The United States of America is a federal republic consisting of

50 states. Each of which has its own goverment ("state

goverment"). In some ways the United States is like 50 small

countries. Each state has its own governor, its own police and

its own laws. The present constitution was proclaimed in 1787 in

Philadelphia, the President is the head of the whole country and

the goverment and "commandering chief" of the armed forces. He

makes the most important decisions and chooses the ministers, the

members of his cabinet. But the President cannot do just what he

wants. The Congress must agree first. Americans choose a new

president every four years. The residence of the President is the

White House in Washington, the Capital city. The goverment of the

whole country (the Federal goverment) works from Washington, this

is where the Congress is based. The Capitol is the seat of the US

Congress. Congress is the American parliament which consists of 2

chambers. The Senate and the House of Representatives. The first

Congress met in 1789 in New York city. The membership then

consisted of 22 senators and 59 representatives. Today the House

of Representatives has 435 members. Elections to the house take

place every 2 years. There are 100 senators (2 from each state),

they are elected to serve for a period of six years, but every

two years elections to the senate took place when one/third of

its members must be changed or re-elected. Election day is always

in the month of November, on the first Tuesday, after the first

Monday. Americans who aren't yet 25 years old have no right to be

elected to the House of Representatives. Whose, who are under 30

can't be elected in the Senate. The main political parties in the

United States of America are the Democratic Party and the

Republlican Party.