What is the political party of the President now?

Why this is the answer

There is no fixed answer to memorize here. Which party holds the White House can change with any presidential election, so USCIS keeps the current answer on its test updates page and expects you to answer as things stand on the day of your interview. An answer that was right last year but is wrong now will not be accepted. Timing matters most around elections. Americans vote for President in November, but under the 20th Amendment a President's term runs until noon on January 20. During those weeks the outgoing President is still in office, and the answer is still that President's party, even if the winner comes from the other side. The 22nd Amendment also limits how long one person can hold the office: since 1951, no one can be elected President more than twice. A new President does not always mean a new party, though, which is one more reason to check the party itself. Check the updates page close to your interview date rather than relying on what you remember from the news. Answer with the party and not the person. The question asks for a political party, so naming the President, however accurate, does not answer it. Some background makes the answer easier to hold on to. Each presidential candidate is nominated by a political party, and today two parties are the major ones, the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. The Constitution did not set up either one. Parties are groups of people organizing to elect their candidates and push their ideas about public policy, and joining one is a personal choice, not a legal duty. The winner of the November vote is not chosen directly, either. Citizens vote for electors, and the electors then choose the President. When you look up the answer, say the party name the way the updates page lists it.