GOVERNMENT
Country name:
conventional long form: United States of America
conventional short form: United States
abbreviation: US or USA
Data code: US
Government type: federal
republic; strong democratic tradition
National capital:
Washington, DC
Administrative divisions:
50 states and 1 district*; Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas,
California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia*,
Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas,
Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan,
Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New
Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North
Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South
Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia,
Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
Dependent areas: American
Samoa, Baker Island, Guam, Howland Island, Jarvis Island, Johnston
Atoll, Kingman Reef, Midway Islands, Navassa Island, Northern
Mariana Islands, Palmyra Atoll, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Wake
Island
note: from 18 July 1947 until 1 October 1994, the US administered
the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, but recently entered
into a new political relationship with all four political units:
the Northern Mariana Islands is a Commonwealth in political union
with the US (effective 3 November 1986); Palau concluded a Compact
of Free Association with the US (effective 1 October 1994); the
Federated States of Micronesia signed a Compact of Free Association
with the US (effective 3 November 1986); the Republic of the Marshall
Islands signed a Compact of Free Association with the US (effective
21 October 1986)
Independence: 4 July
1776 (from England)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 4 July (1776)
Constitution: 17 September
1787, effective 4 March 1789
Legal system: based
on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts; accepts
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage: 18 years
of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President George W. BUSH (since 20 January
2001) and Vice President Richard B. CHENEY (since 20 January 2001);
note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President George W. BUSH (since 20
January 2001) and Vice President Richard B. CHENEY (since 20 January
2001); note - the president is both the chief of state and head
of government
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president with Senate
approval
elections: president and vice president elected on the
same ticket by a college of representatives who are elected directly
from each state; president and vice president serve four-year
terms; election last held 7 November 2000 (next to be held 2 November
2004)
election results: George W. BUSH elected president; percent
of popular vote - George W. BUSH (Republican Party) 48%, Albert
A. GORE, Jr. (Democratic Party) 48%, Ralph NADER (Green Party)
3%, other 1%
Legislative branch:
bicameral Congress consists of Senate (100 seats, one-third are
renewed every two years; two members are elected from each state
by popular vote to serve six-year terms) and House of Representatives
(435 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote to serve
two-year terms)
elections: Senate—last held 5 November 1996 (next
to be held 2 November 1998); House of Representatives—last
held 5 November 1996 (next to be held 2 November 1998)
election results: Senate—percent of vote by party—NA;
seats by party—Republican Party 55, Democratic Party 45;
House of Representatives—percent of vote by party—NA;
seats by party—Republican Party 227, Democratic Party 205,
independent 1, vacant 2
Judicial branch: Supreme
Court, justices are appointed for life by the president with confirmation
by the Senate
Political parties and
leaders: Democratic Party [Terence McAULIFFE, national committee
chairman]; Green Party [leader NA]; Republican Party [Governor
Marc RACICOT, national committee chairman]
International organization
participation: AfDB, AG (observer), ANZUS, APEC, AsDB, Australia
Group, BIS, CCC, CE (observer), CP, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ECLAC, ESCAP,
FAO, G- 2, G- 5, G- 7, G- 8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat,
Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINUGUA, MINURSO, MIPONUH,
MTCR, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS, OECD, OSCE, PCA, SPC, UN, UN Security
Council, UNCTAD, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNOMIG, UNPREDEP,
UNRWA, UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC
Flag description:
thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating
with white; there is a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side
corner bearing 50 small white five-pointed stars arranged in nine
offset horizontal rows of six stars (top and bottom) alternating
with rows of five stars; the 50 stars represent the 50 states,
the 13 stripes represent the 13 original colonies; known as Old
Glory; the design and colors have been the basis for a number
of other flags including Chile, Liberia, Malaysia, and Puerto
Rico
