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What is the European Union?
A unique economic and political partnership between 27 democratic European countries.
What are its aims?
Peace, prosperity and freedom for its 495 million citizens — in a fairer, safer world.
What results so far?
Frontier-free travel and trade, the euro (the single European currency), safer food and a greener environment, better living standards in poorer regions, joint action on crime and terror, cheaper phone calls and air travel, millions of opportunities to study abroad … and much more besides.
How does it work?
To make these things happen, EU countries set up bodies to run the EU and adopt its legislation. The main ones are:

• the European Parliament (representing the people of Europe);
  
• the Council of the European Union (representing national governments);
  
• the European Commission (representing the common EU interest).

What about the future?
The EU is not perfect — it constantly has to be improved.

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From the American perspective, we are quite able, militarily, politically and economically, to take care of ourself. We have no logical reason to belong to military, political, or economic alliances - a good bit of risk, with virtually no gain.

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The UN provides the United States with an international forum where we can protect our national security, advance our foreign policy objectives, and promote American values. The United States, together with other like-minded nations, seeks to uphold the UN’s founding principles. We share a commitment to maintain international peace and security; to fight poverty through development; to eradicate pandemic diseases; and to advance freedom, human rights, and democracy. Our leadership in the UN is critical to making the world more secure, democratic and prosperous. At the same time, the United States is committed to ensuring good stewardship of UN resources so these American goals are met effectively and efficiently.

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ORIGINAL: Raechard

Can't we all go back to what we had before 'The league of nations?' it was just as effective as the UN and still gave politicians a free holiday every so often?

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ORIGINAL: kittinSol

You are still not explaining why the United States should leave the UN except that 'you have that feeling'. Is that all? You are still not explaining why the United States isn't paying its contributions. 

Whilst acknowledging their use of the United Nations, the USA are simply picking and choosing and basically refusing to pay their membership to the gym. American internal politics get translated into international policies at UN level... it's a crab basket.

It's a little like you leaving the supermarket with a truckload full of stuff and refusing to pay for anything else than the bog roll. But because you're bigger than everybody else, you can.