1. The Regional Science Association of the Americas (RSAMERICAS) represents the affiliated and common interests of the various regional science organizations of the American Continents. RSAMERICAS operates as an objective, scientific body without political, social, financial, or nationalistic bias. It supports its objectives by promoting acquaintance and discussion among regional scientists and with scholars in related fields, by encouraging the publication of scholarly studies, and by performing services to aid the advancement of the field of regional science. RSAMERICAS serves as the organizational body representative of the interests of its institutional and individual members with respect to the Regional Science Association International (RSAI). It affiliates sub-national, national or regional sections of the Regional Science Association International located on the American Continent. The sections are institutional members of RSAMERICAS and their individual associates are members of RSAI. Institutional members can simultaneously be members of other associations.
2. RSAMERICAS and its institutional members will abide by the rules and principles of RSAI.
3. RSAMERICAS will charge no fees to its institutional members. Individual members will only pay the customary fee to RSAI.
4. RSAMERICAS will be governed by a Council composed of representatives of each institutional member. Each institutional member will have a number of representatives equal to their number of recognized RSAI sections. Councillors will be appointed by the council of the institutional member they represent. Term of office of councillors is determined by the institutional member they represent.
5. The RSAMERICAS Council will meet at least once a year, during one of the conferences organized by its institutional members. Schedule of Council meetings is approved by a majority vote of Councillors.
6. The Council will elect one of its members as President of RSAMERICAS, for a two-year term. The President can run up to two consecutive terms. The President of RSAMERICAS will represent the Association to RSAI, other supra-regional organizations of RSAI, as well as RSAMERICAS institutional members. The President will spearhead efforts to strengthen Regional Science in the Americas through the establishment of new RSAI sections, the organization and sponsorship of conferences, and other activities deemed appropriate to the scopes and objectives of RSAMERICAS. The President sets the agenda of Council meetings in consultation with Council members.
7. The Council will decide by majority vote on the admission of new institutional members. Admission requests can be submitted to Council at least one month prior to a scheduled Council meeting. Council will be carrying out all matters deemed appropriate to its scope and objectives that are not explicitly excluded in the RSAMERICAS Constitution.
8. Decisions are made by Council after simple majority vote of Councillors present. Councillors may designate another individuals to exercise proxy powers. A quorum of a simple majority of Councillors is needed for vote to take place.
9. Each institutional member will preserve their individual status and autonomy and will be entitled to develop their associative activities independently of the others. Sub-national, national or regional sections within RSAMERICAS can associate to promote joint activities.
10. RSAMERICAS President and Councillors are not financially compensated.
11. In the spirit of fostering interaction and intellectual exchange among individual RSAMERICAS members and cooperation among institutional members, individual members of any sub-national, national, or regional sections within RSAMERICAS will be encouraged to participate in conferences and other activities of all other institutional members of RSAMERICAS.
12. This Constitution shall be considered to have been ratified, and the provisions specified herein to take effect, immediately upon approval by the executive body of three recognized RSAI sections to become institutional members of RSAMERICAS, and provided that RSAI Council grants representation on Council to RSAMERICAS.
13. By a vote of at least two-thirds of the Councillors, the Council may amend this Constitution.