Politics of the Conference of American States

  

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Conference of American States
This article is part of a series on the politics and government of the Conference of American States
Member states (25)  Alaska  Antigua and Barbuda  Astoria  Bahamas  Barbados  Belize  Brazil  Brazoria  Central America  Dominica  Greenland  Grenada  Guyana  Jamaica  Manitoba  Paraguay  Patagonia  Saint Kitts and Nevis  Saint Lucia  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines  São Leopoldo  Kingdom of Sierra  Superior  Suriname  United Provinces Regional partners France Netherlands United Kingdom Candidate countries Antilles Cozumel Guam Northern Mariana Islands Placentia Trinidad and Tobago Kingdom of Sierra–Superior relations Astoria–Kingdom of Sierra relations Astoria–Superior relations Big Three Withdrawal from the Conference of American States
Treaties Treaty of Riverside (1959) Treaty of New Hamburg (1960) Treaty of Seattle (1966) Treaty of San Francisco (1968) Treaty of Portland (1978) Wagner Treaty (1983) Treaty of Grand Llano (2000) Treaty of St. Cloud (2007) Suspension and Punishment Agreement Withdrawal Agreement Treaty of Rio de Janeiro (2017) Opt-outs Treaties of accession TBD Treaties of succession TBD Other treaties Lincoln Agreement Abandoned treaties and agreements TBD
Executive American Secretariat Hauptsmann Secretariat Secretary-General: John Hauptsmann (IND) Deputy Secretary-General: Oscar Turray (LDA) Secretary College of Commissioners
Legislature Legislative procedure American Council President Manitoba Jean-Luc Michel (July–December 2022) American Parliament (Members) President: Sofia Muñoz Largest groups LDA (Jackie Nutalli) ACC (Joshua Garrett) SDA (Jared Lester) ADL (Benjamin Perseus) RGA (Sven Ludendorff) Member of the American Parliament 10th session (2020–2025) Speaker: Brian Woods (LDA) National parliaments
Judiciary Court of Justice of the Conference of American States Court of Justice Members Chief Justice: Robert Woodall Rulings
Auditory American Customs Authority Auditor General: Sharice Ryan Financial and Economic Cooperation Council COMAMERO
Lincoln Area  Alaska  Astoria  Brazoria  Greenland  Guyana  Jamaica  Manitoba  Kingdom of Sierra  Superior  Suriname Non-CAS members  Cozumel  Guam  Northern Mariana Islands Lincoln Agreement Common Area Act Agana Agreement Visa policy of the Lincoln Area Non-Lincoln Area states  United Provinces  Brazil  Central America  Paraguay  São Leopoldo Lincoln Area since 2020
Other bodies Agencies Council on Cooperative Space Exploration
Elections 1970, 1975, 1980, 1985, 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015 2020 (last election) American political parties Constituencies Elections in CAS member states Alaska Argentina Brazil Brazoria Central America Chile Greenland Guyana Jamacia Manitoba Paraguay Patagonia São Leopoldo Kingdom of SIerra Superior Suriname Referendums relating to the CAS
Law Primacy Regulation Directive Decision Recommendation
Policies and issues Budget Customs Union Free Trade Agreements American Single Market Policies Agriculture Energy Fisheries Regional Citizenship Passports of the Conference of American States Identity American unionism Ameroskepticism Continentalism Integration Supranationalism Federalism North American Union Amero Enhanced co-op
Foreign relations Ambassador Jamaal Kings Foreign relations of CAS member states Alaska Astoria Brazil Brazoria Central America Greenland Guyana Jamacia Manitoba Paraguay Patagonia São Leopoldo Kingdom of Sierra Superior Suriname United Provinces Antilles–Conference of American States relations China–Conference of American States relations Conference of American States–France relations Conference of American States–Netherlands relations Conference of American States–Mexico relations (Mexit) Conference of American States–Placentia relations Conference of American States–United Commonwealth relations Conference of American States–United Kingdom relations Conference of American States–United People's Committees relations Conference of American States and the League of Nations G8 G20
Conference of American States portal Atlas

The politics of the Conference of American States are different from most other polities and states ue to the unique nature of the Conference of American States. The CAS is similar to a confederation, where many policy areas are federalized into common institutions capable of making law; the competences to control foreign policy, defense policy and the majority of direct taxation policies are reserved for the sixteen individual member states and their governments (the Conference does limit the level of variation allowed for VAT). These areas are primarily under the control of the CAS' member states although there is a certain degree of structured co-operation and coordination takes place in these areas. For the CAS to take action in these areas, it must be given the consent of the member states. American law that overrides state law is more numerous than previous confederations in history; however the CAS is legally restricted from making laws and decisions outside of its remit or when it's more appropriate to do so at the national or local level (subsidiarity) when acting outside of its exclusive competences.

The common institutions of the Conference mix intergovernmental and supranational (similar to federal) aspects of the CAS with all treaties declaring the CAS a supranational union based on representative democracy and direct elections to the American Parliament that are held once every five years. The Parliament, along with the American Council, form the legislative branch of the CAS' political structure. The American Council consists of representatives, known officially as ministers, that are official representatives of their respective member state. The council represents both the member states and their governments and the intergovernmental strucutre of the CAS. Laws can be drafted by the American Parliament, however the American Secretariat is responsible for approving said laws and composes of the executive branch of the Conference. The secretariat is lead by the Secretary-General who serves as the head of state of the wider Conference in internatioanl relations.

While elections to the American Parliament take place once every five years, there are no cohesive political parties in the national sense, instead there are alliances of various political parties from all member states who form coalitions in parliament and sit together. These alliances are based off of common ideogical beliefs, political positions, and views and are organized into parliamentary groups in the transnational legislature. The largest parliamentary groups are the Liberal Democrats of America (centrist to center-left, primarily liberal), the American Conservative Coalition (center-right, primarily conservative) and the Social Democrats of America (center-left, mostly social democrat). The LDA has historically been the largest parliamentary group in the CAS ever since the American Parliament was first created back in 1970. There are left-wing and right-wing dividing lines within the wider CAS along with varying perspectives on American integration including those who are both supportive and opposed to it (American unionism and Ameroskepticism) which shapes the evolving nature of the CAS and its politics. Ameroskepticism has become a focal point since the 2010s with 2019 being a major focal point following a membership referendum in the Kingdom of Sierra which attempted to have the kingdom withdrawal, but ended in a victory for the Remain campaign. Opt-outs are allowed to occur.

Legal basis

Competences

Main article: Member state of the Conference of American State

Law

Main article: Conference of American States law

Institution

Main article: Institutions of the Conference of American States

American Parliament

Main article: American Parliament

The American Parliament is the transnational legislature of the CAS and is one of the two legislative bodies alongside the American Council over it. It consists of 501 members who are elected once every five years in direct elections with universal suffrage and sit according to their respective political alignments. It represents all American citizens in the CAS' legislative process in contrast to the American Council, which consists of representatives from each member state. While forming one of the two legislative chambers, the parliament has at most limited legislative initiative and posseses weaker powers than the Council by comparison.

American Council

Main article: American Council

The American Council is an organ in the CAS that is the upper part of the legislative branch of the CAS. It oversees and approves the legislation passed by the American Parliament beneath it, drafts the Conference's agenda and political priorities along with coordinating with the national governments of the member states to ensure the agenda's implementation and close cooperation between the member states to ensure cohesion within the supranational union. It consists of members that are known as ministers who are appointed by the governments of each member state, mainly through nomination by said member state's head of state or government and approved by their respective national parliaments.

Secretariat

Main article: American Secretariat

Elections

Main article: Elections to the American Parliament

Foreign affairs

Main articles: Foreign relations of the Conference of American States and Common Security and Defense Policy

See also

• Policies of the Conference of American States
• List of Conference of American States directives
• Politics of Anglo-America