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 6, 2007IraqDEATH PENALTY
IRAQ. US CITIZEN TO FACE DEATH PENALTY
a federal appeals court refused to intervene in the case of a U.S. citizen facing a death
FEBRUARY 3, 2007United StatesDEATH PENALTYU.S. EXECUTIONS UNDER RENEWED SCRUTINY
the death penalty is under what may be an unprecedented review in the United States, mostly involving
- JANUARY 4, 2007ItalyDEATH PENALTY
USA: ‘NEW HOPE FOR THE BARBARITY TO END’ SAYS NEW YORK EX GOVERNOR
“The Italian act is beautiful and noble. It showed courage and was the right thing to do, even if noone else supports it. The request for a UN moratorium on the death penalty gives hope to millions of people around the world who, like me, want the barbari
- JANUARY 1, 2007United StatesDEATH PENALTY
Of the 50 states that make up the United States of America, 38 have the death penalty.
Of the 50 states that make up the United States of America, 38 have the death penalty.
- DECEMBER 29, 2006United StatesDEATH PENALTY
as 2006 draws to a close...
as 2006 draws to a close...
- DECEMBER 9, 2006United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA. FEWER INMATES ON DEATH ROW IN 2005, STUDY
fewer prison inmates were moved to death row in 2005, according to a federal study that shows one more person was executed than in the year before.
- 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.