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The nation’s capital, Washington, D.C., with more than 3, 4 m people, is the largest metropolitan area in the country. Laid out by the French architect Pierre L’Enfant in the late 18^th century, it was the world’s first city especially planned as a center of government.

The city of Washington, in the District of Columbia along the Potomac River, is the capital of a federal union of 50 states. When the United States declared its independence from Great Britain on July 4, 1776 (now celebrated as a national holiday), there were 13 original states − each one sovereign, each wanting to control its own affairs. The states tried to keep their sovereignty and independence within a loose confederation, but their attempt proved ineffectual. Therefore, in 1789, they adopted a new Constitution establishing a federal union under a strong central government.

The original 13 states were grouped along the Atlantic Coast. As the frontier moved westward, large areas of what is now the continental United States were added by purchase, treaty and annexation. As each state was settled, governments were first organized as territories and later entered the Union as states when their territorial legislatures petitioned the Congress for admission. There now 50 states. Alaska and Hawaii, the last states to enter the Union, did so in 1959.

Under the Constitution, the states delegated many of their sovereign powers to this central government in Washington. But they kept many important powers for themselves. Each of the 50 states, for example, retains the right to run its own public school system, to decide on the qualifications of its voters to license its doctors and other professionals, to provide police protection for its citizens and to maintain its roads. In the beginning, only white men with property could vote. Today any citizen who is at least 18 years old can vote.

Under the Constitution, the federal government is divided into three branches, each chosen in a different manner, each able to check and balance the others; they are: the legislative, executive, and judicial branches.

The Legislative Branch is made up of elected representatives from all of the states and is the only branch that can make federal laws, levy federal taxes, declare war or put foreign treaties into effect. It consists of a Congress that is divided into two groups, called houses: the House of Representatives and the Senate.

The House of Representatives comprises lawmakers who serve two-year terms. Each House member represents a district in his or her home state. The number of districts in a state is determined by a count of the population taken every 10 years. The most heavily populated have more districts and, therefore, more representatives than the smaller states, some of which have only one.

The Senate comprises lawmakers who serve six-year terms of office. Each state, regardless of population, has two senators. That assures that the small states have an equal voice in one of the houses of Congress. The terms of the senators are staggered, so that only one-third of the Senate is elected every two years.

Congress’ main function is to make laws. There 100 Senators and 435 representatives. Almost all elections in the United States follow the “winner-take-all” principle: the candidate who wins the largest number of votes in a Congressional district is the winner. A law begins as a proposal called a “bill”. It is read, studied in committees, commented on and amended in the Senate or House chamber in which it was introduced. It is then voted upon. If it passes, it is sent to the other house where a similar procedure occurs. Members of both houses work together in “conference committees” if the chambers have passed different versions of the same bill. Groups who try to persuade congressmen to vote for or against a bill are known as “lobbies”. When both houses of Congress pass a bill on which they agree, it is sent to the president for his signature. Only after it is signed does the bill become a law.

The Executive Branch is headed by the President, who, together with the Vice President, is chosen in nationwide elections every four years to a four-year term of office, with no more than two full terms allowed. The elective process for the United States President is unique.

The presidential elections in the USA are held in two stages. First the voters choose electors and then the latter elect the President. In other words, political party with the most Senators and Representatives does not choose the President. This means that the President can be from one party and the majority of those in the House of Representatives or Senate (or both) from another. This is not uncommon.

Thus, although one of the parties may win a majority in the midterm elections (those held every two years), the President remains the President, even though his party may not have majority in either house. Such a result could easily hurt his ability to get legislation through Congress, which must pass all laws, but this is not necessarily so. In any case, the President’s policies must be approved by the House of Representatives and the Senate before they can become law.

Any natural born American who is 35 years old or older may be elected to this office. The President proposes bills to Congress, enforces federal laws, serves as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and with the approval of the Senate, makes treaties and appoints federal judges, ambassadors and other members of theExecutive Departments (the Department of State, Defense, Commerce, Justice, etc.). Each Cabinet head holds the title of Secretary and together they form a council called the Cabinet.

The Vice President, elected from the same political party as the President, acts as a chairman of the Senate, and in the event of the death or disability of the President, assumes the Presidency for the balance of his term.

The Judicial Branch is headed by the Supreme Court, which is the only court specifically created by the Constitution. The Supreme Court determines whether or not their laws and acts are in accordance with the Constitution. Congress has the power to fix the number of judges sitting on the Court, but it cannot change the powers given to the Supreme Court by the Constitution itself. The Supreme Court consists of a chief justice and eight associate justices. They are nominated by the President but must be approved by the Senate. Once approved, they hold office as Supreme Court Justices for life. A decision of the Supreme Court cannot be appealed to any other court. Neither the President nor Congress can change their decisions. In addition to the Supreme Court, Congress has established 11 federal courts of appeal and, below them, 91 federal district courts.

The Supreme Court has direct jurisdiction in only two kinds of cases: those involving foreign diplomats and those in which a state is a party. All other cases which reach the Court are appeals from lower courts. The Supreme Court chooses which of these it will hear. Most of the cases involve the interpretation of the Constitution. The Supreme Court also has the “power of judicial review”, that is, it has the right to declare laws and actions of the federal, state, and local governments unconstitutional. While not stated in the Constitution, this power was established over time.

Checks and Balances. The Constitution provides for three main branches of government which are separate and distinct from one another. The powers given to each are carefully balanced by the powers of the other two. Each branch serves as a check on the others. This is to keep any branch from gaining too much power or from misusing its powers.

Congress has no power to make laws, but the President may veto any act of Congress. Congress, in its turn, can override a veto by two-thirds vote in each house. Congress can also refuse to provide funds requested by the President. The President can appoint important officials of his administration, but they must be approved by the Senate. The President also has the power to name all federal judges; they, too, approved by the Senate. The courts have the power to determine the constitutionality of all acts of the Congress and of presidential actions, and to strike down those they find unconstitutional.