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
- NOVEMBER 13, 2006CaliforniaDEATH PENALTY
the Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty for a California...
the Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty for a California man convicted of murdering a 19-year-old woman during a burglary.
- OCTOBER 12, 2006IraqDEATH PENALTY
IRAQ. U.S. CITIZEN SENTENCED TO DEATH
a US citizen who allegedly orchestrated the kidnapping of three Romanian journalists near Baghdad in 2005 was sentenced to death in an Iraqi court, prompting his lawyers to ask a federal judge in Washington to block the US military from transferring him t
- SEPTEMBER 29, 2006AustraliaDEATH PENALTY
UNITED STATES. AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL HICKS WILL NOT BE EXECUTED, BUT NO TIME FRAME ON HIS TRIAL
it was reported that the US government had given assurances to Australia’s Attorney-General Philip Ruddock that David Hicks would not face the death penalty, but the US had still given no timeframe on when his trial was due.
SEPTEMBER 29, 2006ChinaDEATH PENALTYUSA. CONGRESS HOLDS FIRST HEARING ON ORGAN HARVESTING
as many as 41,500 healthy people who practice Falun Gong became involuntary victims of organ transplants and murdered between 2002 and 2005, according to a report that was presented before the U.S. Congress.
- SEPTEMBER 18, 2006United StatesDEATH PENALTY
the FBI recently released the latest version of its Uniform Crime Reports:
the FBI recently released the latest version of its Uniform Crime Reports:
JULY 28, 2006United NationsDEATH PENALTYUNITED NATIONS. US SHOULD ADOPT DEATH SENTENCE MORATORIUM, UNHRC
the US should adopt a moratorium on death sentences, the UN Human Rights Committee said, noting that capital punishment appears to be disproportionately imposed on minority groups and poor people.
- JULY 21, 2006United StatesDEATH PENALTY
Convicted child molesters would face the death penalty for killing...
Convicted child molesters would face the death penalty for killing their victims and a felony charge for failing to update their whereabouts with authorities under a bill the Senate approved.
- JULY 17, 2006United StatesDEATH PENALTY
AMA: Physician Participation in Lethal Injection...
AMA: Physician Participation in Lethal Injection Violates Medical Ethics Following is a statement of William G. Plested, III, M.D., president, American Medical Association
- JULY 3, 2006United StatesDEATH PENALTY
UNITED STATES. ANESTHESIOLOGISTS ASKED NOT TO HELP EXECUTE DEATH SENTENCES
the American Society of Anesthesiologists called on its members not to attend executions of death sentences by lethal injection, even if called to do so by a court.
JULY 3, 2006United StatesDEATH PENALTYIRAQ. US SOLDIER CHARGED WITH RAPE AND MURDER TO FACE DEATH PENALTY IF CONVICTED
a former US soldier was arrested and charged with killing four Iraqi civilians and raping one of the female victims, US officials said.
JUNE 29, 2006United StatesDEATH PENALTYGUANTANAMO. US TOP COURT DECLARES GUANTANAMO TRIBUNALS ILLEGAL
in a sharp rebuke of President George W. Bush's tactics in the war on terrorism, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down as unlawful the military tribunal system set up to try Guantanamo prisoners.
JUNE 12, 2006United StatesDEATH PENALTYUNITED STATES. COURT ALLOWS INMATE APPEAL ON LETHAL INJECTION
US Supreme Court ruled that a death row inmate can bring a challenge under a federal civil rights law to the method of execution that uses a lethal three-chemical cocktail.