American Democracy data, statistics, facts and figures

FACTOID # 1: You can be imprisoned for not voting in Fiji, Chile and Egypt - at least in theory.

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North America > United States > Democracy

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Civil and political liberties	6	[8th of 140]
Electoral system	first-past-the-post
DEFINITION: worldpolicy.org
SOURCE: Freedom House, Freedom in the World 2000-2001, New York: Freedom House, 2001
Electoral system type	plurality
DEFINITION: worldpolicy.org
SOURCE: No comment is being made on the state of democracy. Categorizations are based on the electoral law, or the last competitive election held
Female candidacy	1,788	[162nd of 161]
DEFINITION: Year in which women received the right to stand for election. Data refer to the year in which right to vote or stand for election on a universal and equal basis was recognized. Where two years are shown, the first refers to the first partial recognition of the right to stand for election.
SOURCE: No comment is being made on the state of democracy. Categorizations are based on the electoral law, or the last competitive election held
Female ministers	7.1%	[92nd of 125]
DEFINITION: Women in government at ministerial level in 2000 (as % of total). Data were provided by states based on their definition of national executive and may therefore include women serving as ministers and vice ministers and those holding other ministerial positions, including parliamentary secretaries.
SOURCE: IPU (Inter-Parliamentary Union). 1995. Women in Parliaments 1945-1995: A World Statistical Survey. Geneva and IPU (Inter-Parliamentary Union). 2001. Correspondence on year women received the right to vote and to stand for election and year first woman was elected or appointed to parliament. March. Geneva
Female parliamentarians	13.8%	[61st of 157]
DEFINITION: Seats in parliament held by women (as % of total). Data are as of 8 March 2002. Where there are lower and upper houses, data refer to the weighted average of women's shares of seats in both houses.
SOURCE: IPU (Inter-Parliamentary Union). 2001. Correspondence on women in government at the ministerial level. March. Geneva
Female suffrage	"1920 ,1960"
DEFINITION: Year in which women received the right to vote. Data refer to the year in which right to vote or stand for election on a universal and equal basis was recognized. Where two years are shown, the first refers to the first partial recognition of the right to vote.
SOURCE: calculated on the basis of data on parliamentary seats from IPU (Inter-Parliamentary Union). 2002. Parline Database. March 2002
First female parliamentarian	1917 (elected)
DEFINITION: Year first woman elected or appointed to parliament.
SOURCE: IPU (Inter-Parliamentary Union). 1995. Women in Parliaments 1945-1995: A World Statistical Survey. Geneva and IPU (Inter-Parliamentary Union). 2001. Correspondence on year women received the right to vote and to stand for election and year first woman was elected or appointed to parliament. March. Geneva
Homosexuality laws of the world > Homosexuality laws > Adoption	Some
DEFINITION:
SOURCE: IPU (Inter-Parliamentary Union). 1995. Women in Parliaments 1945-1995: A World Statistical Survey. Geneva and IPU (Inter-Parliamentary Union). 2001. Correspondence on year women received the right to vote and to stand for election and year first woman was elected or appointed to parliament. March. Geneva.
Homosexuality laws of the world > Homosexuality laws > Laws against discrimination	In 17 states only*
DEFINITION:
SOURCE: Wikipedia: Homosexuality laws of the world
Homosexuality laws of the world > Homosexuality laws > Laws against homosexuality No, 21 states still have sodomy laws in the statutes, not allowed to be enforced Lawrence v. Texas
DEFINITION:
SOURCE: Wikipedia: Homosexuality laws of the world
Homosexuality laws of the world > Homosexuality laws > Same-sex Unions Civil Unions: Vermont, Connecticut, and New Jersey. Domestic partnerships: California, Maine, District of Columbia, and Hawaii. Same-sex marriage: Massachusetts.
DEFINITION:
SOURCE: Wikipedia: Homosexuality laws of the world
Parliamentary elections > Registered voter turnout	63.8%	[102nd of 152]
DEFINITION: The proportion of registered voters who actually voted.
SOURCE: Wikipedia: Homosexuality laws of the world
Parliamentary elections > Total vote	99,738,400	[3rd of 154]
DEFINITION: The total number of votes cast in the relevant election. Total vote includes valid and invalid votes, as well as blank votes in cases where these are separated from invalid votes. More information on valid, invalid and blank votes can be found at aceproject.org
SOURCE: Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance 2003
Parliamentary elections > Turnout	46.6	[94th of 117]
DEFINITION: The number of votes divided by the Voting Age Population figure, expressed as a percentage.
SOURCE: Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance 2003
Parliamentary elections > Voter registration	156,421,000	[2nd of 152]
DEFINITION: The number of registered voters. The figure represents the number of names on the voters' register at the time that the registration process closes, as reported by the electoral management body.
SOURCE: Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance 2003
Parliamentary elections > Voting age population	213,954,000	[2nd of 163]
DEFINITION: International IDEA has chosen to use not only the reported registration rate to calculate turnout percentages, but also the voting age population (VAP) which includes all citizens above the legal voting age
SOURCE: Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance 2003
Presidential elections > Total vote	105,405,000	[1st of 87]
DEFINITION: The total number of votes cast in the relevant election. Total vote includes valid and invalid votes, as well as blank votes in cases where these are separated from invalid votes. More information on valid, invalid and blank votes can be found at aceproject.org
SOURCE: Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance 2003
Presidential elections > Turnout	49.3	[65th of 82]
DEFINITION: The number of votes divided by the Voting Age Population figure, expressed as a percentage.
SOURCE: Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance 2003
Presidential elections > Voting age population	213,954,000	[1st of 91]
DEFINITION: International IDEA has chosen to use not only the reported registration rate to calculate turnout percentages, but also the voting age population (VAP) which includes all citizens above the legal voting age
SOURCE: Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance 2003

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SOURCES: Freedom House, Freedom in the World 2000-2001, New York: Freedom House, 2001; No comment is being made on the state of democracy. Categorizations are based on the electoral law, or the last competitive election held; IPU (Inter-Parliamentary Union). 1995. Women in Parliaments 1945-1995: A World Statistical Survey. Geneva and IPU (Inter-Parliamentary Union). 2001. Correspondence on year women received the right to vote and to stand for election and year first woman was elected or appointed to parliament. March. Geneva; IPU (Inter-Parliamentary Union). 2001. Correspondence on women in government at the ministerial level. March. Geneva; calculated on the basis of data on parliamentary seats from IPU (Inter-Parliamentary Union). 2002. Parline Database. March 2002; IPU (Inter-Parliamentary Union). 1995. Women in Parliaments 1945-1995: A World Statistical Survey. Geneva and IPU (Inter-Parliamentary Union). 2001. Correspondence on year women received the right to vote and to stand for election and year first woman was elected or appointed to parliament. March. Geneva.; Wikipedia: Homosexuality laws of the world ; Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance 2003

ALTERNATIVE NAMES: United States, United States of America, usa, America, The United States, u.s.