co-chairman;
Democratic Party, Ronald H. BROWN, national committee chairman;
several other groups or parties of minor political significance

_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18

_#_Elections:

President--last held 8 November 1988
(next to be held 3 November 1992);
results--George BUSH (Republican Party) 53.37%,
Michael DUKAKIS (Democratic Party) 45.67%, other 0.96%;

Senate--last held 6 November 1990
(next to be held 3 November 1992);
results--Democratic Party 51%, Republican Party 47%, other 2%;
seats--(100 total) Democratic Party 56, Republican Party 44;

House of Representatives--last held 6 November 1990
(next to be held 3 November 1992);
results--Democratic Party 52%, Republican Party 44%, other 4%;
seats--(435 total) Democratic Party 267, Republican Party 167,
Socialist 1

_#_Communists: Communist Party (claimed 15,000-20,000 members), Gus
HALL, general secretary; Socialist Workers Party (claimed 1,800 members),
Jack BARNES, national secretary

_#_Member of: AfDB, AG (observer), ANZUS, APEC, AsDB, BIS,
CCC, COCOM, CP, CSCE, EBRD, ECE, ECLAC, FAO, ESCAP, G-2, G-5, G-7, G-8,
G-10, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO,
IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS,
NATO, NEA, OAS, OECD, PCA, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNRWA, UN
Security Council, UN Trusteeship Council, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO,
WMO, WTO

_#_Diplomatic representation: US Representative to the UN,
Ambassador Thomas R. PICKERING; Mission at 799 United Nations Plaza,
New York, NY 10017; telephone (212) 415-4444 (afternoon hours)

_#_Flag: thirteen 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 including Chile,
Liberia, Malaysia, and Puerto Rico

_*_Economy
_#_Overview: The US has the most powerful, diverse, and
technologically advanced economy in the world, with a per capita GNP
of $21,800, the largest among major industrial nations. In 1989 the
economy enjoyed its seventh successive year of substantial growth, the
longest in peacetime history. The expansion featured