Relationship dossier
United States
United States Virgin Islands
Relationship assessment
U.S. federal governance and support coexist with unresolved questions over the Virgin Islands’ political status and representation.
United States toward United States Virgin Islands
+15The U.S. government exercises federal authority over the territory, extends U.S. citizenship to people born there, and administers federal programs. The Virgin Islands also lacks voting representation in Congress, making its political status and representation continuing issues in the relationship.
United States Virgin Islands toward United States
Not assessedOverall relationship
Not assessedHow to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
The United States Virgin Islands is a U.S. territory under federal sovereignty, with an elected local government exercising powers under federal law. U.S. federal policy provides U.S. citizenship to people born in the territory and applies federal programs, while the territory lacks voting representation in Congress and does not conduct an independent foreign policy. The territorial relationship combines substantial federal governance and support with continuing questions about political status and representation.
Areas of tension
- The territory's political status and the extent of local self-government.
- The Virgin Islands' lack of voting representation in Congress.
Key developments
The Revised Organic Act established the framework for the territory's local government under U.S. sovereignty.
People born in the U.S. Virgin Islands were granted U.S. citizenship by federal law.
Major uncertainties
- The extent of differences in federal program treatment between the territory and U.S. states is unclear.
- The future status of the territory and the prospects for changes to its political relationship with the United States remain unsettled.