Federal jurisdiction refers to the legal scope of the government's powers in the United States of America. The United States is a federal republic, governed by the U.S. Constitution, containing fifty states and a federal district which elect the President and Vice President, and having other territories and possessions in its national jurisdiction. This government is variously known as the Union, the United States, or the federal government. Under the Constitution and various treaties, the legal jurisdiction of the United States includes territories and territorial waters.