Politics of the Federated States of Micronesia
Encyclopedia
The politics of the Federated States of Micronesia
(FSM) takes place in a framework of a federal
parliamentary
representative democratic
republic
. The President of the Federated States of Micronesia
is both head of state
and head of government
. Executive power
is exercised by the government
, while legislative power is vested in both the government and parliament
. The judiciary
is independent of the executive and the legislature.
The internal workings of the FSM are governed by the 1979 constitution, which guarantees fundamental human rights
and establishes a separation of governmental powers. The Federation is in free association
with the United States
; the Compact of Free Association
entered into force 3 November 1986.
|| Manny Mori
|| || May 11, 2007
| Vice-President || Alik L. Alik
|| ||May 11, 2007
|}
The president and the vice president are elected by Congress from among the four senators-at-large for four-year terms. The president is both the chief of state and head of government. Their congressional seats are then filled by special elections. The president and vice president are supported by an appointed cabinet.
.
(the President) and a legislature
are elected on a national level. As far as available, at the last elections, 8 March 2005, only non-partisans have been elected. The president is elected for a four-year term by the parliament. There are no political parties in Micronesia, though they are not banned. Political allegiances depend mainly on family and island-related factors.
was Chief Justice
of the Supreme Court until his death in January 2010.
(Truk), Kosrae
, Pohnpei
, and Yap
. Each has its own constitution, elected legislature, and governor. The state governments maintain considerable power, particularly regarding the implementation of budgetary policies.
Federated States of Micronesia
The Federated States of Micronesia or FSM is an independent, sovereign island nation, made up of four states from west to east: Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei and Kosrae. It comprises approximately 607 islands with c...
(FSM) takes place in a framework of a federal
Federation
A federation , also known as a federal state, is a type of sovereign state characterized by a union of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central government...
parliamentary
Parliamentary system
A parliamentary system is a system of government in which the ministers of the executive branch get their democratic legitimacy from the legislature and are accountable to that body, such that the executive and legislative branches are intertwined....
representative democratic
Representative democracy
Representative democracy is a form of government founded on the principle of elected individuals representing the people, as opposed to autocracy and direct democracy...
republic
Republic
A republic is a form of government in which the people, or some significant portion of them, have supreme control over the government and where offices of state are elected or chosen by elected people. In modern times, a common simplified definition of a republic is a government where the head of...
. The President of the Federated States of Micronesia
President of the Federated States of Micronesia
The following is a list of the Presidents of the Federated States of Micronesia:-See also:*High Commissioner of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands...
is both head of state
Head of State
A head of state is the individual that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state. His or her role generally includes legitimizing the state and exercising the political powers, functions, and duties granted to the head of...
and head of government
Head of government
Head of government is the chief officer of the executive branch of a government, often presiding over a cabinet. In a parliamentary system, the head of government is often styled prime minister, chief minister, premier, etc...
. Executive power
Executive Power
Executive Power is Vince Flynn's fifth novel, and the fourth to feature Mitch Rapp, an American agent that works for the CIA as an operative for a covert counter terrorism unit called the "Orion Team."-Plot summary:...
is exercised by the government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
, while legislative power is vested in both the government and parliament
Parliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
. The judiciary
Judiciary
The judiciary is the system of courts that interprets and applies the law in the name of the state. The judiciary also provides a mechanism for the resolution of disputes...
is independent of the executive and the legislature.
The internal workings of the FSM are governed by the 1979 constitution, which guarantees fundamental human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
and establishes a separation of governmental powers. The Federation is in free association
Associated state
An associated state is the minor partner in a formal, free relationship between a political territory with a degree of statehood and a nation, for which no other specific term, such as protectorate, is adopted...
with the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
; the Compact of Free Association
Compact of Free Association
The Compact of Free Association defines the relationship that three sovereign states—the Federated States of Micronesia , the Republic of the Marshall Islands and the Republic of Palau—have entered into as associated states with the United States.Now sovereign nations, the three freely associated...
entered into force 3 November 1986.
Executive branch
| PresidentPresident of the Federated States of Micronesia
The following is a list of the Presidents of the Federated States of Micronesia:-See also:*High Commissioner of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands...
|| Manny Mori
Manny Mori
Emanuel "Manny" Mori is the current President of the Federated States of Micronesia. He was elected by the nation's Congress on May 11, 2007 and sworn in the same day....
|| || May 11, 2007
| Vice-President || Alik L. Alik
Alik L. Alik
Alik L. Alik is a diplomat and politician from Federated States of Micronesia who has been the Vice President of the Federated States of Micronesia since 2007....
|| ||May 11, 2007
|}
The president and the vice president are elected by Congress from among the four senators-at-large for four-year terms. The president is both the chief of state and head of government. Their congressional seats are then filled by special elections. The president and vice president are supported by an appointed cabinet.
Legislative branch
The Congress has fourteen non-partisan members, ten members elected for a two year term in single-seat constituencies and four members elected for a four-year term by proportional representationProportional representation
Proportional representation is a concept in voting systems used to elect an assembly or council. PR means that the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received. For example, under a PR voting system if 30% of voters support a particular...
.
Political parties and elections
A head of stateHead of State
A head of state is the individual that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state. His or her role generally includes legitimizing the state and exercising the political powers, functions, and duties granted to the head of...
(the President) and a legislature
Legislature
A legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...
are elected on a national level. As far as available, at the last elections, 8 March 2005, only non-partisans have been elected. The president is elected for a four-year term by the parliament. There are no political parties in Micronesia, though they are not banned. Political allegiances depend mainly on family and island-related factors.
Judicial branch
The judiciary is headed by the Supreme Court, which is divided into trial and appellate divisions. The president appoints judges with the advice and consent of the Congress. Andon AmaraichAndon Amaraich
The Honorable Andon L. Amaraich was a Micronesian public servant, politician, diplomat and judge. He was, at the time of his death, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court...
was Chief Justice
Chief Justice
The Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English common law, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Court of Final Appeal of...
of the Supreme Court until his death in January 2010.
Administrative divisions
The FSM is divided in four states: ChuukChuuk
Chuuk — formerly Truk, Ruk, Hogoleu, Torres, Ugulat, and Lugulus — is an island group in the south western part of the Pacific Ocean. It comprises one of the four states of the Federated States of Micronesia , along with Kosrae, Pohnpei, and Yap. Chuuk is the most populous of the FSM's...
(Truk), Kosrae
Kosrae
Kosrae , formerly known as Kusaie, is an island in Micronesia. The State of Kosrae is one of four states of the Federated States of Micronesia, and includes, besides the island of Kosrae, about a dozen satellite islands and islets, the most significant of which is Lelu Island.-Geography:With a...
, Pohnpei
Pohnpei
Not to be confused with Pompeii, the ancient city destroyed by Vesuvius in AD 79.Pohnpei "upon a stone altar " is the name of one of the four states in the Federated States of Micronesia , situated among the Senyavin Islands which are part of the larger Caroline Islands group...
, and Yap
Yap
Yap, also known as Wa'ab by locals, is an island in the Caroline Islands of the western Pacific Ocean. It is a state of the Federated States of Micronesia. Yap's indigenous cultures and traditions are still strong compared to other neighboring islands. The island of Yap actually consists of four...
. Each has its own constitution, elected legislature, and governor. The state governments maintain considerable power, particularly regarding the implementation of budgetary policies.