Ten Key questions about American-style

How often are US Presidents elected?

Every four years

Where does the President live?

In the White House - a 132-room mansion in Washington D.C. The address is 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue

Can a President stay in power for longer than four years?

Yes. If re-elected, a President can serve two terms (8 years), but that's the maximum.

What exactly do US Presidents do?

They have three main jobs. Each President is

(a) the Chief Executive (i.e. the Prime Minister)

(b) the Head of State

(c) the Commander-in-Chief of the army, navy and airforce. However, despite all their power, US Presidents can only suggest new laws. The Congress then decides whether to "pass" the laws and allow them to come into effect.

What is The Congress?

It's the American parliament and it has two "houses'. The lower one is called the House of Representatives and it has 435 members. The upper house is called the Senate and it has 100 members.

Where do the Representatives and Senators work?

America's parliament building is on Capitol Hill in Washington.

Who elects The Congress?

American voters in each of the 50 states. The number of Representatives from each state varies according to population (i.e. California has more Representatives than Alaska), but everystate elects two senators. That's why there are exactly 100 of them. Representatives are elected to serve two years. Senators are elected to serve six years.

How many major political parties are there in the U.S.A?

Two. The Republicans are mostly conservative and their symbol is a donkey. The Democrats are mostly liberal and their symbol is an elephant. Each US Representative, Senator or President is a member of one party or the other. However, the President doesn't always belong to the party which has a majority in Congress – i.e. there can be a Republican majority in Congress and a Democrat in the White House (or vice versa).

US Presidential election campaigns always seem to begin a long time before the election itself. How do they work?

Basically, there are three stages.

(a) The Primaries. These mini-elections give voters in each state a chance to choose between several candidates from their own party. As a result of the primaries, a small group of leading candidates emerge.

(b) The Conventions. Each party then holds a huge conference or 'convention' and it's here that the two Presidential candidates - one Republican and one Democrat - are finally chosen.

(c) The General Election itself. This is where the next US President is actually selected by the entire nation.

People in the media often talk about the US 'Federal' Government. What do they mean?

Basically they mean the 'national' government in Washington as opposed to the 50 'state' governments. What's the difference? Well, the federal government controls issues which affect the whole country (e.g. defence, the economy and foreign policy). State governments control local issues like education, housing, hospitals, prisons and state roads. Policy on issues like these can often, in fact, vary widely between one state and another.