Shailendra Sharma at 02:37, 20 April 2023

2023-04-20T02:37:25Z

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{{Short description|Upper house of the American Samoa Fono}}
{{Infobox legislature
| name = American Samoa Senate
| legislature = [[American Samoa Fono]]
| coa_pic = Seal of American Samoa.svg
| house_type = Upper house
| term_limits = None
| foundation = {{Start date|1948|10|26}}
| leader1_type = [[List of presidents of the American Samoa Senate|President]]
| leader1 = [[Tuaolo Manaia Fruean|Tuaolo Fruean]] ([[Independent politician|I]])
| election1 = January 8, 2021
| seats = 18
| structure1 = American Samoa Senate.svg
| structure1_res = 250px
| political_groups1 =
{{Unbulleted list|class=nowrap
| {{Color box|#D6D6D6|border=darkgray}} [[Non-partisan democracy|Non-partisan]] (18)
}}
| term_length = 4 years
| salary = $25,000/year
| website = {{URL|www.americansamoa.gov/fono}}
}}
{{Politics of American Samoa}}
The '''American Samoa Senate''' is the [[upper house]] of the [[American Samoa Fono]]. The Senate, like the [[lower house|lower]] [[American Samoa House of Representatives|House of Representatives]], is a [[Non-partisan democracy|nonpartisan]] body. It is composed of 18 senators, serving a four-year term.

==History==
[[American Samoa]] became a [[United States]] territory in 1900 and was initially administered by the [[United States Navy|Navy]]. From 1905, annual meetings were held with delegates sent from the local communities, as an advisory council to the [[List of governors of American Samoa|naval governor]].<ref name=naval>[https://books.google.com/books?id=rpNQAQAAMAAJ Historical Sketch of the Naval Administration of the Government of American Samoa], Capt. T. F. Darden, 1952.</ref><ref name=history>[https://amsamoa.net/politics/history-of-the-fono.html History of the Fono], AmSamoa.net.</ref>

In 1948, a bicameral legislature was established, still in advisory capacity. The upper house, named the House of [[Ali‘i]], was composed of 12 members, being the seven high chiefs of [[Tutuila]] and the five high chiefs of [[Manu'a|Manu‘a]].<ref name=naval/><ref name=history/><ref name=yb1953>[https://books.google.com/books?id=edbMDQAAQBAJ The Statesman's Year-Book: Statistical and Historical Annual of the States of the World for the Year 1953], S. H. Steinberg.</ref><ref name=elite>[https://books.google.com/books?id=z0OsAAAAIAAJ Elite Communication in Samoa: A Study of Leadership], Felix M. Keesing and Marie M. Keesing, 1956.</ref> This legislature was reformed in 1952, after administration of American Samoa had been transferred to the [[United States Department of the Interior|Department of the Interior]]. Members of the House of Ali‘i became advisors to the governor, while a new upper house, named the Senate, was established. There were 15 senators, five from each of the three [[Administrative divisions of American Samoa|districts of American Samoa]] ([[Western District, American Samoa|Western]], [[Eastern District, American Samoa|Eastern]] and [[Manu'a District, American Samoa|Manu‘a]]). Senators were elected in open meetings, according to [[fa'asamoa|Samoan custom]], and had to be holders of a [[fa'amatai|matai]] title.<ref name=history/><ref name=yb1954>[https://books.google.com/books?id=y6TPDQAAQBAJ The Statesman's Year-Book: Statistical and Historical Annual of the States of the World for the Year 1954], S. H. Steinberg.</ref><ref name=elite/>

In 1960, the first constitution of American Samoa was adopted. The Senate became composed of 15 members: one from each of the then 14 counties, elected for four-year terms, and an additional senator rotating from the then four counties of the Western District, elected for two-year terms.<ref name=history/><ref>[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.32044082395062 Constitution of American Samoa], 1960.</ref> In 1967, the revised constitution modified the Senate to 18 members, all elected for four-year terms: two from the combined counties of [[Ta‘ū]] island; one from the combined counties of [[Ofu-Olosega]]; three from [[Maoputasi County|Ma‘oputasi]] county; two each from [[Sua County|Sua]], [[Ituau County|Itu‘au]] and [[Tualauta County|Tualauta]] counties; and one from each of the six remaining counties. Under both constitutions, senators are elected according to Samoan custom by the county councils and must be holders of a matai title.<ref name=history/><ref>[https://new.asbar.org/revised-constitution-of-american-samoa Revised Constitution of American Samoa], American Samoa Bar Association.</ref>

Fano [[Solinuu Shimasaki]] was the first woman to serve in the American Samoa Senate.<ref name=sn>{{cite news |first=|last=|title=To all the women of American Samoa who came before us |url=https://www.samoanews.com/linking-samoans/all-women-american-samoa-who-came-us |work=Office of U.S. Congresswoman [[Aumua Amata Coleman]] |publisher=[[Samoa News]] |access-date=2022-01-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210421224852/https://www.samoanews.com/linking-samoans/all-women-american-samoa-who-came-us |archive-date=2021-04-21 |url-status=live}}</ref>

==List of senators==
As of 2021, the members of the American Samoa Senate are:<ref>{{cite web|title=American Samoa Legislature (Fono)|url=https://www.americansamoa.gov/fono|access-date=November 15, 2021}}</ref>
{|class="wikitable sortable"
! Districts<ref name=districts>[https://new.asbar.org/code-annotated/2-0202-districts/ 2.0202 Districts], American Samoa Bar Association.</ref> !! Counties<ref name=districts/> !! Senators
|-
|align=right rowspan=2| 1 ||rowspan=2| [[Taʻū County|Taʻū]], [[Faleasao County|Faleasao]], [[Fitiuta County|Fitiuta]] || [[Maʻo Faʻauma Gogo]]
|-
|[[Tauiliili Lauifi]]
|-
|align=right| 2 || [[Ofu County|Ofu]], [[Olosega County|Olosega]] || [[Malaepule Saite Moliga]]
|-
|align=right| 3 || [[Saʻole County|Saʻole]] || [[Utu Sila Poasa]]
|-
|align=right| 4 || [[Vaifanua County|Vaifanua]] || [[HC Satele Aliitai Lilio]]
|-
|align=right rowspan=2| 5 ||rowspan=2| [[Sua County|Sua]] || [[Muagututiʻa Moevasa Tauoa]]
|-
|[[Togiola Tulafono]]
|-
|align=right rowspan=3| 6 ||rowspan=3| [[Maoputasi County|Maʻoputasi]] || [[Tuaolo Manaia Fruean]], [[List of Presidents of the American Samoa Senate|President]]
|-
|[[Fano Mitch Shimasaki]]
|-
|[[Uti Petelo]]
|-
|align=right rowspan=2| 7 ||rowspan=2| [[Ituau County|Ituʻau]] || [[Alo P. Stevenson]]
|-
|[[Soliai T. Fuimaono]]
|-
|align=right rowspan=2| 8 ||rowspan=2| [[Tualauta County|Tualauta]] || [[Magalei Logovii]]
|-
|[[Fonoti Tafaifa Aufata]]
|-
|align=right| 9 || [[Leasina County|Leasina]] || [[Tuiagamoa T. Tavai]]
|-
|align=right| 10 || [[Tualatai County|Tualatai]] || [[Satele Galu T. Satele]]
|-
|align=right| 11 || [[Fofo County|Fofo]] || [[Faiivae Iuli Alex Godinet]]
|-
|align=right| 12 || [[Lealataua County|Lealataua]] || [[Ponemafua Tapeni]]
|}


==Voting==
The American Samoa Senate is the only legislature of its kind in the entire [[United States]], both [[State legislature (United States)|state]] and territorial, that is not directly elected by the voting population. Instead, the Senate's voting franchise is strictly limited to the various chiefs of the islands.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://americansamoa.gov/legislative-branch-fono|title=american samoa|website=american samoa|access-date=2017-02-07}}</ref>

== Past composition of the Senate ==
{{main|Political party strength in American Samoa}}

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

{{American Samoa}}
{{United States legislatures}}
{{National upper houses}}
{{coord|-14.2782|-170.6890|type:landmark_region:US-AS|display=title}}

[[Category:American Samoa Fono|Senate]]
[[Category:Territorial upper houses in the United States]]

American Samoa Senate - Revision history

Shailendra Sharma at 02:37, 20 April 2023