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
- SEPTEMBER 16, 2002United StatesDEATH PENALTY
Pakistan said it was prepared to extradite key al Qaeda...
Pakistan said it was prepared to extradite key al Qaeda suspect Ramzi Binalshibh to the United States after completing its own investigations and legal formalities
- SEPTEMBER 14, 2002United StatesDEATH PENALTY
European and US teams are trying to reach a deal on...
European and US teams are trying to reach a deal on extraditing terror suspects who may face the death penalty if convicted in a US court
- SEPTEMBER 14, 2002United StatesDEATH PENALTY
European and US teams are trying to reach a deal on...
European and US teams are trying to reach a deal on extraditing terror suspects who may face the death penalty if convicted in a US court
- AUGUST 29, 2002United StatesDEATH PENALTY
In an unusual public statement about the death penalty,...
In an unusual public statement about the death penalty, 3 Supreme Court justices said the time is right to consider abolishing capital punishment for killers who committed their crimes as minors
- AUGUST 18, 2002United StatesDEATH PENALTY
Nurse Wendy Alsford spent her working life confronting...
Nurse Wendy Alsford spent her working life confronting illness, frailty and death as she cared for society's sick in hospitals across Britain
- AUGUST 10, 2002United StatesDEATH PENALTY
A trend that sees women drawn to marry killers waiting...
A trend that sees women drawn to marry killers waiting to die on death row is increasing
- AUGUST 1, 2002United StatesDEATH PENALTY
United Nations human rights chief Mary Robinson urged...
United Nations human rights chief Mary Robinson urged the United States to lift the death sentences on two men in Texas who were under 18 when they committed murder
- JULY 19, 2002United StatesDEATH PENALTY
America is ready to drop its demand for Pakistan to...
America is ready to drop its demand for Pakistan to extradite Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, the British-born Muslim extremist sentenced to death for masterminding the kidnap and murder of the American journalist Daniel Pearl
- JULY 18, 2002United StatesDEATH PENALTY
The Senate Judiciary Committee took the 1st step toward...
The Senate Judiciary Committee took the 1st step toward reforming the nation's death penalty system Thursday, approving a measure aimed at giving inmates greater access to DNA testing to prove their innocence and ensuring they have competent counsel at tr
- JUNE 27, 2002United StatesDEATH PENALTY
A UK MP representing Knowsley South, Eddie O'Hara,...
A UK MP representing Knowsley South, Eddie O'Hara, urged US President George Bush to scrap the death penalty
- JUNE 20, 2002United StatesDEATH PENALTY
The U
The U
- JUNE 14, 2002United StatesDEATH PENALTY
The US Senate overwhelmingly approved legislation to...
The US Senate overwhelmingly approved legislation to bring the United States into compliance with two international counterterrorism treaties, easing extradition of bombing suspects and conforming laws against financing of terrorist activities