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Conventional long form: American Samoa
Conventional short form: American Samoa
Abbreviation: AS
History: adopted 17 October 1960; revised 1 July 1967 (2017)
Amendments: proposed by either house of the Legislative Assembly; passage requires three-fifths majority vote by the membership of each house, approval in a referendum, and approval by the US Secretary of the Interior; amended 1971, 1977, 1979 (2017)
Chief of state: President Donald J. TRUMP (since 20 January 2017); Vice President Michael R. PENCE (since 20 January 2017)
Head of government: Governor Lolo Matalasi MOLIGA (since 3 January 2013)
Cabinet: Cabinet consists of 12 department directors appointed by the governor with the consent of the Legislature or Fono
Elections:
Election results: Lolo Matalasi MOLIGA reelected governor in first round; percent of vote - Lolo Matalasi MOLIGA (independent) 60.2%, Faoa Aitofele SUNIA (Democratic Party) 35.8%, Tuika TUIKA (independent) 4%
Description: bicameral Legislature or Fono consists of
Elections: Senate - last held on 8 November 2016 (next to be held in November 2020) House of Representatives - last held on 6 November 2018 (next to be held in November 2020)
Election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - independent 18; composition - men 17, women 1, percent of women 9.5% House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; composition - men 14, women 7, percent of women 33.3%; note - total percent of women in Legislature 20.5%
Note: American Samoa elects 1 member by simple majority vote to serve a 2-year term as a delegate to the US House of Representatives; the delegate can vote when serving on a committee and when the House meets as the Committee of the Whole House, but not when legislation is submitted for a “full floor†House vote; election of delegate last held on 6 November 2018 (next to be held in November 2020)
Highest courts: High Court of American Samoa (consists of the chief justice, associate chief justice, and 6 Samoan associate judges and organized into trial, family, drug, and appellate divisions); note - American Samoa has no US federal courts
Judge selection and term of office: chief justice and associate chief justice appointed by the US Secretary of the Interior to serve for life; Samoan associate judges appointed by the governor to serve for life
Subordinate courts: district and village courts
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