About the U.S. and its government

<!DOCTYPE html> <html lang="en" dir="ltr"> <head><script type="text/javascript" src="/_static/js/bundle-playback.js?v=HxkREWBo" charset="utf-8"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/_static/js/wombat.js?v=txqj7nKC" charset="utf-8"></script> <script>window.RufflePlayer=window.RufflePlayer||{};window.RufflePlayer.config={"autoplay":"on","unmuteOverlay":"hidden"};</script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/_static/js/ruffle/ruffle.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript"> __wm.init("https://web.archive.org/web"); __wm.wombat("https://www.usa.gov/about-the-us","20231203132532","https://web.archive.org/","web","/_static/", "1701609932"); </script> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/_static/css/banner-styles.css?v=S1zqJCYt" /> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/_static/css/iconochive.css?v=3PDvdIFv" />  <meta charset="utf-8"/> <meta name="MobileOptimized" content="width"/> <meta name="HandheldFriendly" content="true"/> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0"/> <link rel="alternate" hreflang="es" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20231203132532/https://www.usa.gov/es/acerca-de-estados-unidos"/> <link rel="canonical" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20231203132532/https://www.usa.gov/about-the-us"/> <title>About the U.S. and its government | USAGov</title> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/web/20231203132532cs_/https://www.usa.gov/core/modules/system/css/components/ajax-progress.module.css?s4y9yk"/> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/web/20231203132532cs_/https://www.usa.gov/core/modules/system/css/components/align.module.css?s4y9yk"/> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/web/20231203132532cs_/https://www.usa.gov/core/modules/system/css/components/autocomplete-loading.module.css?s4y9yk"/> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/web/20231203132532cs_/https://www.usa.gov/core/modules/system/css/components/fieldgroup.module.css?s4y9yk"/> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/web/20231203132532cs_/https://www.usa.gov/core/modules/system/css/components/container-inline.module.css?s4y9yk"/> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/web/20231203132532cs_/https://www.usa.gov/core/modules/system/css/components/clearfix.module.css?s4y9yk"/> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/web/20231203132532cs_/https://www.usa.gov/core/modules/system/css/components/details.module.css?s4y9yk"/> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/web/20231203132532cs_/https://www.usa.gov/core/modules/system/css/components/hidden.module.css?s4y9yk"/> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/web/20231203132532cs_/https://www.usa.gov/core/modules/system/css/components/item-list.module.css?s4y9yk"/> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/web/20231203132532cs_/https://www.usa.gov/core/modules/system/css/components/js.module.css?s4y9yk"/> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/web/20231203132532cs_/https://www.usa.gov/core/modules/system/css/components/nowrap.module.css?s4y9yk"/> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/web/20231203132532cs_/https://www.usa.gov/core/modules/system/css/components/position-container.module.css?s4y9yk"/> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/web/20231203132532cs_/https://www.usa.gov/core/modules/system/css/components/progress.module.css?s4y9yk"/> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/web/20231203132532cs_/https://www.usa.gov/core/modules/system/css/components/reset-appearance.module.css?s4y9yk"/> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/web/20231203132532cs_/https://www.usa.gov/core/modules/system/css/components/resize.module.css?s4y9yk"/> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/web/20231203132532cs_/https://www.usa.gov/core/modules/system/css/components/sticky-header.module.css?s4y9yk"/> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/web/20231203132532cs_/https://www.usa.gov/core/modules/system/css/components/system-status-counter.css?s4y9yk"/> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/web/20231203132532cs_/https://www.usa.gov/core/modules/system/css/components/system-status-report-counters.css?s4y9yk"/> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/web/20231203132532cs_/https://www.usa.gov/core/modules/system/css/components/system-status-report-general-info.css?s4y9yk"/> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/web/20231203132532cs_/https://www.usa.gov/core/modules/system/css/components/tabledrag.module.css?s4y9yk"/> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/web/20231203132532cs_/https://www.usa.gov/core/modules/system/css/components/tablesort.module.css?s4y9yk"/> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/web/20231203132532cs_/https://www.usa.gov/core/modules/system/css/components/tree-child.module.css?s4y9yk"/> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/web/20231203132532cs_/https://www.usa.gov/core/modules/views/css/views.module.css?s4y9yk"/> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/web/20231203132532cs_/https://www.usa.gov/modules/custom/usa_admin_styles/css/usa_admin_styles.css?s4y9yk"/> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/web/20231203132532cs_/https://www.usa.gov/themes/custom/usagov/css/styles.css?s4y9yk"/> <script> dataLayer = [{ "nodeID": "57", "contentType": "basic_page", "language": "en", "homepageTest": "not_homepage", "basicPagesubType": "Navigation Cards Page", "Page_Type": "Navigation Cards Page" }]; </script>  <script>(function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start': new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0], j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src= 'https://web.archive.org/web/20231203132532/https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f); })(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-W8LW6DB');</script>  <meta name="description" content="Check out seized or surplus government property for sale. Learn about American holidays, and find contact information for government agencies."/>  <link rel="icon" href="/web/20231203132532im_/https://www.usa.gov/themes/custom/usagov/images/Favicon_USAGov.png"> <link rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" href="/web/20231203132532im_/https://www.usa.gov/themes/custom/usagov/images/Favicon_USAGov.png">  <meta property="og:url" content="https://web.archive.org/web/20231203132532/https://www.usa.gov/about-the-us"/> <meta property="og:type" content="website"/> <meta property="og:title" content="About the U.S. and its government | USAGov"/> <meta property="og:description" content="Check out seized or surplus government property for sale. Learn about American holidays, and find contact information for government agencies."/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://web.archive.org/web/20231203132532im_/https://www.usa.gov/images/facebook_share_thumbnail.png"/> <meta property="og:image:secure_url" content="https://www.usa.gov/images/facebook_share_thumbnail.png"/>  <script type="application/ld+json"> { "@context": "https://web.archive.org/web/20231203132532/https://schema.org", "@type": "Organization", "url": "https://web.archive.org/web/20231203132532/https://usa.gov/", "logo": "https://web.archive.org/web/20231203132532/https://www.usa.gov/themes/custom/usagov/images/Logo_USAGov.png" } </script> </head> <body>  <noscript><iframe sandbox src="https://web.archive.org/web/20231203132532if_/https://www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-W8LW6DB" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"></iframe></noscript>  <a href="#skip-to-h1" class="usa-skipnav usa-sr-only focusable"> Skip to main content </a> <div class="usa-overlay"></div> <header class="usa-header usa-header--extended" id="header" role="banner"> <div class="usa-banner-inner"> <div> <section class="usa-banner" aria-label="Official website of the United States government"> <div class="usa-accordion"> <header class="usa-banner__header"> <div class="usa-banner__inner"> <div class="grid-col-auto"> <img aria-hidden="true" class="usa-banner__header-flag" src="/web/20231203132532im_/https://www.usa.gov/themes/custom/usagov/images/favicon-57.png" alt=""/> </div> <div class="grid-col-fill tablet:grid-col-auto" aria-hidden="true"> <p class="usa-banner__header-text"> An official website of the United States government </p> <p class="usa-banner__header-action">Here鈥檚 how you know</p> </div> <button type="button" class="usa-accordion__button usa-banner__button" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="gov-banner-default-default"> <span class="usa-banner__button-text">Here鈥檚 how you know</span> </button> </div> </header> <div class="usa-banner__content usa-accordion__content" id="gov-banner-default-default" hidden="until-found"> <div class="grid-row grid-gap-lg"> <div class="usa-banner__guidance tablet:grid-col-6"> <img class="usa-banner__icon usa-media-block__img" src="/web/20231203132532im_/https://www.usa.gov/themes/custom/usagov/assets/img/icon-dot-gov.svg" role="img" alt="" aria-hidden="true"/> <div class="usa-media-block__body"> <p> <strong>Official websites use .gov</strong><br/>A <strong>.gov</strong> website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. </p> </div> </div> <div class="usa-banner__guidance tablet:grid-col-6"> <img class="usa-banner__icon usa-media-block__img" src="/web/20231203132532im_/https://www.usa.gov/themes/custom/usagov/assets/img/icon-https.svg" role="img" alt="" aria-hidden="true"/> <div class="usa-media-block__body"> <p> <strong>Secure .gov websites use HTTPS</strong><br/>A <strong>lock</strong> ( <span class="icon-lock"> <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="52" height="64" viewbox="0 0 52 64" class="usa-banner__lock-image" role="img" aria-labelledby="banner-lock-description-default" focusable="false"> <title id="banner-lock-title-default">Lock</title> <desc id="banner-lock-description-default">Locked padlock icon</desc> <path fill="#000000" fill-rule="evenodd" d="M26 0c10.493 0 19 8.507 19 19v9h3a4 4 0 0 1 4 4v28a4 4 0 0 1-4 4H4a4 4 0 0 1-4-4V32a4 4 0 0 1 4-4h3v-9C7 8.507 15.507 0 26 0zm0 8c-5.979 0-10.843 4.77-10.996 10.712L15 19v9h22v-9c0-6.075-4.925-11-11-11z"/> </svg> </span>) or <strong>https://</strong> means you鈥檝e safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. </p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </section> <div class="language-switcher-language-url settings-tray-editable block block-language block-language-blocklanguage-interface" id="block-languageswitcher" data-drupal-settingstray="editable"> <ul class="links usa-nav__primary usa-accordion"> <li hreflang="es" class="usa-nav__primary-item"> <a href="/web/20231203132532/https://www.usa.gov/es/acerca-de-estados-unidos" class="language-link" hreflang="es">Espa帽ol</a> </li> </ul> </div> <nav aria-label="Primary" navigation class="usa-nav usagov-mobile-menu"> <div class="usa-nav__inner"> <div class="usagov-mobile-menu-top"> <div class="usagov-mobile-menu-controls"> <a id="home-link-mobile-menu" href="/web/20231203132532/https://www.usa.gov/"> <img src="/web/20231203132532im_/https://www.usa.gov/themes/custom/usagov/assets/img/usa-icons/home.svg" role="img" alt="Home">Home </a> <button class="usa-nav__close"> <img src="/web/20231203132532im_/https://www.usa.gov/themes/custom/usagov/assets/img/usa-icons/highlight_off.svg" role="img" alt="Close">Close </button> </div> <div class="usa-nav__secondary"> <form class="usa-search usa-search--small" action="https://web.archive.org/web/20231203132532/https://search.usa.gov/search" method="get" name="search_form" accept-charset="UTF-8" role="search"> <label id="top-srch-mobile-menu" class="usa-sr-only" for="search-field-small-mobile-menu">Search</label> <input id="affiliate-mobile-menu" name="affiliate" type="hidden" value="usagov_all_gov"> <input id="search-field-small-mobile-menu" class="usa-input text usagov-search-autocomplete ui-autocomplete-input" type="search" name="query" placeholder="Search all government" onfocus="this.placeholder = ''" autocomplete="off" aria-autocomplete="list" aria-haspopup="true"> <button class="usa-button" type="submit"> <img src="/web/20231203132532im_/https://www.usa.gov/themes/custom/usagov/images/search--dark.svg" class="usa-search__submit-icon" alt="Search"> </button> </form> <span class="usa-nav__secondary-links"> <span id="top-phone-mobile-menu" class="usa-nav__secondary-item"> <a href="/web/20231203132532/https://www.usa.gov/phone" class="">1-844-USAGOV1</a> </span> </span> </div> </div> <ul class="navigation__items ancestors"> <li class="navigation__item active"> <a href="#">About the U.S. and its government</a> <ul class="navigation__items children"> <li class="navigation__item child"> <a href="/web/20231203132532/https://www.usa.gov/buy-from-government">Buying from the U.S. government</a> </li> <li class="navigation__item child"> <a href="/web/20231203132532/https://www.usa.gov/facts-figures">U.S. facts and figures</a> </li> <li class="navigation__item child"> <a href="/web/20231203132532/https://www.usa.gov/agency-index">A-Z index of U.S. government departments and agencies</a> </li> <li class="navigation__item child"> <a href="/web/20231203132532/https://www.usa.gov/state-local-governments">State and local governments</a> </li> <li class="navigation__item child"> <a href="/web/20231203132532/https://www.usa.gov/branches-of-government">Branches of government</a> </li> <li class="navigation__item child"> <a href="/web/20231203132532/https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials">Elected officials</a> </li> <li class="navigation__item child"> <a href="/web/20231203132532/https://www.usa.gov/laws-and-regulations">Federal laws and regulations</a> </li> <li class="navigation__item child"> <a href="/web/20231203132532/https://www.usa.gov/tribes">Indian tribes and resources for Native Americans</a> </li> </ul> </li> </ul> </div> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="usa-navbar"> <div class="usa-logo" id="extended-logo"> <em class="usa-logo-text"> <a href="/web/20231203132532/https://www.usa.gov/" title="USAGov Logo"><img src="/web/20231203132532im_/https://www.usa.gov/themes/custom/usagov/images/Logo_USAGov.png" alt="USAGov Logo"></a> </em> </div> <button class="usa-menu-btn">Menu</button> <div class="usa-nav__secondary"> <span class="usa-nav__secondary-links"> <span id="top-phone" class="usa-nav__secondary-item"> <a href="/web/20231203132532/https://www.usa.gov/phone" style="white-space: nowrap;">Call us at 1-844-USAGOV1</a> </span> </span> <form class="usa-search usa-search--small" action="https://web.archive.org/web/20231203132532/https://search.usa.gov/search" method="get" name="search_form" accept-charset="UTF-8" role="search"> <label id="top-srch" class="usa-sr-only" for="search-field-small">Search</label> <input id="affiliate" name="affiliate" type="hidden" value="usagov_all_gov"> <input id="search-field-small" class="usa-input text usagov-search-autocomplete ui-autocomplete-input" type="search" name="query" placeholder="Search all government" onfocus="this.placeholder = ''" autocomplete="off" aria-autocomplete="list" aria-haspopup="true"> <button class="usa-button" type="submit"> <img src="/web/20231203132532im_/https://www.usa.gov/themes/custom/usagov/images/search--dark.svg" class="usa-search__submit-icon" alt="Search"> </button> </form> </div> </div> <nav aria-label="Primary navigation" class="usa-nav"> <div class="usa-nav__inner"> <button class="usa-nav__close"> <img src="/web/20231203132532im_/https://www.usa.gov/themes/custom/usagov/assets/img/usa-icons/close.svg" role="img" alt="Close"/> </button> <ul class="usa-nav__primary usa-accordion"> <li class="usa-nav__primary-item usa-nav___primary-item-smaller-padding" id="usa-nav__topics"> <a href="/web/20231203132532/https://www.usa.gov/#all-topics-header" class="usa-nav__link"> <span>All topics and services</span> </a> </li> <li class="usa-nav__primary-item usa-nav___primary-item-smaller-padding" id="usa-nav__about"> <a href="/web/20231203132532/https://www.usa.gov/about-the-us" class="usa-nav__link"> <span>About the U.S. and its government</span> </a> </li> <li class="usa-nav__primary-item usa-nav___primary-item-smaller-padding" id="usa-nav_benefits"> <a href="/web/20231203132532/https://www.usa.gov/benefits" class="usa-nav__link"> <span>Government benefits</span> </a> </li> <li class="usa-nav__primary-item usa-nav___primary-item-smaller-padding" id="usa-nav_housing"> <a href="/web/20231203132532/https://www.usa.gov/housing-help" class="usa-nav__link"> <span>Housing help</span> </a> </li> <li class="usa-nav__primary-item usa-nav___primary-item-smaller-padding" id="usa-nav__scams"> <a href="/web/20231203132532/https://www.usa.gov/scams-and-fraud" class="usa-nav__link"> <span>Scams and fraud</span> </a> </li> <li class="usa-nav__primary-item usa-nav___primary-item-smaller-padding" id="usa-nav_taxes"> <a href="/web/20231203132532/https://www.usa.gov/taxes" class="usa-nav__link"> <span>Taxes</span> </a> </li> <li class="usa-nav__primary-item usa-nav___primary-item-smaller-padding" id="usa-nav_travel"> <a href="/web/20231203132532/https://www.usa.gov/travel" class="usa-nav__link"> <span>Travel</span> </a> </li> </ul> </div> </nav> </header> <main class="main-content usa-layout-docs usa-section " role="main" id="main-content" data-pagetype="Navigation Cards Page"> <div class="grid-container"> <div class="grid-row"> <div> <div id="block-usagov-breadcrumbs" class="settings-tray-editable block block-system block-system-breadcrumb-block" data-drupal-settingstray="editable"> <nav class="margin-top-neg-3 mobile-lg:margin-top-2 tablet:margin-top-neg-3 desktop:margin-top-0 margin-bottom-2 mobile-lg:margin-bottom-6" role="navigation" aria-label="Breadcrumb"> <ol class="usa-breadcrumb__list" itemscope itemtype="http://schema.org/BreadcrumbList"> <li class="usa-breadcrumb__list-item" itemprop="itemListElement" itemscope itemtype="http://schema.org/ListItem"> <a href="/web/20231203132532/https://www.usa.gov/" class="usa-breadcrumb__link" itemprop="item"> <span itemprop="name"> Home </span> </a> <meta itemprop="position" content="1"/> </li> <li class="usa-breadcrumb__list-item" itemprop="itemListElement" itemscope itemtype="http://schema.org/ListItem"> <span itemprop="name">About the U.S. and its government</span> <meta itemprop="position" content="2"/> </li> </ol> </nav> </div> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div data-drupal-messages-fallback class="hidden"></div> </div> <div class="grid-row grid-gap"> <div class="usa-layout-docs__main usa-prose desktop:grid-col-fill"> <h1 class="text-red" id="skip-to-h1"> <span>About the U.S. and its government</span> </h1> <div id="block-usagov-content" class="block block-system block-system-main-block"> <div class="content-wrapper"> <div class="usa-prose body-copy"><section class="usa-hero usagov-hero" aria-label="Introduction" style="background-image: url(/web/20231203132532im_/https://www.usa.gov/themes/custom/usagov/images/topics/Banner_img_About_the_US_and_Its_Government.png)"> <div class="grid-container"> <div class="usa-hero__callout usagov-hero__callout"> <h2 class="usa-hero__heading"><span class="usa-hero__heading--alt">Most popular</h2> <ul> <li><a href="/web/20231203132532/https://www.usa.gov/buy-from-government">How to buy from the U.S. government</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20231203132532/https://www.usa.gov/facts-figures">Learn about American holidays</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20231203132532/https://www.usa.gov/agency-index">Find government agencies</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </section> </div> <div class="usa-prose"> <p class="usa-intro"> Find out how to buy property from the U.S. government, learn about American holidays, and more. </p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="usagov-cards"> <ul class="usa-card-group"> <li class="tablet:grid-col-4 usa-card"> <a href="/web/20231203132532/https://www.usa.gov/buy-from-government" class="usa-card__container usagov-card text-no-underline"> <header class="usa-card__header"> <h2 class="usa-card__heading usagov-card__heading">Buying from the U.S. government</h2> </header> <div class="usa-card__body padding-top-0 color-off-black"> <p>Find out about surplus sales, collectibles, and other items available through purchase or auction.</p> </div> </a> </li> <li class="tablet:grid-col-4 usa-card"> <a href="/web/20231203132532/https://www.usa.gov/facts-figures" class="usa-card__container usagov-card text-no-underline"> <header class="usa-card__header"> <h2 class="usa-card__heading usagov-card__heading">U.S. facts and figures</h2> </header> <div class="usa-card__body padding-top-0 color-off-black"> <p>Learn about the United States, including American holidays, the American flag, and census data.</p> </div> </a> </li> <li class="tablet:grid-col-4 usa-card"> <a href="/web/20231203132532/https://www.usa.gov/agency-index" class="usa-card__container usagov-card text-no-underline"> <header class="usa-card__header"> <h2 class="usa-card__heading usagov-card__heading">A-Z index of U.S. government departments and agencies</h2> </header> <div class="usa-card__body padding-top-0 color-off-black"> <p>Find contact information for U.S. federal government departments and agencies including websites, emails, phone numbers, addresses, and more.</p> </div> </a> </li> <li class="tablet:grid-col-4 usa-card"> <a href="/web/20231203132532/https://www.usa.gov/state-local-governments" class="usa-card__container usagov-card text-no-underline"> <header class="usa-card__header"> <h2 class="usa-card__heading usagov-card__heading">State and local governments</h2> </header> <div class="usa-card__body padding-top-0 color-off-black"> <p>Find contact information for state and local government services, your governor, and more.</p> </div> </a> </li> <li class="tablet:grid-col-4 usa-card"> <a href="/web/20231203132532/https://www.usa.gov/branches-of-government" class="usa-card__container usagov-card text-no-underline"> <header class="usa-card__header"> <h2 class="usa-card__heading usagov-card__heading">Branches of the U.S. government</h2> </header> <div class="usa-card__body padding-top-0 color-off-black"> <p>Learn about the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the U.S. government.</p> </div> </a> </li> <li class="tablet:grid-col-4 usa-card"> <a href="/web/20231203132532/https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials" class="usa-card__container usagov-card text-no-underline"> <header class="usa-card__header"> <h2 class="usa-card__heading usagov-card__heading">Find and contact elected officials</h2> </header> <div class="usa-card__body padding-top-0 color-off-black"> <p>Get the names and contact information for your federal, state, and local elected officials.</p> </div> </a> </li> <li class="tablet:grid-col-4 usa-card"> <a href="/web/20231203132532/https://www.usa.gov/laws-and-regulations" class="usa-card__container usagov-card text-no-underline"> <header class="usa-card__header"> <h2 class="usa-card__heading usagov-card__heading">Federal laws and regulations</h2> </header> <div class="usa-card__body padding-top-0 color-off-black"> <p>Understand impeachment. Get copies of your government files. Research federal laws and regulations.</p> </div> </a> </li> <li class="tablet:grid-col-4 usa-card"> <a href="/web/20231203132532/https://www.usa.gov/tribes" class="usa-card__container usagov-card text-no-underline"> <header class="usa-card__header"> <h2 class="usa-card__heading usagov-card__heading">Federally recognized Indian tribes and resources for Native Americans</h2> </header> <div class="usa-card__body padding-top-0 color-off-black"> <p>Find information about and resources for Native Americans and Alaska Native entities.</p> </div> </a> </li> </ul> </div> <p> <span class="text-bold">Looking for something else?</span> <a id="something-else" href="/web/20231203132532/https://www.usa.gov/#all-topics-header">Explore all topics and services</a> </p> <div class="views-element-container settings-tray-editable block block-views block-views-blockwizard-step-test-block-1" id="block-views-block-wizard-step-test-block-1" data-drupal-settingstray="editable"> <div><div class="js-view-dom-id-62174dae5836659e0722b746eea96aa0e32b8d78d3f6e724cef5b66606458614"> </div> </div> </div> <div class="additional_body_info"> <div id="pagesurvey-qual-container"></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <a id="back-to-top" href="#main-content" aria-label="Back to top"> Top </a> </main> <footer class="usa-footer usa-footer--big" role="contentinfo"> <div class="usa-footer__primary-section"> <div class="grid-container"> <div class="grid-row grid-gap"> <div class="tablet:grid-col-8"> <nav class="usa-footer__nav" aria-label="Footer navigation"> <div class="grid-row grid-gap-4"> <div class="mobile-lg:grid-col-6 desktop:grid-col-3"> <section class=" usa-footer__primary-content usa-footer__primary-content--collapsible "> <h3 class="usa-gov-footer__primary-link"> Government information </h3> <ul class="usa-list usa-list--unstyled"> <li class="usa-footer__secondary-link"> <a href="/web/20231203132532/https://www.usa.gov/#all-topics-header"> All topics and services </a> </li> <li class="usa-footer__secondary-link"> <a href="/web/20231203132532/https://www.usa.gov/agency-index"> Directory of U.S. government agencies and departments </a> </li> <li class="usa-footer__secondary-link"> <a href="/web/20231203132532/https://www.usa.gov/branches-of-government"> Branches of government </a> </li> </ul> </section> </div> <div class="mobile-lg:grid-col-6 desktop:grid-col-3"> <section class=" usa-footer__primary-content usa-footer__primary-content--collapsible "> <h3 class="usa-gov-footer__primary-link"> About us </h3> <ul class="usa-list usa-list--unstyled"> <li class="usa-footer__secondary-link ftr-list"> <a href="/web/20231203132532/https://www.usa.gov/about"> About USAGov </a> </li> <li class="usa-footer__secondary-link"> <a href="/web/20231203132532/https://www.usa.gov/privacy-security"> Privacy and security policies </a> </li> <li class="usa-footer__secondary-link"> <a href="/web/20231203132532/https://www.usa.gov/accessibility"> Accessibility policy </a> </li> <li class="usa-footer__secondary-link"> <a href="/web/20231203132532/https://www.usa.gov/site-issue-report-form"> Report a website issue </a> </li> <li class="usa-footer__secondary-link"> <a href="/web/20231203132532/https://www.usa.gov/website-analytics/"> Website usage data </a> </li> </ul> </section> </div> <div class="mobile-lg:grid-col-6 desktop:grid-col-3"> <section class=" usa-footer__primary-content usa-footer__primary-content--collapsible "> <h3 class="usa-gov-footer__primary-link"> For federal agencies </h3> <ul class="usa-list usa-list--unstyled"> <li class="usa-footer__secondary-link"> <a href="/web/20231203132532/https://www.usa.gov/partner-with-usagov"> Partner with us </a> </li> <li class="usa-footer__secondary-link"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20231203132532/https://blog.usa.gov/"> Read our blog </a> </li> </ul> </section> </div> <div class="mobile-lg:grid-col-6 desktop:grid-col-3"> <section class=" usa-footer__primary-content usa-footer__primary-content--collapsible "> <h3 class="usa-gov-footer__primary-link"> For media </h3> <ul class="usa-list usa-list--unstyled"> <li class="usa-footer__secondary-link ftr-list"> <a href="/web/20231203132532/https://www.usa.gov/outreach"> USAGov Outreach </a> </li> <li class="usa-footer__secondary-link"> <a href="/web/20231203132532/https://www.usa.gov/features"> Feature articles </a> </li> </ul> </section> </div> </div> </nav> </div> <div class="tablet:grid-col-4"> <div class="usa-sign-up"> <h4 class="usa-sign-up__heading"> Sign up to receive email updates </h4> <form class="usa-form" action="https://web.archive.org/web/20231203132532/https://connect.usa.gov/subscribe" method="get"> <label class="usa-label" for="footer-email"> Enter your email </label> <input class="usa-input" id="footer-email" name="email" type="email"> <div class="footer-button-container"> <button class="usa-button footer-button" type="submit"> Sign up </button> </div> </form> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <script src="/web/20231203132532js_/https://www.usa.gov/themes/custom/usagov/scripts/newFooter.js"></script> <div class="usa-footer__secondary-section"> <div class="grid-container"> <div class="grid-row grid-gap"> <div class="usa-footer__logo grid-row mobile-lg:grid-col-6"> <span id="footer-phone"> <div class="mobile-lg:grid-col-auto"> <h4 class="usa-footer__logo-heading"> USAGov Contact Center </h4> </div> <div class="mobile-lg:grid-col-auto"> <p class="footer-question"> Ask USA.gov a question at </p> <address class="usa-footer__address"> <div class="usa-footer__contact-info"> <a href="/web/20231203132532/https://www.usa.gov/phone"> 1-844-USAGOV1 (1-844-872-4681) </a> </div> </address> </div> </span> </div> <div class="usa-footer__contact-links mobile-lg:grid-col-6"> <div class="footer-social-block"> <h4 class="usa-footer__contact-heading"> Find us on social media </h4> <div class="usa-footer__social-links en-links grid-row grid-gap-1"> <div class="grid-col-auto"> <a class="usa-social-link" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20231203132532/https://www.facebook.com/USAgov"> <img class="image-svg-test" src="/web/20231203132532im_/https://www.usa.gov/themes/custom/usagov/images/social-media-icons/Facebook_Icon.svg" alt="Facebook USAGov"/> <span>Facebook</span> </a> </div> <div class="grid-col-auto"> <a class="usa-social-link" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20231203132532/https://twitter.com/USAgov"> <img class="image-svg-test" src="/web/20231203132532im_/https://www.usa.gov/themes/custom/usagov/images/social-media-icons/X_Twitter_Icon.svg" alt="X Twitter USAGov"/> <span>Twitter</span> </a> </div> <div class="grid-col-auto"> <a class="usa-social-link" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20231203132532/https://www.youtube.com/usagov1"> <img class="image-svg-test" src="/web/20231203132532im_/https://www.usa.gov/themes/custom/usagov/images/social-media-icons/YouTube_Icon.svg" alt="Youtube USAGov"/> <span>YouTube</span> </a> </div> <div class="grid-col-auto"> <a class="usa-social-link" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20231203132532/https://www.instagram.com/usagov/"> <img class="image-svg-test" src="/web/20231203132532im_/https://www.usa.gov/themes/custom/usagov/images/social-media-icons/Instagram_Icon.svg" alt="Instagram USAGov"/> <span>Instagram</span> </a> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="usa-identifier"> <section class="usa-identifier__section usa-identifier__section--usagov" aria-label="USAGov is the official guide to government information and services" aria-label="USAGov is the Official Guide to Government Information and Services"> <div class="usa-identifier__container"> <div class="usa-identifier__usagov-description"> USAGov is the official guide to government information and services </div> </div> </section> </div> </footer> <script type="application/json" data-drupal-selector="drupal-settings-json">{"path":{"baseUrl":"\/","scriptPath":null,"pathPrefix":"","currentPath":"node\/57","currentPathIsAdmin":false,"isFront":false,"currentLanguage":"en"},"pluralDelimiter":"\u0003","suppressDeprecationErrors":true,"top_nav_menu":[{"\/#all-topics-header":"usa-nav__topics"},{"\/about-the-us":"usa-nav__about"},{"\/money":"usa-nav__money"},{"\/laws-and-legal-issues":"usa-nav__law"},{"\/scams-and-fraud":"usa-nav__scams"},{"\/benefits":"usa-nav_benefits"},{"\/housing-help":"usa-nav_housing"},{"\/immigration-and-citizenship":null},{"\/taxes":"usa-nav_taxes"},{"\/travel":"usa-nav_travel"}],"user":{"uid":0,"permissionsHash":"d1c04b126ff7c0e4a0c431854e2067a7a0d112dd891977ea8c3016e03dd27608"}}</script> <script src="/web/20231203132532js_/https://www.usa.gov/core/assets/vendor/jquery/jquery.min.js?v=3.7.0"></script> <script src="/web/20231203132532js_/https://www.usa.gov/core/assets/vendor/once/once.min.js?v=1.0.1"></script> <script src="/web/20231203132532js_/https://www.usa.gov/core/misc/drupalSettingsLoader.js?v=10.1.5"></script> <script src="/web/20231203132532js_/https://www.usa.gov/core/misc/drupal.js?v=10.1.5"></script> <script src="/web/20231203132532js_/https://www.usa.gov/core/misc/drupal.init.js?v=10.1.5"></script> <script src="/web/20231203132532js_/https://www.usa.gov/themes/custom/usagov/scripts/uswds.min.js?v=1"></script> <script src="/web/20231203132532js_/https://www.usa.gov/themes/custom/usagov/scripts/uswds-init.min.js?v=1"></script> <script src="/web/20231203132532js_/https://www.usa.gov/themes/custom/usagov/scripts/newFooter.js?v=1"></script> <script src="/web/20231203132532js_/https://www.usa.gov/themes/custom/usagov/scripts/phoneForMobile.js?v=1"></script> <script src="/web/20231203132532js_/https://www.usa.gov/themes/custom/usagov/scripts/wizard.js?s4y9yk"></script> <script src="/web/20231203132532js_/https://www.usa.gov/themes/custom/usagov/scripts/wizardStep.js?s4y9yk"></script> <script src="/web/20231203132532js_/https://www.usa.gov/modules/custom/usagov_top_navigation_menu/js/addMenuStyles.js?s4y9yk"></script> <script src="/web/20231203132532js_/https://www.usa.gov/modules/contrib/uswds_ckeditor_integration/js/aftermarket/uswds_accordion.js?s4y9yk"></script>  <script type="text/javascript"> //<![CDATA[ var usasearch_config = { siteHandle:"usagov_all_gov" }; var script = document.createElement("script"); script.type = "text/javascript"; script.src = "https://web.archive.org/web/20231203132532/https://search.usa.gov/javascripts/remote.loader.js"; document.getElementsByTagName("head")[0].appendChild(script); //]]> </script> <script type="text/javascript"> // Set a variable for our button element. const scrollToTopButton = document.getElementById('back-to-top'); // Let's set up a function that shows our scroll-to-top button if we scroll beyond the height of the initial window. const scrollFunc = () => { // Get the current scroll value let y = window.scrollY; // If the scroll value is greater than the window height, let's add a class to the scroll-to-top button to show it! if (y > 500) { scrollToTopButton.className = "stuck"; } else { scrollToTopButton.className = ""; } }; window.addEventListener("scroll", scrollFunc); const scrollToTop = () => { // Let's set a variable for the number of pixels we are from the top of the document. const c = document.documentElement.scrollTop || document.body.scrollTop; // If that number is greater than 0, we'll scroll back to 0, or the top of the document. // We'll also animate that scroll with requestAnimationFrame: // https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/window/requestAnimationFrame if (c > 0) { window.requestAnimationFrame(scrollToTop); // ScrollTo takes an x and a y coordinate. // Increase the '10' value to get a smoother/slower scroll! window.scrollTo(0, c - c / 10); } }; // When the button is clicked, run our ScrolltoTop function above! // scrollToTopButton.onclick = function(e) { // e.preventDefault(); // scrollToTop(); // } </script>  <script type="text/javascript"> /*<![CDATA[*/ (function() { var sz = document.createElement('script'); sz.type = 'text/javascript'; sz.async = true; sz.src = '//web.archive.org/web/20231203132532/https://siteimproveanalytics.com/js/siteanalyze_51567.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(sz, s); })(); /*]]>*/ </script>   <script type="text/javascript"> document.querySelectorAll(".usa-accordion__content").forEach((accordionContent) => { accordionContent.onbeforematch = () => { //accordionContent.removeAttribute("hidden"); document.querySelector("[aria-controls='"+accordionContent.id+"']").setAttribute("aria-expanded", "true"); }; }); // Select the node that will be observed for mutations //<![CDATA[ var targetNode = document.getElementById('main-content'); // Options for the observer (which mutations to observe) var config = { attributes: true, childList: true, subtree: true }; // Callback function to execute when mutations are observed var callback = function(mutationsList, observer) { // Use traditional 'for loops' for IE 11 for(let mutation of mutationsList) { if (mutation.type === 'childList') { // console.log('A child node has been added or removed.'); document.querySelector(".QSIUserDefinedHTML")?.children[0].removeAttribute("tabindex"); // Later, you can stop observing //observer.disconnect(); }else if (mutation.type === 'attributes') { //console.log('The ' + mutation.attributeName + ' attribute was modified.'); document.querySelectorAll(".usa-accordion__content[hidden='']").forEach((hiddenAccordion) => { hiddenAccordion.setAttribute("hidden", "until-found"); }); } } }; // Create an observer instance linked to the callback function var observer = new MutationObserver(callback); // Start observing the target node for configured mutations observer.observe(targetNode, config); //]]> </script>   <script src="/web/20231203132532js_/https://www.usa.gov/themes/custom/usagov/scripts/modifyMobileNav.js"></script> </body> </html>

CINXE.COM

About the U.S. and its government | USAGov