United States
2026
- GOVERNMENT
- federal republic with a strong federal tradition
- CONSTITUTION
- September 17, 1787, in effect from March 4, 1789
- LEGAL SYSTEM
- federal court system based on English common law. Each state has its own legal system
- LEGISLATIVE SYSTEM
- bicameral, Congress (Senate and House of Representatives)
- JUDICIAL SYSTEM
- Supreme Court, U.S. Court of Appeals, U.S. District Courts; state and county courts
RELIGIONS
51.3% Protestants; 23.9% Catholics; 1.7% Mormons; 1.6% other Christians; 1.7% Jews; 0.7% Muslims; other unspecified or no religion
From the country
APRIL 26, 2005United StatesDEATH PENALTYUNITED STATES. DEATH SENTENCES FALL TO RECORD LOW SINCE 1976, THE NAACP LEGAL DEFENSE FUND
the number of people sentenced to death last year in the United States fell to the lowest level since the US Supreme Court reinstated the penalty in 1976.
- APRIL 24, 2005FranceDEATH PENALTY
FRANCE. FAMILY HOPE MOUSSAOUI CAN AVOID DEATH PENALTY
Francois Roux, a French lawyer advising the family of Zacarias Moussaoui, the only person charged in the United States over the September 11 attacks, said his family still hoped he would avoid the death penalty. Roux said that although Moussaoui had plead
- APRIL 22, 2005FranceDEATH PENALTY
VIRGINIA, USA. 9/11 SUSPECT FACES DEATH PENALTY AFTER PLEADING GUILTY
Zacarias Moussaoui, the man who investigators believed could have unraveled the al-Qaida plot before the September 11 2001 attacks, pleaded guilty to terrorism and other charges carrying the death penalty.
- APRIL 20, 2005United StatesDEATH PENALTY
United States voted against the resolution on the death penalty at the 61st UN Commission on Human Rights.
United States voted against the resolution on the death penalty at the 61st UN Commission on Human Rights.
- APRIL 18, 2005United KingdomDEATH PENALTY
US. NO DEATH PENALTY FOR UK TERROR SUSPECT
the United States Government provided a written assurance that a British terror suspect Babar Ahmad would not face the death penalty if he was extradited to face trial there.
- APRIL 14, 2005United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA. LETHAL INJECTION EXECUTION 'CRUEL', RESEARCHERS
American researchers have called for a halt to lethal injection, the most common method of execution in the United States, because it is not always a humane and painless way to die.
APRIL 13, 2005ItalyDEATH PENALTYNACDL. 2005 SPRING MEETING AND THE DEATH PENALTY
the NACDL's Spring Meeting will be held in New York from April 14 to April 17, 2005. An important occasion to be involved in the ever-expanding International Criminal Law arena.
- MARCH 26, 2005BulgariaDEATH PENALTY
LIBYA. US TO SEEK RELEASE OF BULGARIAN NURSES
the US promised to do all it could to persuade Libya to free five Bulgarian nurses sentenced to death on charges they injected the virus that causes AIDS into 400 children.
MARCH 23, 2005ItalyDEATH PENALTYTERRI SCHIAVO. THE VATICAN IS FUNDAMENTALIST ON EVERYTHING BUT THE DEATH PENALTY
the definitive ‘No’ by the Vatican on the question of euthanasia, does not correspond to its definitive ‘No’ against the death penalty,” declared Hands Off Cain Secretary Sergio D’Elia, in a dispute with the Vatican which had written in its daily, the Oss
MARCH 21, 2005FranceDEATH PENALTYUSA. GOVERNMENT URGES JUDGE TO SET DATE FOR MOUSSAOUI TRIAL
the US government asked a federal judge to set an October start date for the much-delayed trial of accused September 11 conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui.
MARCH 21, 2005United StatesDEATH PENALTYUSA. CATHOLIC BISHOPS CAMPAIGN AGAINST DEATH PENALTY
US Catholic bishops launched a campaign against the death penalty and presented new data suggesting support for capital punishment among American Catholics had fallen sharply in recent years to below 50 percent. Washington Archbishop Theodore McCarrick to
- MARCH 16, 2005United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA. “I STILL SUPPORT THE DEATH PENALTY”, BUSH
in a news conference President Bush urged stated his support for the death penalty. The following is a transcript of his remarks: