A Republic of Divided Power
The United States operates as a constitutional federal republic with three federal branches: Congress makes laws, the president leads the executive branch, and the courts interpret laws and the Constitution. Power is shared between the national government and 50 states, each with its own executive, legislature, and judiciary.
Elections and Parties
Most officials are elected directly, but presidents are chosen indirectly through the Electoral College. The Democratic and Republican parties have dominated national politics since the Civil War, aided by single-member districts and plurality voting. These rules discourage smaller parties and encourage strategic voting.
Government Close to Home
Below the states, counties, municipalities, townships, school districts, and special districts provide services such as policing, education, transportation, and public health. In 2022, the country had more than 90,000 local governments.
The Democratic Tension
Suffrage is nearly universal for citizens aged 18 and older, yet territories lack full voting representation, and critics point to gerrymandering, unequal Senate representation, campaign finance, polarization, and underrepresentation. American politics is therefore both highly participatory and deeply contested—a system designed to divide power, but never to settle permanently who should wield it.