<P> The British royal family is a unique exception to the country's tradition of volunteerism, as all male royals are required to perform military service . </P> <P> The United States first introduced conscription during the American Civil War . With insufficient volunteers coming in by 1863, the Lincoln Administration was forced to begin drafting despite widespread complaints that it was unconstitutional and undermined states' rights (some states had conscripted men up to this point, but not the federal government). In July 1863, New York City erupted in the draft riots over the draft . However, anyone could get out by paying a $300 fee or hiring a substitute . Many conscripts and substitutes were criminals or men with debilitating health problems, and thus largely useless . The Confederate government had begun drafting men in early 1862 . </P> <P> Conscription was next used after the United States entered World War I in 1917 . The first peacetime conscription came with the Selective Training and Service Act of 1940 . When World War II ended, so did the draft . It was quickly reinstated with the Korean War and retained for the next 20 years, especially in the Vietnam War . Active conscription ("the draft") ended in 1973 . </P> <P> In 1979, President Jimmy Carter, a Democrat, brought back draft registration . All males up to the age of 26 are required to register with the Selective Service System, whose mission is "to provide manpower to the armed forces in an emergency" including a "Health Care Personnel Delivery System" and "to run an Alternative Service Program for men classified as conscientious objectors during a draft ." No one has been prosecuted for violating the conscription law in the USA since 1986, but registration is required for certain benefits such as federal college aid, or in certain states, state college aid, or even driver's license . Women do not currently register for Selective Service in the United States; however they may still enlist for voluntary service . </P>

Is there compulsory military service in the us