Politics of Guam

Politics of Guam takes place in a framework of a presidential representative democratic system, whereby the Governor is head of government, and of a multi-party system. Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States with policy relations between Guam and the US under the jurisdiction of the Office of Insular Affairs.

Background

The economy of Guam is greatly dependent on the U.S. military bases there. The U.S. connection also contributes to Guam's status as a Japanese tourist destination. Some assume the Guamanian population is sympathetic toward the United States, based on common tribulations during World War II, and on relations with the U.S. military since.

However, maintenance of the status quo vis-à-vis the current political relationship between the territory and the United States is not without controversy. There is a significant movement in favor of the Territory becoming a commonwealth, which would give it a political status similar to Puerto Rico and the Northern Mariana Islands. Competing movements exist, which advocate political independence from the United States, statehood, or a combination with the Northern Mariana Islands as a single territory (not necessarily commonwealth). These proposals, however, are not seen as favorable by the U.S. federal government, which argues Guam does not have the financial stability or self-sufficiency to warrant such status. They cite Guam’s increasing reliance on Federal spending as evidence, and question how commonwealth status or statehood would benefit the United States as a whole.

Outline of political science

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to politics and political science:

Politics – the exercise of power; process by which groups of people make collective decisions. Politics is the art or science of running governmental or state affairs (including behavior within civil governments), institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the corporate, academic, and religious segments of society.

Political science – the field concerning the theory and practice of politics and the description and analysis of political systems and political behavior.

Branches of political science

Fields of study of political science

Guam

Guam (ⁱ/ˈɡwɑːm/ or /ˈɡwɒm/; Chamorro: Guåhån; formally the Territory of Guam) is an unincorporated and organized territory of the United States. Located in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, Guam is one of five American territories with an established civilian government. The capital city is Hagåtña, and the most populous city is Dededo. In 2015, 161,785 people were residing on Guam. Guamanians are American citizens by birth. Guam has an area of 544 km² (210 sq mi) and a density of 297/km² (770/sq mi). It is the largest and southernmost of the Mariana Islands, and the largest island in Micronesia. Among its municipalities, Mongmong-Toto-Maite has the highest density at 1,425/km² (3,691/sq mi) and Inarajan has its lowest density at 46/km² (119/sq mi). The highest point is Mount Lamlam at 406 meters (1,332 ft) above sea-level.

The Chamorros, Guam's indigenous people, settled the island approximately 4,000 years ago. Portuguese-explorer Ferdinand Magellan discovered the island on March 6, 1521. Guam was colonized in 1668 with settlers, like Diego Luis de San Vitores, a Catholic missionary. Between the 1500s and the 1700s, Guam was an important stopover for the Spanish Manila Galleons. During the Spanish–American War, the United States captured Guam on June 21, 1898. Under the Treaty of Paris, Spain ceded Guam to the United States on December 10, 1898. Guam is amongst the seventeen Non-Self-Governing Territories of the United Nations.

Guamá

Guamá (died c. 1532) was a Taíno rebel chief who led a rebellion against Spanish rule in Cuba in the 1530s. Legend states that Guamá was first warned about the Spanish conquistador by Hatuey, a Taíno cacique from what is now Haiti.

Biography

After the death of Spanish governor Diego de Velázquez (circa 1460-1524), Guamá led a series of bloody indigenous uprisings against the Spanish that lasted for roughly 10 years. By 1530 Guamá had about fifty warriors and continued to recruit more pacified yndios. The rebellion mainly occurred in the extensive forests of the area of Çagua, near Baracoa in the easternmost area of Cuba, but also farther south and west in the Sierra Maestra.

Archaeologists and forensic pathologists believe that a body found in the Cuban mountains in February 2003 is indeed that of the legendary rebel chief Guamá.

According to the testimony of a captive Indian taken by the Spanish during the rebellion, Guamá was murdered by his brother Oliguama, who buried an axe in his forehead while he slept, in 1532. According to oral tradition Oliguama, also spelled Holguoma killed Guamá because of a sexual relationship between Guamá and Oliguama's wife.

GUAM Organization for Democracy and Economic Development

The GUAM Organization for Democracy and Economic Development (Azerbaijani: GUAM , Georgian: სუამი , Romanian: GUAM , Ukrainian: ГУАМ ) is a regional organization of four post-Soviet states: Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, and Moldova.

Overview

GUAM's charter was signed during a summit in Yalta on 6 to 7 June 2001 by the four current members and Uzbekistan, which later withdrew. According to the former Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko the charter set objectives for cooperation, such as promoting democratic values, ensuring stable development, enhancing international and regional security and stepping up European integration. Moldova's 2000 elections were won by the Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova who subsequently realigned their foreign policy towards Europe shortly before the parliamentary election held in March 2005.

In June 2007, GUAM nations agreed to form a 500-personnel joint peacekeeping force to battle separatism.