the Senate President and the Speaker of the House, respectively. Both positions are occupied by an active member of each body, elected by a majority of both chambers. The current heads are Senator Kenneth D. McClintock and Representative Jose Aponte, respectively. The Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico is the legislative branch of the government of Puerto Rico. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 600 pixelsFull resolution (2304 Ã— 1728 pixel, file size: 912 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Government of Puerto Rico Legislative Assembly... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 600 pixelsFull resolution (2304 Ã— 1728 pixel, file size: 912 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Government of Puerto Rico Legislative Assembly... Seal of the Senate of Puerto Rico. ... The House of Representatives of Puerto Rico is the lower house of the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico, larger than the Senate. ... Kenneth McClintock, President of the Senate of Puerto Rico. ... JosÃ© Aponte, Speaker of the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico JosÃ© Francisco Aponte HernÃ¡ndez (born January 19, 1958) is an accountant and the President of the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico. ...

Members are elected to both chambers in general elections held every four years, along with the elections for the Governor and the 78 municipal mayor (Alcalde in Spanish) positions. Each member represents an electoral district, with the exception of a number of Senators who are considered “at-large” (Por Acumulación in Spanish) and represent the island as a whole. Members representing specific districts are elected by the citizens residing within the district, while “at-large” Senators are elected by accumulation of all island votes for a specific political party. Politics of Puerto Rico Categories: Election related stubs | Elections in Puerto Rico ... Alcalde is the Spanish title of the chief administrator of a town. ... A constituency is any cohesive corporate unit or body bound by shared structures, goals or loyalty. ...

Unicameralism

In recent years, various organizations have pushed for changing the legislative assembly from the current 2 chamber system (House and Senate) to 1 chamber (unicameralism). The reasons for this proposed change is based on the growing public opinion that members of the assembly are overpaid, and that a smaller assembly may achieve the same work results as the current one with less public expenditures. For unicameral alphabets, see the article letter case. Unicameralism is the practice of having only one legislative or parliamentary chamber. ...

In a referendum held on July 10, 2005, Puerto Rican voters approved the change to a unicameral legislature by 456,267 votes in favor, versus 88,720 against.^[1] (Voter turnout was 22.6% of the electorate.)^[2] However, the proposed change has met strong opposition within both chambers by the legislators themselves, and sources state that the necessary legislative measures to begin the unicameral process have been “shelved” until after the 2008 general elections.^{[citation needed]} In a referendum held on July 10, 2005, Puerto Rican voters approved the change to a unicameral legislature by 456,267 votes in favor, versus 88,720 against. ... July 10 is the 191st day (192nd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 174 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For unicameral alphabets, see the article letter case. Unicameralism is the practice of having only one legislative or parliamentary chamber. ... Voters lining up outside a Baghdad polling station during the 2005 Iraqi election. ...

Executive branch

The executive branch is responsible for administering public resources, as well as providing all necessary public services to the Puerto Rican general public. It is by far the largest branch in the government as well as the largest employer in Puerto Rico with more than 300,000 workers.

Governor

The head of government is the Governor of Puerto Rico, who is elected every four years by general elections. The position is similar in nature, responsibility, and power as those of a governor of a U.S. State. The position of Governor has the overall responsibility of the state of the commonwealth, equivalent to the state of the union in the U.S. The official residence of the governor is La Fortaleza. Seal of the Governor of Puerto Rico The Governor of Puerto Rico is the Head of Government of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. ... Image File history File links Fortaleza. ... Image File history File links Fortaleza. ... La Fortaleza (or The Fortress in English) is the current residence of the Governor of Puerto Rico. ... The Head of Government is the chief officer of the executive branch of a government, often presiding over a cabinet. ... For other uses, see Governor (disambiguation). ... La Fortaleza (or The Fortress in English) is the current residence of the Governor of Puerto Rico. ...

The Governor has the authority to nominate appellate and supreme court judges and directors of public corporations, although these must be confirmed by the legislative assembly. Similar to a U.S. State, the Governor has authority over the local chapter of the U.S. National Guard. This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

Although Puerto Rico does not have the position of a Vice-Governor or Lt. Governor, sections 7 and 8 of the Constitution empowers the Secretary of the Puerto Rico State Department to act as Governor, should the governor become temporarily disabled or unable to discharge his/her duties.

Executive Departments

The day-to-day enforcement and administration of national laws is delegated by the Governor to 16 executive departments created by the legislative assembly to deal with specific areas of national and international affairs. The heads of the departments, chosen by the governor and approved by the Senate, form a council of advisers generally known as the Governor's Cabinet. The Executive Branch of the Government of Puerto Rico is comprised of various Departments which provide public services to the citizens of Puerto Rico. ... The Executive Branch of the Government of Puerto Rico is comprised of various Departments which provide public services to the citizens of Puerto Rico. ...

The Constitution provides for the creation of at least 8 departments: Departments of State, Justice, Education, Health, Treasury, Labor, Agriculture, Commerce, and Public Works. However, due to the increase in population, economy, and public needs over the years, the Puerto Rico government has expanded the executive branch by establishing additional executive departments not specified in the Constitution. These additional departments are established by public law, as approved by the legislative assembly.

The title of Secretary is given to the heads of the executive departments, whose position is also created by statute. Cabinet member is another title primarily given by the media and the public, though it is considered unofficial. All cabinet-level Secretaries are first nominated by the Governor and are confirmed by the legislative assembly. A secretary is an administrative support position. ...

Each department has different divisions, agencies,bureaus, offices, and services, each with specific duties, in order to provide the necessary services to the general public across the island. A division is a type of subsidiary of a larger organization. ... An agency is a department of a local or national government responsible for the oversight and administration of a specific function, such as a customs agency or a space agency. ... The French word bureau, which originally referred to an office, can in English refer to: a sort of desk with drawers, such as a writing table or a pedestal desk the Bureau Mazarin is a 17th century desk form named after Cardinal Mazarin a public office or government agency the... An office is a room or other area in which people work, but may also denote a position within an organisation with specific duties attached to it (see officer, office-holder, official); the latter is in fact an earlier usage, office as place originally referring to the location of one... Wikibooks has more about this subject: Marketing In economics and marketing, a service is the non-material equivalent of a good. ...

Public corporations

The Commonwealth has also established several public corporations in order to provide basic and public services to its citizens, including electricity, water, transportation, and education, among others. These are separate legal entities from the Commonwealth, but the government owns virtually all of these corporations’s stock. Each corporation is headed by an Executive Director who is appointed by the corporations’ Board of Directors. The directors are nominated by the Governor and confirmed by the state legislative assembly. In Puerto Rico, Public corporations are separate legal entities who are owned, either entirely or in great majority, by the Government of Puerto Rico. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... In relation to a company, a director is an officer of the company charged with the conduct and management of its affairs. ...

Although public corporations are separate from the commonwealth government, who generate their income and expenses independently, several of those have faced financial troubles, and have constantly relied on so called “bail-outs” from the commonwealth to offset recurring losses and deficits. The most famous of these cases was the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority (PRASA), which faced annual recurring losses in the ranges of hundreds of millions of dollars and required several bail-outs to avoid bankruptcy. While some have mistakenly referred to these bail-outs as loans, they are in fact transfers of equity because the commonwealth does not expect repayment in the future.

Public corporations have the advantage of issuing separate securities, such as bonds, in the trading market to obtain capital. This is done so that the corporations may finance public works and improvements without having to rely on the commonwealth’s credit. However, as in the case of PRASA, some public corporations have had serious financial difficulties which excluded them from the bond market, and have had to resort to commonwealth bonds to make capital additions and improvements. Securities are tradeable interests representing financial value. ... In finance, a bond is a debt security, in which the issuer owes the holders a debt and is obliged to repay the principal and interest (the coupon) at a later date, termed maturity. ...

Municipalities

Puerto Rico is divided into 78 divisions called municipalities each headed by an Alcalde (Spanish), which is similar to a mayor of a city or town. The municipalities also have a municipal assembly, which is in charge of overseeing the Alcalde’s operations, hold public meetings, and enact municipal resolutions and bylaws. Both the Alcalde and the municipal assemblymen are elected by the municipality’s citizens in general elections held every four years. Unlike most towns and cities in the U.S., Puerto Rico does not have local or state sheriffs. Instead, they are appointed by the Governor (Superintendent) or the mayor, respectively. There are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the United States Government, but Puerto Rico has 78 municipalities at the second order. ... Image File history File links Map of the municipalities of Puerto Rico. ... Image File history File links Map of the municipalities of Puerto Rico. ... Alcalde is the Spanish title of the chief administrator of a town. ... A mayor (from the Latin mÄior, meaning larger, greater) is the modern title of the highest ranking municipal officer. ...

Judicial branch

The Supreme Court of Puerto Rico is the highest court of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, having the ultimate judicial authority within Puerto Rico to interpret and decide questions of local commonwealth law. It holds its sessions in the city of San Juan. The Supreme Court of Puerto Rico is the highest court of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, having the ultimate judicial authority within Puerto Rico to interpret and decide questions of local commonwealth law. ... Image File history File links Supreme_Court_of_PR_Building. ... Image File history File links Supreme_Court_of_PR_Building. ... The Supreme Court of Puerto Rico is the highest court of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, having the ultimate judicial authority within Puerto Rico to interpret and decide questions of local commonwealth law. ... A trial at the Old Bailey in London as drawn by Thomas Rowlandson and Augustus Pugin for Ackermanns Microcosm of London (1808-11). ... Nickname: Location of San Juan within the island of Puerto Rico Coordinates: Country United States Territory Puerto Rico Founded 1508/1521 Area - City 76. ...

Revenues and expenditures

Puerto Rico’s central government, which includes all three branches of government but excludes public corporations and municipalities, has an annual general budget that currently ranges from $8.5 billion to $9 billion in revenues and expenditures.^[3] The government also receives more than $4.2 billion dollars annually in subsidies and federal aid from the United States.^[4] A substantial portion of this amount is earmarked for public welfare, including funding educational programs (such as Head Start), subsidized housing programs (such as (Section 8 and public housing projects), and a food stamp system called the Nutrition Assistance for Puerto Rico program. In economics, a subsidy is generally a monetary grant given by a government to lower the price faced by producers or consumers of a good, generally because it is considered to be in the public interest. ... In the United States of America, Federal assistance, also known as federal aid, federal benefits, or federal funds, is defined as any federal program, project, service, and activity provided by the U.S. federal government that directly assists or benefits the American public in the areas of education, health, public... Public welfare in Puerto Rico is a system of nutrition assistance, education, and subsidized public housing, among others. ... Head Start is a program of the United States Department of Health and Human Services that focuses on assisting children from low-income families. ... Section 8 or Section Eight may refer to: Section 8 (military), a kind of discharge from the United States military due to mental illness and/or problems. ... Public housing in Puerto Rico is a subsidized system of housing units, mostly consisting of housing projects (Residenciales in Spanish), which are provided for low-income and impoverished families in Puerto Rico, a territory of the United States. ... The Food Stamp Program is a program that provides food to low income people living in the United States. ... Nutrition Assistance for Puerto Rico or NAP is a Federal assistance nutritional program provided by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) solely to the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, a territory of the United States. ...

Public corporations generate approximately $6.3 billion in general revenues by charging citizens for the services they provide. The largest public corporation, the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA), generates almost half of those revenues alone ($3 billion). However, public corporations generate about $10.6 billion in expenses when combined, requiring substantial subsidies by the central government. In 2005, the central government provided more than $2.6 billion in subsidies, while the remaining expenditures were funded through interest and investment earnings.^[5]

When considering all three branches of government, including all public corporations and municipalities, the government of Puerto Rico’s annual expenditures can reach to more than $28 billion,^[6] making it one of the largest non-federal government entities within the United States.^{[citation needed]} This article describes the government of the United States. ...

Central government revenues

The central government’s main source of revenue is income tax imposed on individual citizens and private companies, which can amount to approximately $5.5 billion.^[3] Other significant sources of revenue include excise taxes on imports, cigarettes, liquor, hotel rooms, cement, and vehicles ($2 billion);^[3] and lotteries ($870 million).^[7]

Sales and Use Tax

On November 15, 2006, the government eliminated the excise tax of 6.6% on imports (taxes on cigarettes, liquor, and cars are still in effect) and substituted it for a 5.5% islandwide Sales and Use Tax, plus an optional municipal sales tax of up to 1.5%, in what has been known as the Puerto Rico Tax Reform.^[8] This change was partly due to the government’s growing expenditures and fiscal deficits which remained unchecked and uncorrected for several years, until several credit agencies warned public officials that all general-obligation bonds issued by the government were to be downgraded if the problem was not corrected. The situation reached a turning point when the executive branch of the government was partially shutdown, the events now known as the 2006 Puerto Rico budget crisis. 33 agencies were closed and 95,762 employees were sent home without pay. Following public bickering between the two main political parties, the new sales tax was approved in favor of the excise tax on imports on May 10, 2006, ending the budget crisis.^[9] Analysts and forecasts predict that the new sales tax will generate more revenue than the former 6.6% import excise tax, which has led government leaders to consider decreasing individual income tax rates and/or increase government worker wages.^{[citation needed]} The 2006 Puerto Rico budget crisis is a political, economic, and social crisis that saw much of the government of Puerto Rico shut down after it ran out of funds near the end of the 2005-2006 fiscal year. ... A sales tax is a consumption tax charged at the point of purchase for certain goods and services. ... A credit rating agency (CRA) is a company that assigns credit ratings for issuers of certain types of debt obligations. ... In finance, a bond is a debt security, in which the issuer owes the holders a debt and is obliged to repay the principal and interest (the coupon) at a later date, termed maturity. ... The 2006 Puerto Rico budget crisis is a political, economic, and social crisis that saw much of the government of Puerto Rico shut down after it ran out of funds near the end of the 2005-2006 fiscal year. ...

Central government expenditures

The largest types of expenditures made by the government are those related to education. In 2005 alone, the government expended more than $5 billion in public education and education-related programs, representing approx. 28% of total government expenditures (excluding public corporations).^[10] Other significant expenditures include public housing and welfare ($3.4 billion or 19%), public safety ($2.5 billion or 14%) and public health ($2.3 billion or 13%).^[10] Public housing in Puerto Rico is a subsidized system of housing units, mostly consisting of housing projects (Residenciales in Spanish), which are provided for low-income and impoverished families in Puerto Rico, a territory of the United States. ...

Government debt

Currently, the government of Puerto Rico has a serious amount of long-term debt, mostly due to bonds and notes issued to investing in public infrastructure and works, the acquisition of capital assets, and, on certain occasions, covering annual operating deficits. As of June 30, 2005, the government’s long-term debt was mainly comprised of $3.66 billion in Commonwealth appropriation bonds, $2.6 billion in notes payable, and $31.2 billion in general-obligation bonds,^[11] and of these amounts $2.5 billion was due within the next fiscal year.^[10] However, 2007 estimates place the Puerto Rico public debt at approximately $46 billion.^[12]

Recently, several political analysts and commentators have pointed to the fact that the government of Puerto Rico is subject to an unreasonable amount of legal claims and court judgments, including some from political harassment allegations and accusations and others from health reform disputes. In 2005, these claims amounted to $11.7 billion,^[13] leading some to believe that if current trends continue, such claims may be too much to pay if they are found against the government. The Puerto Rico Health Reform (Reforma de Salud de Puerto Rico in Spanish), locally referred to simply as the Reform (la Reforma in Spanish) is a government-run program which provides medical and healthcare services to indigent and impoverished citizens of Puerto Rico by means of contracting private health insurance...

In May 2007, local economists expressed serious concerns when it was revealed that the Puerto Rico public debt equaled 76% of its gross national product (GNP), making it one of the most indebted countries by percentage in the world, even more than the United States.^[12] Economists have criticized the government's fiscal policy, whose level of expenditures and indebtness has increase significantly within the past decade while the economy was grown at a much slower pace. Between 2000 and 2006 alone, Puerto Rico's GNP rose 5.37%, while its public debt's relation to GNP rose 18%.^[12] By comparison, many other Latin American countries have seen reductions in their GNP-public debt percentages during that same time period.^[12] Measures of national income and output are used in economics to estimate the value of goods and services produced in an economy. ...

References

^ María Vera. "Trabajan borrador unicameralidad", El Vocero. Retrieved on 2006-10-02.
^ La Participación Ciudadana en los Procesos Electorales en Puerto Rico (PDF). Oficina de Asuntos Legales. Comisión Estatal de Elecciones de Puerto Rico (CEEPUR) / State Electoral Commission. Retrieved on 2006-10-02. (via http://www.ceepur.org/sobreCee/leyElectoral/)
^ ^a ^b ^c Commonwealth of Puerto Rico 2005 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for the fiscal year ended on June 30, 2005; pg. 30; Statement of Revenues and Expenditures - Budget and Actual – Budget Basis – General Fund
^ Commonwealth of Puerto Rico 2005 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for the fiscal year ended on June 30, 2005; pg. 24; Statement of Activities; Operating and Capital Grants and Contributions (columns)
^ Commonwealth of Puerto Rico 2005 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for the fiscal year ended on June 30, 2005; pg. 38; Combining Statement of Activities: Major Component Units
^ Commonwealth of Puerto Rico 2005 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for the fiscal year ended on June 30, 2005; pg. 24; Statement of Activities; Primary Government and Component Units Expenditures (column)
^ Commonwealth of Puerto Rico 2005 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for the fiscal year ended on June 30, 2005; pg. 32; Statement of Revenues, Expenses, and Changes in Net Assets-Proprietary Funds
^ Miguel Díaz Román. "Incierto el impacto del nuevo tributo", El Nuevo Día, 2006-11-15. Retrieved on 2006-11-15. (in Spanish)
^ Rodríguez, Magdalys. "No hubo acuerdo y el gobierno amaneció cerrado", El Nuevo Día. Retrieved on 2006-05-01. (Spanish)
^ ^a ^b ^c Commonwealth of Puerto Rico 2005 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for the fiscal year ended on June 30, 2005; pg. 24; Statement of Activities; Expenditures (line items)
^ Commonwealth of Puerto Rico 2005 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for the fiscal year ended on June 30, 2005; pg. 23; Statement of Net Assets (Deficit); Liabilities payable within one year and Liabilities payable after one year (line items)
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Debe Puerto Rico 76 centavos de cada dólar by Joanisabel González, El Nuevo Día, May 5, 2007, accessed May 5, 2007 (Spanish)
^ Commonwealth of Puerto Rico 2005 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for the fiscal year ended on June 30, 2005; Notes to the Financial Statements; Note 18: Commitments and Contingencies: Primary Government; pgs. 134-135, par. 2

El Vocero is a Puerto Rican newspaper that is published in San Juan. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... October 2 is the 275th day (276th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 90 days remaining. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... October 2 is the 275th day (276th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 90 days remaining. ... El Nuevo DÃa is a newspaper published daily in San Juan. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... November 15 is the 319th day of the year (320th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 46 days remaining. ... El Nuevo DÃa is a newspaper published daily in San Juan. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... May 1 is the 121st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (122nd in leap years). ... El Nuevo DÃa is a newspaper published daily in San Juan. ...

Contents

Legislative branch

Unicameralism

Executive branch

Governor

Executive Departments

Public corporations

Municipalities

Judicial branch

Revenues and expenditures

Central government revenues

Sales and Use Tax

Central government expenditures

Government debt

References

See also

External links

Contents

Legislative branch GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");

Unicameralism

Executive branch

Governor

Executive Departments

Public corporations

Municipalities

Judicial branch

Revenues and expenditures

Central government revenues

Sales and Use Tax

Central government expenditures

Government debt

References

See also

External links

Legislative branch