United States (of America) Federal, State, and Local Government

The Green Papers:
United States (of America)
Federal, State, and Local Government

United States (of America)

President:	1 (Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms)
U.S. Senators:	100 (2 per each of 50 States; 6-year terms [divided into 3 Electoral Classes 1, 2 & 3: one full Class elected every 2 years])
U.S. Representatives:	435 (2-year terms)
2004 Electors:	538
1990 Census:	248,765,170
2000 Census:	281,998,273
Registered Voters (2000):	156,421,311
Estimated Voting age population (2000):	205,815,000
Capital:	Washington, D.C.

Being a federal republic, the United States of America shares sovereign governmental power with the constituent States of the Union. Below are links to the pages re: the governmental systems of the several States (along with those of Territories of the United States and Commonwealths in "free association" with the USofA).

Alabama* Alaska* American Samoa Arizona* Arkansas* California* Colorado* Connecticut* Delaware* District of Columbia Florida* Georgia* Guam Hawaii* Idaho* Illinois* Indiana* Iowa* Kansas* Kentucky* Louisiana* Maine* Maryland* Massachusetts* Michigan* Minnesota* Mississippi* Missouri* Montana* Nebraska* Nevada* New Hampshire* New Jersey* New Mexico* New York* North Carolina* North Dakota* Northern Marianas Ohio* Oklahoma* Oregon* Pennsylvania* Puerto Rico Rhode Island* South Carolina* South Dakota* Tennessee* Texas* Utah* Vermont* Virgin Islands Virginia* Washington* West Virginia* Wisconsin* Wyoming*

* indicates a state.

Current: Governor U.S. Senate U.S. House


Official Name/Status All States
	the UNITED STATES of America
	Independence: 4 July 1776, 13 "United Colonies" declared by the Second 'Continental Congress' on their behalf to be "free and Independent States". Previously, these "United States, in Congress assembled" were 13 separate Colonies (2 Charter or Corporate Colonies, 2 Proprietary Colonies, 1 Charter Royal Province, 8 Crown-directed Royal Provinces) of so-called "British America", thus a portion of the dominions in North America of the nascent British Empire (itself dating from the First Peace of Paris, 1763)
	Federal Government instituted: 4 March 1789 (effective date of 2nd and current Constitution)

Constitutions All States Links to State Constitutions

• 1st: known as the Articles of Confederation (1777[1781]-1789) Adopted: on behalf of the 13 "United States, in Congress assembled" by the Sixth 'Continental Congress', 15 November 1777; document presented to the States for ratification, 9 July 1778, by the Seventh 'Continental Congress'. Ratified: 1 March 1781 with the acquiescence of all 13 States (from which point on, the Seventh [still in session at the time] and all succeeding 'Continental Congress'es [through the Fourteenth and last one adjourning sine die, 21 October 1788] are also known as the 'Confederation Congress')

• 2nd: known as the Constitution of the United States (of America) (1789--) [Adopted: 17 September 1787 by a Convention convened in Philadelphia, PA, 14 May 1787. Ratified: by the requisite 9 of 13 States, 21 June 1788; effective, 4 March 1789]

Executive Branch Federal: Bush/55^th Administration States: All States Current Governors

Chief Executive
	• PRESIDENT (of the United States) (1789--) [under the 2nd Constitution]
Successor to a Vacancy
	• Vice President (of the United States) (1789--) [under the 2nd Constitution]

NOTE: under the 1st Constitution (the 'Articles of Confederation'), there was no permanent National Executive.

Major Executive Officers Elected Nationwide 2008 Presidential Primaries 2008 Presidential Election
	• President: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2004, 2008. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
	• Vice President: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2004, 2008. Elected on a ticket and nominated with the President

NOTE: Technically, the President and Vice President are not elected nationwide but, rather, are chosen by 538 Presidential Electors (each State receives a number of Electors equal to the total number of that State's Senators and Representatives in Congress- in addition, the District of Columbia has a number of Electors equal to the number in the least populous State; in practice, the winner of the Popular Vote in a given State tends to win all that State's so-called 'Electoral Votes'. To be elected outright, a candidate for President or Vice President must receive a majority of the total Electoral Votes [currently, at least 270 of 538]).

Legislative Branch Federal: Federal Representation 2002-2010 State: All States

Legislature
	• CONTINENTAL [or, from 1781, 'CONFEDERATION'] CONGRESS (1774-1788) [under the 1st Constitution]
	• CONGRESS (of the United States) (1789--) [under the 2nd Constitution]

Upper House Current Senate
	• Senate (1789--) [under the 2nd Constitution]
Lower House Current House
	• House of Representatives (1789--) [under the 2nd Constitution]

NOTE: under the 1st Constitution (the 'Articles of Confederation'), Congress was a unicameral legislature.

Judicial Branch Federal: Federal Court System State: All States

Court of Last Resort Current Justices Justices by Term of Court
	• Supreme Court (1789--) Constitutional Court [IN and FOR: the United States]
Intermediate Appellate Court
	• Circuit Court (1789-1911) Congressional Court [IN: circuit FOR: district]
	• [Circuit] Court of Appeals (1891--) Congressional Court [IN and FOR: circuit]

General Trial Jurisdiction
	• District Court (1789--) Congressional Court [IN and FOR: district]

Special Jurisdiction
	• Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces Congressional Court
	• Court of Federal Claims Congressional Court
	• Court of International Trade Congressional Court
	• Court of Veterans' Appeals Congressional Court
	• Tax Court Congressional Court

NOTE: under the 1st Constitution (the 'Articles of Confederation'), there was no National Judiciary.

Statutory Election Information All States

General Election All States
	• Tuesday after 1st Monday in November of every even-numbered year [2 USC 7] (NOTE: This is the date set in 1875 for the election of U.S. Representatives in Congress; since 1914, it has also been the date that United States Senators have been chosen [2 USC 1]. The date was originally designated by Congress, in 1845, as that upon which- every four years- Electors for President and Vice President of the United States are to be chosen, effective with the Presidential Election of 1848 [3 USC 1])
Presidential Primaries, Caucuses and Conventions All States
Primaries, caucuses and conventions for the eventual purpose of choosing delegates to National Nominating Conventions which are empowered by a Political Party to nominate that Party's Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates are governed by the rules and regulations of each Political Party, subject to State law insofar as National Convention delegates from a given State are concerned. There is no direct Federal regulation of such "Presidential Primaries, Caucuses or Conventions" on the State level nor is there Federal regulation of the National Nominating Convention of a Political Party.
State Primaries All States
State Primary Elections, even for Federal office, are generally governed solely by State law.
Polling times All States
Polling times are governed by the laws of each State. There is no Federal law requiring certain polling times, even re: Presidential Elections.