the House of
Representatives (435 seats; members are directly elected by popular
vote to serve two-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 7 November 2006 (next to be held
November 2008); House of Representatives - last held 7 November 2006
(next to be held November 2008)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
party - Democratic Party 49, Republican Party 49, independent 2;
House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
party - Democratic Party 233, Republican Party 202

Judicial branch:

Supreme Court (nine justices; nominated by the president and
confirmed with the advice and consent of the Senate; appointed to
serve for life); United States Courts of Appeal; United States
District Courts; State and County Courts

Political parties and leaders:

Democratic Party [Howard DEAN]; Green Party; Libertarian Party
[William (Bill) REDPATH]; Republican Party [Robert M. (Mike) DUNCAN]

Political pressure groups and leaders:

environmentalists; business groups; labor unions; churches; ethnic
groups; political action committees or PAC; health groups; education
groups; cuvuc griyos; youth groups; transportation groups;
agricultural groups; veterans groups; women's groups; reform lobbies

International organization participation:

ADB (nonregional members), AfDB (nonregional members), ANZUS, APEC,
Arctic Council, ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS,
BSEC (observer), CBSS (observer), CE (observer), CERN (observer),
CP, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, G-5, G-7, G-8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO,
IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA,
MINUSTAH, NAFTA, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS, OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club,
PCA, PIF (partner), SAARC (observer), SECI (observer), SPC, UN, UN
Security Council, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNITAR, UNMIL, UNOMIG,
UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Flag description:

13 equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with
white; there is a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner
bearing 50 small, white, five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset
horizontal rows of six stars (top and bottom) alternating with rows
of five stars; the 50 stars represent the 50 states, the 13 stripes
represent the 13 original colonies; known as Old Glory; the design
and colors have been the basis for a number of other flags,
includ