American Samoa Government

American Samoa is classified as being an unincorporated and unorganized territory. More specifically the government can be defined as being a territorial presidential constitutional republic. The head of American Samoa’s government is its Governor while its official head of state is the U.S. President. The Governor is elected on the same ticket as the Lieutenant Governor. Legislative power is administered by the American Samoa Fono which is composed of the Senate as well as the House of Representatives.

As an unincorporated and unorganized territory of the United States American Samoa is under the administration of the Office of Insular Affairs, which is part of the U.S. Department of the Interior. American Samoa’s House of Representatives is made up of twenty one members each of whom serve terms of two years. Of these members fourteen come from single seat districts, six from dual seat districts, and one through a public meeting on Swain Island (an atoll in the Tokelau chain). The territory’s Senate is composed of eighteen members who each serve terms of four years. American Samoa’s Governor and the Lieutenant Governor are both elected to terms of four years.

The Legislature of American Samoa is known as the Fono. It is located in downtown Pago Pago, specifically in an area known as Fagatogo. Government administrative business is conducted in the Maota Fono complex which is a unique bee hive shaped structure that consists of a two story main wing along with single story buildings situated on either side. It was built in 1973 after the first such structure was destroyed by a fire in 1970. The Governor of American Samoa lives in the village of Utulei.

As American Samoa is a territory of the United States, it follows a multiparty system, where the Republican Party and the Democratic Party are the two major parties.