Symbols• The Great Seal – the American Bald Eagle holds an

olive branch and 13 arrows = desire for peace, but ability to wage war -the pyramid= strength and duration

Federal Government• Based on the Constitution - since 1790• Three branches: executive, legislative and

judicial • The seat of the government is in Washington,

D.C., which is the capital of the USA

Executive Branch • President – head of state,

head of government, military commander-in-chief, chief diplomat

• Elected by the US Electoral College ( 538 members) for a 4-year term – may serve twice

• According to the Constitution, the President must "take care that the laws be faithfully executed", and "preserve, protect and defend the Constitution".

• Barack Obama is the forty-fourth president of the USA

Legislative Branch

• The United States Congress consists of:

• the House of Representatives - 435 members (number for each state based on the state’s population) elected for 2-year terms

• the Senate – 100 members (2 for each state) elected for 6-year terms

• The Congress makes federal laws; its members are elected by voters from individual states

Judicial Branch• The Supreme Court and lower federal

courts, whose judges are appointed by

the president with Senate approval

• Interprets laws and overturns those they find unconstitutional

• The Supreme Court has 9 members,

who serve for life.

Political Parties

• The United States has operated under a two-party system for most of its history

• Democratic Party – centre-left or “liberal”

• Republican Party – centre-right or “conservative”

Economy• The USA is the largest importer of goods and the

third largest exporter.

• Its economy is postindustrial, with the service

sector contributing 67.8% of GDP

Economy• Manufacturing –chemical products, cars,

airplanes, electronics

• Number one producer of electrical and nuclear energy

• Top producer of corn and soybeans

• The world largest importer of oil (and the third largest producer of it)

Demographics• The USA has a very diverse population – more than thirty ancestry

groups (German, Irish, English and African American being the four largest)

• Over 308 million people, including about 11 million illegal immigrants

• The population growth is of Latino Americans is a major demographic trend.

• About 82% of Americans live in urban areas (including the suburbs)

• Largest cities: New York (over 8 million people), l Los Angeles, Chicago, Huston