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
- JANUARY 25, 2006United StatesDEATH PENALTY
UNITED STATES. SUPREME COURT BLOCKS FLORIDA EXECUTION OF CLARENCE HILL
the US Supreme Court has blocked the execution of Clarence Hill to consider his appeal over the method used to carry out the punishment.
- JANUARY 12, 2006United StatesDEATH PENALTY
in his 4th day of confirmation hearings...
in his 4th day of confirmation hearings, Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito has been taking some questions on matters of life and death.
- JANUARY 11, 2006United StatesDEATH PENALTY
UNITED STATES. SUPREME COURT TAKES UP FIRST DEATH ROW DNA CASE
the US Supreme Court for the first time heard an appeal by a death row inmate using new DNA evidence to proclaim his innocence and demand a retrial. The court's verdict, expected by mid 2006, will do more than seal the fate of convicted murderer Paul Hous
- JANUARY 10, 2006United StatesDEATH PENALTY
UNITED STATES. FBI CHECKING PRINTS IN DEATH ROW CASES
the FBI is reviewing the cases of all state and federal prisoners scheduled for execution to determine whether bureau fingerprint examiners made errors that led to death sentences.
- DECEMBER 20, 2005United StatesDEATH PENALTY
UNITED STATES. FEDERAL DEATH SENTENCE FOR WOMAN, FIRST IN OVER 50 YEARS
Angela Johnson was sentenced to death by a federal court after being found guilty of involvement in the murder of five people in the state of Iowa in 1993. She says she is innocent.
- DECEMBER 19, 2005United StatesDEATH PENALTY
murder increased by 2.1% across the USA during the first 6 months...
murder increased by 2.1% across the USA during the first 6 months of 2005 and was on track to nearly reverse a 2.4% decline recorded last year, according to preliminary FBI figures released today.
- NOVEMBER 29, 2005United StatesDEATH PENALTY
VIRGINIA. GOVERNOR STOPS MILESTONE U.S. EXECUTION
Gov. Mark Warner spared the life of a convicted killer who would have been the 1,000th person executed in the United States since the Supreme Court allowed capital punishment to resume in 1976. The governor commuted Robin Lovitt's death sentence to life
- NOVEMBER 15, 2005United StatesDEATH PENALTY
a statement approved during this week's meeting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops...
a statement approved during this week's meeting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops...
- NOVEMBER 13, 2005United StatesDEATH PENALTY
UNITED STATES. US REPORTS DECLINE IN EXECUTIONS
the number of people sentenced to death in the United States and the number executed fell again in 2004, according to the latest government figures.
- OCTOBER 21, 2005United StatesDEATH PENALTY
even as the use of the death penalty continued to decline in the United States, the number of murders and the national murder rate dropped in 2004.
even as the use of the death penalty continued to decline in the United States, the number of murders and the national murder rate dropped in 2004.
- OCTOBER 19, 2005United StatesDEATH PENALTY
UNITED STATES. US DEATH PENALTY 'WOEFULLY SHORT OF JUSTICE', DEATH PENALTY INFORMATION CENTER
jurors in US death penalty cases are often excluded because of race and gender, are not shown critical evidence and tend to be conviction prone, the Death Penalty Information Center said in a report.
- OCTOBER 11, 2005United StatesDEATH PENALTY
UNITED STATES. SUPREME COURT DENIES APPEAL BY STANLEY ‘TOOKIE’ WILLIAMS
the US Supreme Court declined to review the case of Stanley "Tookie" Williams, a California death-row inmate whose attorneys argued that the prosecutor had engaged in racial discrimination in selecting the jury for his trial.