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 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.
- MAY 15, 2006United StatesDEATH PENALTY
the Supreme Court agreed to decide whether old cases are affected...
the Supreme Court agreed to decide whether old cases are affected by a 2-year-old ruling reiterating that the Constitution guarantees a criminal defendant the right to confront his accusers.
MAY 3, 2006FranceDEATH PENALTYUNITED STATES. JURY REJECTS DEATH PENALTY FOR MOUSSAOUI
a divided jury spared the life of Zacarias Moussaoui, deciding to send to jail for the rest of his life the only man tried on US soil for the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
- MAY 1, 2006United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA. ALITO'S FIRST OPINION SETS ASIDE SOUTH CAROLINA DEATH SENTENCE
the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously set aside a South Carolina murder conviction and death sentence, as Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. in his 1st high court opinion said the man wasn't given a fair chance to mount a defense.