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Washington was planned and built as a capital city on a site chosen by George Washington himself. D.C. stands for District of Columbia. It’s the seat of the US government.

The whole system of American government is based on the principles established in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

The Constitution divides the powers of the government into three branches – the Executive branch, headed by the President, the Legislative branch, which includes both Houses of Congress, the Senate and the House of Representatives, and the Judicial branch, which is headed by the Supreme Court.

The Constitution limits the powers of each branch and prevents any one branch from gaining too much power. The White House is the official residence of the President of the United States. The President is chosen in a national election for a four-year term of office. He may be re-elected for a second term. The two great political parties, the Democrats and the Republicans, nominate the Presidential candidates.

The Capitol is the meeting-place of the American parliament, known as Congress. It consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives. There are a hundred Senators, two from each of the fifty states.

One third of the Senate is elected every two years for a six-year term.

The House of Representatives has 435 members, who are elected every two years. Both Houses of Congress can introduce new laws. The Judicial branch is headed by the Supreme Court. The Court decides whether laws passed by Congress and the President are in line with the Constitution. Each of the fifty states has its own government. The chief executive in each state is the Governor. His position is similar to that of the President in the Federal Government.