From the thesis: "American Samoa faces accelerating pressures from the U.S.-China power competition, environmental policy shifts, and emerging deep-sea critical minerals resource interests while occupying a pivotal position for sustaining U.S. maritime presence and offshore governance in the Indo-Pacific. Using a mixed method of policy evaluation and strategic-foresight frameworks, this thesis assesses governance structures, federal actions, and multiple plausible futures shaped by technological acceleration, environmental challenges, gray-zone and physical conflict, and governance pressures. Findings show that American Samoa's stability and strategic value depend on aligning territorial cooperation, sustained Coast Guard presence, and science- and technology-based resource management. The analysis concludes that the most resilient posture across all futures combines co-designed governance with integrated maritime capability and transparent regulatory oversight. Recommendations include establishing a new governance framework through a new Compacts of Free Association-like compact of engagement supported by a Department of State office in American Samoa, establishing a permanent Coast Guard cutter presence, updating federal regulatory and policy regimes for fisheries and critical minerals industries, and investing in port, shipyard, and disaster-resilient infrastructure."