government: constitutional federal republic
state of civil and political rights: Free
constitution: effective 4 March 1789; amended many times, last in 1992
legal system: common law system based on English common law at the federal level; state legal systems based on common law, except Louisiana, where state law is based on Napoleonic civil code; judicial review of legislative acts; withdrew acceptance of compulsory ICJ jurisdiction in 2005
legislative system: bicameral Congress consists of Senate and House of Representatives
judicial system: US Supreme Court (consists of 9 justices - the chief justice and 8 associate justices); Courts of Appeal (includes the US Court of Appeal for the Federal District and 12 regional appeals courts); 94 federal district courts in 50 states and territories
religion: Protestant 46.5%, Roman Catholic 20.8%, Jewish 1.9%, Church of Jesus Christ 1.6%, other Christian 0.9%, Muslim 0.9%, Jehovah's Witness 0.8%, Buddhist 0.7%, Hindu 0.7%, other 1.8%, unaffiliated 22.8%, don't know/refused 0.6% (2014 est.)
death row:
year of last executions: 0-0-0
death sentences: 0
executions: 0
international treaties on human rights and the death penalty:
situation:
