Politics Ledger · North America
United States
Liberal democracyPresidential republicFederal
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In charge
Donald Trump
President
Time in power
1.8 yrs
since 2025
Government seats
50%
majority
Next national vote
2026-11
Midterm congressional (all 435 House seats, 35 Senate seats)
Governance score
72/100
composite of five indices
The first modern constitutional republic, the United States moved from a slaveholding federation of former colonies to a continental and then global power. Its politics has been shaped by repeated fights over the reach of the federal government, race and citizenship, and the balance between liberty and equality.
Leadership
Who Governs United States
Head of state
Holds executive powerDonald Trump
President · Republican Party
Since 20 January 2025 · 1.8 years
Age 80 (born 1946)ManRoute to power: won a popular election
Ruling coalition
Republican Party, with unified control of the White House, Senate (53-47) and House (218-214)
Main opposition
Democratic Party
Last national election
5 November 2024
Presidential and congressional
Trump won a non-consecutive second term with 312 electoral votes; Republicans won both chambers.
Next national election
3 November 2026
Midterm congressional (all 435 House seats, 35 Senate seats)
Vice President JD Vance holds the Senate tie-break vote.
Parliament
House of Representatives
Seat distribution (House roll, 1 October 2026 (2 vacancies)), ordered from economic left to right.
| Party | Ideology | Seats | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Republican Party (GOP) | Conservatism, National populism | 218 | governing |
| Democratic Party (DEM) | Modern liberalism, Progressivism | 214 | opposition |
| Independent (caucuses with Republicans) (IND) | Independent | 1 | confidence |
Ideology
Party Landscape
Each party placed on economic and social axes, sized by seats.
Institutions
The System
- Official name
- United States of America
- Capital
- Washington, D.C.
- Population
- 341 million
- Statehood
- Independence declared 1776; Constitution in force 1789
- System
- Presidential republic
- Structure
- Federal
- Current constitution
- 1789
- Legislature
- Congress
- Lower / sole chamber
- House of Representatives (435 seats)
- Upper chamber
- Senate (100)
- Electoral system
- First-past-the-post in single-member districts; president chosen by the state-based Electoral College.
- Term limits
- President: two four-year terms (22nd Amendment). No limits for Congress.
Sources
- Clerk of the House, Official List of Members (Oct 2026)
- US Senate
- Federal Election Commission
- EIU Democracy Index 2024; Freedom House, Freedom in the World 2025; RSF World Press Freedom Index 2025; Transparency International CPI 2024; IPU Parline, 2026; V-Dem v15 Liberal Democracy Index (approximate five-year readings)
Last verified 2026-10-29. Party placements are editorial estimates.
Data as of 2026-10-29.