The US political system is based on the country's constitution. Power is separated into different branches of government to ensure no-one has too much power. The Republicans and Democrats are the two main political parties.
American citizens have certain rights, which are outlined in the US Constitution.
All the rights are written in the US Constitution, the oldest written Constitution in the world.
This written document is the foundation for a vast structure of judicial decisions, statutes, presidential actions and traditional practices that have been carried out over the past 200 years.
There have been 27 amendments to the constitution which guarantee specific personal freedoms and rights.