El marc polític d'Estats Units

Political Outline

Current Political Leaders

President: Joe Biden (assumed office 20 January 2021) - Democratic Party
Vice President: Kamala Harris (assumed office 20 January 2021) - Democratic Party

Next Election Dates

Presidential: 5 November 2024
Senate: 5 November 2024
House of Representatives: 5 November 2024

Current Political Context

After becoming President in January 2021, Democrat Joe Biden’s government’s room for manoeuvre was limited by the outcome of the November 2022 mid-term elections: despite the Democrats maintaining a slim majority in the Senate with 51 out of 100 seats, control of the House of Representatives has shifted to the Republicans, who hold 222 out of 435 seats.
In terms of foreign policy, 2023 was dominated by the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, as well as by that between Israel and Hamas and its consequences on the regional stability in the Middle East, with the U.S. announcing the creation of a multinational mission in December to counter attacks by Yemen's Houthis on commercial vessels in the Red Sea. Furthermore, in February 2024, the United States launched airstrikes in Iraq and Syria against more than 85 targets linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) and the militias it backs. Tensions with China remained high, particularly on issues related to trade and intellectual property protection, as well as on security matters (an alleged Chinese spy balloon flying across North American airspace was shot down by the U.S. Air Force over U.S. territorial waters).
Concerning internal matters, the 2024 presidential election is scheduled for November 5, 2024. Voters will elect a president and vice president for a term of four years. Incumbent President Joe Biden, a member of the Democratic Party, is running for re-election. His predecessor Donald Trump, a member of the Republican Party, is running for re-election to a second, nonconsecutive term.

Main Political Parties

Two political parties dominate politics:
- The Democratic Party: socially progressive, favours government intervention to temper the market economy.
- The Republican Party (also known as the Grand Old Party, GOP): socially conservative, supports free-market capitalism and emphasises national defence.
There are other parties such as the Reform Party, the Libertarian Party, the Green Party, the Constitution Party, the Natural Law Party, the Party for Socialism and Liberation, the Working Class Party, and the Working Families Party.

Executive Power

The President is the Chief of State, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and the Head of Government. The President is elected by an electoral college (whose members are elected directly from each state) to serve a four-year term. These powers are checked by the U.S. Congress. The Cabinet is appointed by the President and subject to approval by the Senate.

Legislative Power

The legislature is bicameral in the United States. The Congress consists of the Senate (the upper house) and the House of Representatives (lower house). The Senate has the power to confirm or reject presidential appointments and to ratify treaties. It is composed of 100 senators. The House of Representatives has the sole right to initiate revenue bills, although they may be amended or rejected by the Senate. It is composed of 435 members. The President has the power to veto the legislation passed by the Congress, but the Congress can override the veto with a two-thirds vote.

Indicator of Freedom of the Press

World Rank:

44/180

Indicator of Political Freedom

Ranking:

Free

Political Freedom:

2/7

Political freedom in the world (interactive map)
Source: Freedom in the World Report, Freedom House