elections: Senate - last held 2 November 1998 (next to be held 7
November 2000); House of Representatives - last held 2 November 1998
(next to be held 7 November 2000)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
party - Republican Party 55, Democratic Party 45; House of
Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
Republican Party 223, Democratic Party 211, independent 1

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (the nine justices are appointed for
life by the president with confirmation by the Senate)

Political parties and leaders: Democratic Party [Steve GROSSMAN,
national committee chairman]; Republican Party [Jim NICHOLSON,
national committee chairman]; several other groups or parties of minor
political significance

International organization participation: ANZUS, APEC, AsDB, Australia
Group, BIS, CCC, CE (observer), CERN (observer), CP, EAPC, EBRD, ECE,
ECLAC, ESCAP, FAO, G-5, G-7, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU,
ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat,
Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MIPONUH, NAM (guest),
NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS, OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SPC, UN, UN Security
Council, UNCTAD, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNOMIG, UNRWA,
UNTAET, UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO, ZC

Flag description: 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

@United States:Economy

Economy - overview: The US has the most technologically powerful,
diverse, advanced, and largest economy in the world, with a per capita
GDP of $33,900. In this market-oriented economy, private individuals
and business firms make most of the decisions, and government buys
needed goods and services predominantly in the private marketplace. US
business firms enjoy considerably greater flexibility than their
counterparts in Western Europe and Japan in decisions to expand
capital plant, lay off surplus workers, and develop new products. At
the same time, they face higher barriers to e