The political units and divisions of the United States include:The 50
states (4 of these being officially styled as
Commonwealths), which are typically divided into
counties and
townships, and
incorporated cities,
towns,
villages, and other types of
municipalities, and other autonomous or subordinate
public authorities and institutions. With the exception of the
original 13, each state was
admitted to the Union at a specific time by an act of the U.S. Congress.
The District of Columbia, which constitutes the city of Washington, the Capital of the United States. Although the District of Columbia is not a state and does not send Senators or voting Representatives to Congress, residents can vote in presidential elections and are represented in the
Electoral College.
Indian reservations are given quasi-independent status. While every reservation is part of a state, and residents vote as residents of the state in which they reside and do pay federal taxes, the reservations are exempt from many state and local laws. The ambiguous nature of their status has both created opportunities (such as gambling in states that normally disallow it) and challenges (such as the unwillingness of some companies to open up shop in a territory where they are not certain what laws will apply to them).
Territories of the United States may be incorporated (part of the United States proper) or unincorporated (known variously as "possessions", "overseas territories" or "commonwealths") Territories may also be organized (with self-government explicitly granted by an Organic Act of the U.S. Congress) or unorganized (without such direct authorization of self-government). 31 of the current 50 states were
organized incorporated territories before their admission to the Union. Since 1959, the United States has had only one incorporated territory (
Palmyra Atoll), but maintains control of several unincorporated territories, both organized and unorganized. The federal union, which constitutes the United States as a collective of the several states, and as it exercises exclusive jurisdiction over the
military installations, and American
embassies and
consulates located in foreign countries; and until the
District of Columbia Home Rule Act of 1973 had jurisdiction over the local affairs of the District of Columbia.Such quasi-political divisions as
conservation districts and
school districts, which are usually just special, geographically designated subordinate public authorities.Recognized bodies, such as
homeowners associations, which fulfill government functions, and have since been bound by subsequent court decisions to certain restrictions normally applying to local governments.
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