The political system of the US

How does it work?

Accessibility icon The political system of the US

The political system in the US

The United States (US) operates under a federal system of government, meaning power is divided between a central authority and individual states. It is a constitutional republic and a representative democracy.

The US is structured into a central government and 50 individual states. Each state has its autonomy, with its own set of leaders and laws.

United States of America map with text state names, hand drawn
United States of America map with text state names, hand drawn

Democracy

This democracy has three branches of government: the executive (President), the legislative (Senate and House of Representatives), and the judicial (Supreme Court) branches.

The legislative branch is known as Congress and divided into two sections: the Senate and the House of Representatives.

📷   Senate chamber, Capitol, Washington (USA)

Every state, irrespective of its size, is represented by two senators in the Senate. Meanwhile, the House of Representatives has members based on the population of each state; states with more residents have more representatives.

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Antique black and white photograph of Washington, USA: Senate chamber, Capitol
Antique black and white photograph of Washington, USA: Senate chamber, Capitol

The separation of powers

The President is the head of both state and government. The Senate has 100 members, two from each state, while the House of Representatives has 435 members, based on population. The Supreme Court interprets the constitution and makes decisions that bind all other courts. The separation of powers and a system of checks and balances ensure no single branch becomes too powerful.

U.S. Supreme Court with a cloudy backdrop
U.S. Supreme Court with a cloudy backdrop

Sources:

Media rights:

    1. Getty Images
    2. Getty Images
    3. Getty Images