United States From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia For other uses, see US (disambiguation), USA (disambiguation), and

United States (disambiguation). Page semi protected United States of America Flag !reat Seal "otto# $%n !od &e trust$ (official)'()'*)'+) $, pluribus unum$ (-atin) (traditional) $.ut of many, one$ Anthem# $/he Star Spangled 0anner$ ",1U2#22 Pro3ection of 1orth America &ith the United States in green 4apital Washington, 5.4. +678+91 ::72(9W -argest city 1e& ;ork 4ity <27<+91 :<7229W .fficial languages 1one at federal le=el'a) 1ational language ,nglish'b) 5emonym American !o=ernment Federal presidential constitutional republic President 0arack .bama (5) >ice President ?oe 0iden (5) Speaker of the @ouse ?ohn 0oehner (A) 4hief ?ustice ?ohn Aoberts -egislature 4ongress Upper house Senate -o&er house @ouse of Aepresentati=es %ndependence from !reat 0ritain 5eclared ?uly <, (::B AecogniCed September +, (:6+ 4onstitution ?une *(, (:66 Area /otal D,6*B,B:8 km*'<)'c) (+rdE<th) +,:D<,(2( sF mi Water (G) B.:B Population *2(+ estimate +(:,DB6,222'8) (+rd) 5ensity +<.*Ekm* ((62th) 66.BEsF mi !5P (PPP) *2(+ estimate /otal H(B.:DD trillion'B) ((st) Per capita H8*,68*'B) (:th) !5P (nominal) *2(+ estimate /otal H(B.:DD trillion'B) ((st) Per capita H8*,68*'B) (Dth) !ini (*2(() <:.:':) high I +Dth (*22D) @5% (*2(+) %ncrease 2.D+:'6) =ery high I +rd 4urrency United States dollar (H) (US5) /ime Cone (U/4J8 to J(2) Summer (5S/) (U/4J< to J(2'e)) 5ri=es on the right'g)

4alling code K( %S. +(BB code US %nternet /-5 .us .go= .mil .edu a. L ,nglish is the official language of at least *6 statesM some sources gi=e higher figures, based on differing definitions of $official$.'D) ,nglish and @a&aiian are both official languages in the state of @a&aii. b. L ,nglish is the de facto language of American go=ernment and the sole language spoken at home by 62 percent of Americans aged fi=e and older. *6 states and 8 territories ha=e made ,nglish an official language. .ther official languages include @a&aiian, Samoan, 4hamorro, 4arolinian, and Spanish. c. L Whether the United States or 4hina is larger has been disputed. /he figure gi=en is from the U.S. 4entral %ntelligence AgencyNs /he World Factbook. .ther sources gi=e smaller figures. All authoritati=e calculations of the countryNs siCe include only the 82 states and the 5istrict of 4olumbia, not the territories. d. L /he population estimate is of people &hose usual residence is &ithin the 82 states and the 5istrict of 4olumbia, regardless of nationality. %t does not include those li=ing in the territories (o=er < million people, mostly in Puerto Aico). e. L See /ime in the United States for details about la&s go=erning time Cones in the United States. f. L 5oes not include insular areas and United States "inor .utlying %slands, &hich ha=e their o&n %S. +(BB codes. g. L ,Ocept U.S. >irgin %slands. /he United States of America (USA), commonly referred to as the United States (US), America or simply the States, is a federal republic'(2)'(() consisting of 82 states and a federal district. /he <6 contiguous states and the federal district of Washington, 5.4., are in central 1orth America bet&een 4anada and "eOico. /he state of Alaska is the north&estern part of 1orth America and the state of @a&aii is an archipelago in the mid Pacific. /he country also has fi=e populated and nine unpopulated territories in the Pacific and the 4aribbean. At +.:D million sFuare miles (D.6+ million km*) in total and &ith around +(: million people, the United States is the third or fourth largest country by total area and third largest by population. %t is one of the &orldNs most ethnically di=erse and multicultural nations, the product of large scale immigration from many countries.'(*) /he geography and climate of the United States is also eOtremely di=erse, and it is home to a &ide =ariety of &ildlife. Paleo indians migrated from Asia to &hat is no& the U.S. mainland around (8,222 years ago,'(+) &ith ,uropean coloniCation beginning in the (Bth century. /he United States emerged from (+ 0ritish colonies located along the Atlantic seaboard. 5isputes bet&een !reat 0ritain and these colonies led to the American Ae=olution. .n ?uly <, (::B, delegates from the (+ colonies unanimously issued the 5eclaration of %ndependence. /he ensuing &ar ended in (:6+ &ith the recognition of independence of the United States from the Pingdom of !reat 0ritain, and &as the first successful &ar of independence against a ,uropean colonial empire.'(<)'(8) /he current 4onstitution &as adopted on September (:, (:6:. /he first (2 amendments, collecti=ely named the 0ill of Aights, &ere ratified in (:D( and guarantee many fundamental ci=il rights and freedoms. 5ri=en by the doctrine of manifest destiny, the United States embarked on a =igorous eOpansion across 1orth America throughout the (Dth century.'(B) /his in=ol=ed displacing nati=e tribes, acFuiring ne& territories, and gradually admitting ne& states.'(B) /he American 4i=il War ended legal sla=ery in the country.'(:) 0y the end of the (Dth century, the United States eOtended into the Pacific .cean,'(6) and its economy &as the &orldNs largest.'(D) /he SpanishQAmerican War and World War % confirmed the countryNs status as a global military po&er. /he United States emerged from World War %% as a global superpo&er, the first country &ith nuclear &eapons, and a permanent member of the United 1ations Security 4ouncil. /he end of the 4old War and the dissolution of the So=iet Union left the United States as the sole superpo&er.

/he United States is a de=eloped country and has the &orldNs largest national economy, &ith an estimated !5P in *2(+ of H(B.6 trillionR*+G of global nominal !5P and (DG at purchasing po&er parity.'B)'*2) /he economy is fueled by an abundance of natural resources and the &orldNs highest &orker producti=ity,'*() &ith per capita !5P being the &orldNs siOth highest in *2(2.'B) While the U.S. economy is considered post industrial, it continues to be one of the &orldNs largest manufacturers.'**) /he U.S. has the highest mean and second highest median household income in the .,45 as &ell as the highest a=erage &age,'*+)'*<) though it has the fourth most uneFual income distribution among .,45 nations'*8)'*B) &ith roughly (BG of the population li=ing in po=erty.'*:) /he country accounts for +B.BG of global military spending,'*6) being the &orldNs foremost economic and military po&er, a prominent political and cultural force, and a leader in scientific research and technological inno=ation.'*D)'+2)'+()'+*)'++) 4ontents 'hide) ( ,tymology * @istory *.( 1ati=e American and ,uropean contact *.* Settlements *.+ %ndependence and eOpansion *.< 4i=il War and Aeconstruction ,ra *.8 %ndustrialiCation *.B World War %, !reat 5epression, and World War %% *.: 4old War and 4i=il Aights era *.6 4ontemporary history + !eography, climate, and en=ironment < 5emographics <.( Population <.* -anguage <.+ Aeligion <.< Family structure 8 !o=ernment and politics 8.( Political di=isions 8.* Parties and elections 8.+ Foreign relations 8.< !o=ernment finance 8.<.( Public debt B "ilitary : 4rime and la& enforcement 6 ,conomy 6.( %ncome, po=erty and &ealth D %nfrastructure D.( /ransportation D.* ,nergy (2 Science and technology (( ,ducation (* @ealth (+ 4ulture (+.( Popular media (+.* -iterature, philosophy, and the arts (+.+ Food (+.< Sports (< See also (8 Aeferences (B 0ibliography (B.( Website sources (: ,Oternal links ,tymology

See also# 1ames for United States citiCens %n (82:, the !erman cartographer "artin WaldseemSller produced a &orld map on &hich he named the lands of the Western @emisphere $America$ after the %talian eOplorer and cartographer Amerigo >espucci (-atin# Americus >espucius).'+<) /he first documentary e=idence of the phrase $United States of America$ is from a letter dated ?anuary *, (::B, &ritten by Stephen "oylan, ,sF., !eorge WashingtonNs aide de camp and "uster "aster !eneral of the 4ontinental Army. Addressed to -t. 4ol. ?oseph Aeed, "oylan eOpressed his &ish to carry the $full and ample po&ers of the United States of America$ to Spain to assist in the re=olutionary &ar effort.'+8) /he first publicly published e=idence of the phrase $United States of America$ &as in an anonymously &ritten essay in /he >irginia !aCette ne&spaper in Williamsburg, >irginia, on April B, (::B.'+B)'+:) %n ?une (::B, /homas ?efferson included the phrase $U1%/,5 S/A/,S .F A",A%4A$ in all capitaliCed letters in the headline of his $original Aough draught$ of the 5eclaration of %ndependence.'+6)'+D) %n the final Fourth of ?uly =ersion of the 5eclaration, the pertinent section of the title &as changed to read, $/he unanimous 5eclaration of the thirteen united States of America$.'<2) %n (::: the Articles of 4onfederation announced, $/he Stile of this 4onfederacy shall be N/he United States of AmericaN$.'<() /he short form $United States$ is also standard. .ther common forms include the $U.S.$, the $USA$, and $America$. 4olloFuial names include the $U.S. of A.$ and, internationally, the $States$. $4olumbia$, a name popular in poetry and songs of the late (:22s,'<*) deri=es its origin from 4hristopher 4olumbusM it appears in the name $5istrict of 4olumbia$. %n non ,nglish languages, the name is freFuently translated as the translation of either the $United States$ or $United States of America$, and colloFuially as $America$. %n addition, an abbre=iation (e.g. USA) is sometimes used.'<+) /he phrase $United States$ &as originally treated as plural, a description of a collection of independent statesRe.g., $the United States are$Rincluding in the /hirteenth Amendment to the United States 4onstitution, ratified in (6B8. %t became common to treat it as singular, a single unit Re.g., $the United States is$Rafter the end of the 4i=il War. /he singular form is no& standardM the plural form is retained in the idiom $these United States$.'<<) /he difference has been described as more significant than one of usage, but reflecting the difference bet&een a collection of states and a unit.'<8) /he standard &ay to refer to a citiCen of the United States is as an $American$. $United States$, $American$ and $U.S.$ are used to refer to the country ad3ecti=ally ($American =alues$, $U.S. forces$). $American$ is rarely used in ,nglish to refer to sub3ects not connected &ith the United States.'<B) @istory "ain articles# @istory of the United States and /imeline of United States history 1ati=e American and ,uropean contact Further information# Pre 4olumbian era and 4olonial history of the United States

"eeting of 1ati=e Americans and ,uropeans, (:B< /he first 1orth American settlers migrated from Siberia by &ay of the 0ering land bridge approOimately (8,222 or more years ago.'(+)'<:)'<6) Some, such as the pre 4olumbian "ississippian culture, de=eloped ad=anced agriculture, grand architecture, and state le=el societies. After ,uropean eOplorers and traders made the first contacts, the nati=e population declined due to =arious reasons, including diseases such as smallpoO and measles,'<D)'82) intermarriage,'8() and =iolence.'8*)'8+)'8<) %n the early days of coloniCation many settlers &ere sub3ect to shortages of food, disease and

attacks from 1ati=e Americans. 1ati=e Americans &ere also often at &ar &ith neighboring tribes and allied &ith ,uropeans in their colonial &ars.'88) At the same time ho&e=er many nati=es and settlers came to depend on each other. Settlers traded for food and animal pelts, nati=es for guns, ammunition and other ,uropean &ares.'8B) 1ati=es taught many settlers &here, &hen and ho& to culti=ate corn, beans and sFuash in the frontier. ,uropean missionaries and others felt it &as important to $ci=iliCe$ the %ndians and urged them to concentrate on farming and ranching &ithout depending on hunting and gathering.'8:)'86) Settlements Further information# ,uropean coloniCation of the Americas and (+ colonies After 4olumbusN first =oyage to the 1e& World in (<D* other eOplorers and settlement follo&ed into the Floridas and the American South&est.'8D)'B2) /here &ere also some French attempts to coloniCe the east coast, and later more successful settlements along the "ississippi Ai=er. Successful ,nglish settlement on the eastern coast of 1orth America began &ith the >irginia 4olony in (B2: at ?amesto&n and the PilgrimsN Plymouth 4olony in (B*2. ,arly eOperiments in communal li=ing failed until the introduction of pri=ate farm holdings.'B() /he continentNs first elected legislati=e assembly, >irginiaNs @ouse of 0urgesses created in (B(D, and the "ayflo&er 4ompact, signed by the Pilgrims before disembarking, established precedents for the pattern of representati=e self go=ernment and constitutionalism that &ould de=elop throughout the American colonies.'B*)'B+)

/he signing of the "ayflo&er 4ompact, (B*2 "ost settlers in e=ery colony &ere small farmers, but other industries de=eloped. 4ash crops included tobacco, rice and &heat. ,Otraction industries gre& up in furs, fishing and lumber. "anufacturers produced rum and ships and by the late colonial period Americans &ere producing one se=enth of the &orldNs iron supply.'B<) 4ities e=entually dotted the coast to support local economies and ser=e as trade hubs. ,nglish colonists &ere supplemented by &a=es of Scotch %rish and other groups. As coastal land gre& more eOpensi=e freed indentured ser=ants pushed further &est.'B8) Sla=e culti=ation of cash crops began &ith the Spanish in the (822s, and &as adopted by the ,nglish, but life eOpectancy &as much higher in 1orth America because of less disease and better food and treatment, so the numbers of sla=es gre& rapidly.'BB)'B:)'B6) 4olonial society &as largely di=ided o=er the religious and moral implications of sla=ery and colonies passed acts for and against the practice.'BD)':2) 0ut by the turn of the (6th century, African sla=es &ere replacing indentured ser=ants for cash crop labor, especially in southern regions.':() With the (:+* coloniCation of !eorgia, the (+ colonies that &ould become the United States of America &ere established.':*) All had local go=ernments &ith elections open to most free men, &ith a gro&ing de=otion to the ancient rights of ,nglishmen and a sense of self go=ernment stimulating support for republicanism.':+) With eOtremely high birth rates, lo& death rates, and steady settlement, the colonial population gre& rapidly. Aelati=ely small 1ati=e American populations &ere eclipsed.':<) /he 4hristian re=i=alist mo=ement of the (:+2s and (:<2s kno&n as the !reat A&akening fueled interest in both religion and religious liberty. %n the French and %ndian War, 0ritish forces seiCed 4anada from the French, but the francophone population remained politically isolated from the southern colonies. ,Ocluding the 1ati=e Americans, &ho &ere being conFuered and displaced, those (+ colonies had a population of o=er *.( million in (::2, about one third that of 0ritain. 5espite continuing ne& arri=als, the rate of natural increase &as such that by the (::2s only a small minority of Americans had been born o=erseas.':8) /he coloniesN distance from 0ritain had allo&ed the de=elopment of self go=ernment, but their success moti=ated monarchs to periodically seek to reassert Aoyal authority.

%ndependence and eOpansion

/he 5eclaration of %ndependence# the 4ommittee of Fi=e presenting their draft to the Second 4ontinental 4ongress in (::B Further information# American Ae=olutionary War, United States 5eclaration of %ndependence, and American Ae=olution /he American Ae=olutionary War &as the first successful colonial &ar of independence against a ,uropean po&er. Americans had de=eloped an ideology of $republicanism$ that held go=ernment rested on the &ill of the people as eOpressed in their local legislatures. /hey demanded their rights as ,nglishmen, Tno taOation &ithout representationU. /he 0ritish insisted on administering the empire through Parliament, and the conflict escalated into &ar.':B) /he 4ongress adopted the 5eclaration of %ndependence, on ?uly <, (::B, proclaiming that humanity is created eFual in their inalienable rights. /hat date is no& celebrated annually as AmericaNs %ndependence 5ay. %n (:::, the Articles of 4onfederation established a &eak go=ernment that operated until (:6D.'::) 0ritain recogniCed the independence of the United States follo&ing their defeat at ;orkto&n.':6) %n the peace treaty of (:6+, American so=ereignty &as recogniCed from the Atlantic coast &est to the "ississippi Ai=er. 1ationalists led the Philadelphia 4on=ention of (:6: in &riting the United States 4onstitution, and it &as ratified in state con=entions in (:66. /he federal go=ernment &as reorganiCed into three branches for their checks and balances in (:6D. !eorge Washington, &ho had led the re=olutionary army to =ictory, &as the first president elected under the ne& constitution. /he 0ill of Aights, forbidding federal restriction of personal freedoms and guaranteeing a range of legal protections, &as adopted in (:D(.':D) Although the federal go=ernment criminaliCed the international sla=e trade in (626, after (6*2 culti=ation of the highly profitable cotton crop eOploded in the 5eep South, and along &ith it the sla=e population.'62)'6()'6*) /he Second !reat A&akening, beginning about (622, con=erted millions to e=angelical Protestantism. %n the 1orth it energiCed multiple social reform mo=ements, including abolitionism,'6+) in the South, "ethodists and 0aptists proselytiCed among sla=e populations.'6<) AmericansN eagerness to eOpand &est&ard prompted a long series of %ndian Wars.'68) /he -ouisiana Purchase of French claimed territory in (62+ almost doubled the nationNs siCe.'6B) /he War of (6(*, declared against 0ritain o=er =arious grie=ances and fought to a dra&, strengthened U.S. nationalism.'6:) A series of U.S. military incursions into Florida led Spain to cede it and other !ulf 4oast territory in (6(D.'66) ,Opansion &as aided by steam po&er, &hen steamboats began tra=eling along AmericaNs large &ater systems, &hich &ere connected by ne& canals, such as the ,rie and the %V"M then, e=en faster railroads began their stretch across the nationNs land.'6D)

U.S. territorial acFuisitionsQportions of each territory &ere granted statehood o=er time. From (6*2 to (682, ?acksonian democracy began a set of reforms &hich included &ider male suffrage, and it led to the rise of the Second Party System of 5emocrats and Whigs as the dominant parties from (6*6 to (68<. /he /rail of /ears in the (6+2s eOemplified the %ndian remo=al policy that mo=ed %ndians into the &est to their o&n reser=ations. /he U.S. anneOed the Aepublic of /eOas in (6<8 during a period of eOpansionist "anifest 5estiny.'D2) /he (6<B .regon /reaty &ith 0ritain led to U.S. control of the present day American 1orth&est.'D() >ictory in the "eOican American War resulted in the (6<6 "eOican 4ession of 4alifornia and much of the present day American South&est.'D*) /he 4alifornia !old Aush of (6<6Q<D spurred &estern migration and the creation of additional

&estern states.'D+) After the American 4i=il War, ne& transcontinental rail&ays made relocation easier for settlers, eOpanded internal trade and increased conflicts &ith 1ati=e Americans.'D<) .=er a half century, the loss of the buffalo &as an eOistential blo& to many Plains %ndians cultures.'D8) %n (6BD, a ne& Peace Policy sought to protect 1ati=e Americans from abuses, a=oid further &arfare, and secure their e=entual U.S. citiCenship.'DB) 4i=il War and Aeconstruction ,ra Further information# American 4i=il War and Aeconstruction ,ra

0attle of !ettysburg, Pennsyl=ania during the 4i=il War From the beginning of the United States, inherent di=isions o=er sla=ery bet&een the 1orth and the South in American society ultimately led to the American 4i=il War.'D:) %nitially states entering the Union alternated sla=e and free, keeping a sectional balance in the Senate, &hile free states outstripped sla=e states in population and in the @ouse of Aepresentati=es. 0ut &ith additional &estern territory and more free soil states, tensions bet&een sla=e and free states mounted &ith arguments o=er federalism and disposition of the territories, &hether and ho& to eOpand or restrict sla=ery.'D6) Follo&ing the (6B2 election of Abraham -incoln, the first president from the largely anti sla=ery Aepublican Party, con=entions in thirteen states ultimately declared secession and formed the 4onfederate States of America, &hile the U.S. federal go=ernment maintained secession &as illegal.'D6) /he ensuing &ar &as at first for Union, then after (6B+ as casualties mounted and -incoln deli=ered his ,mancipation Proclamation, a second &ar aim became abolition of sla=ery. /he &ar remains the deadliest military conflict in American history, resulting in the deaths of approOimately B*2,222 soldiers as &ell as many ci=ilians.'DD) Follo&ing the Union =ictory in (6B8, three amendments to the U.S. 4onstitution prohibited sla=ery, made the nearly four million African Americans &ho had been sla=es'(22) U.S. citiCens, and promised them =oting rights. /he &ar and its resolution led to a substantial increase in federal po&er'(2() aimed at reintegrating and rebuilding the Southern states &hile ensuring the rights of the ne&ly freed sla=es.'(2*) 0ut follo&ing the Aeconstruction ,ra, throughout the South ?im 4ro& la&s soon effecti=ely disenfranchised most blacks and some poor &hites. .=er the subseFuent decades, in both the north and south blacks and some &hites faced systemic discrimination, including racial segregation and occasional =igilante =iolence, sparking national mo=ements against these abuses.'(2*) %ndustrialiCation Further information# -abor history of the United States

,llis %sland, in 1e& ;ork 4ity, &as a ma3or gate&ay for the massi=e influO of immigration during the beginning of industrialiCation. %n the 1orth, urbaniCation and an unprecedented influO of immigrants from Southern and ,astern ,urope supplied a surplus of labor for the countryNs industrialiCation and transformed its culture. '(2+) 1ational infrastructure including telegraph and transcontinental railroads spurred economic gro&th and greater settlement and de=elopment of the American .ld West. /he later in=ention of electric lights and telephones &ould also impact communication and urban life.'(2<) /he end of the %ndian Wars further eOpanded acreage under mechanical culti=ation, increasing surpluses for international markets. "ainland eOpansion &as completed by the Alaska Purchase from Aussia in (6B:. %n (6D6 the U.S. entered the &orld stage &ith important sugar production and strategic facilities acFuired in @a&aii. Puerto Aico, !uam, and the Philippines &ere ceded by Spain in the same year, follo&ing the Spanish American War.

Aapid economic de=elopment at the end of the (Dth century produced many prominent industrialists, and the U.S. economy became the &orldNs largest. 5ramatic changes &ere accompanied by social unrest and the rise of populist, socialist, and anarchist mo=ements.'(28) /his period e=entually ended &ith the beginning of the Progressi=e ,ra, &hich sa& significant reforms in many societal areas, including &omenNs suffrage, alcohol prohibition, regulation of consumer goods, greater antitrust measures to ensure competition and attention to &orker conditions. World War %, !reat 5epression, and World War %% Further information# World War %, !reat 5epression, and World War %%

U.S. troops approaching .maha 0each during World War %% /he United States remained neutral at the outbreak of World War % in (D(<, though by (D(:, it 3oined the Allies, helping to turn the tide against the 4entral Po&ers. President Woodro& Wilson took a leading diplomatic role at the Paris Peace 4onference of (D(D and ad=ocated strongly for the U.S. to 3oin the -eague of 1ations. @o&e=er, the Senate refused to appro=e this, and did not ratify the /reaty of >ersailles that established the -eague of 1ations.'(2B) %n (D*2, the &omenNs rights mo=ement &on passage of a constitutional amendment granting &omenNs suffrage.'(2:) /he (D*2s and (D+2s sa& the rise of radio for mass communication and the in=ention of early tele=ision.'(26) /he prosperity of the Aoaring /&enties ended &ith the Wall Street 4rash of (D*D and the onset of the !reat 5epression. After his election as president in (D+*, Franklin 5. Aoose=elt responded &ith the 1e& 5eal, &hich included the establishment of the Social Security system.'(2D) /he 5ust 0o&l of the mid (D+2s impo=erished many farming communities and spurred a ne& &a=e of &estern migration. /he United States &as at first effecti=ely neutral during World War %%Ns early stages but began supplying material to the Allies in "arch (D<( through the -end -ease program. .n 5ecember :, (D<(, the ,mpire of ?apan launched a surprise attack on Pearl @arbor, prompting the United States to 3oin the Allies against the AOis po&ers.'((2) /hough the nation lost more than <22,222 soldiers,'((() it emerged relati=ely undamaged from the &ar &ith e=en greater economic and military influence.'((*) Allied conferences at 0retton Woods and ;alta outlined a ne& system of international organiCations that placed the United States and So=iet Union at the center of &orld affairs. As an Allied =ictory &as &on in ,urope, a (D<8 international conference held in San Francisco produced the United 1ations 4harter, &hich became acti=e after the &ar.'((+) /he United States de=eloped the first nuclear &eapons and used them on ?apanM the ?apanese surrendered on September *, ending World War %%.'((<) 4old War and 4i=il Aights era "ain articles# @istory of the United States ((D<8QB<), @istory of the United States ((DB<Q62), and @istory of the United States ((D62QD()

US President Aonald Aeagan (left) and So=iet !eneral Secretary "ikhail !orbache=, meeting in !ene=a in (D68 After World War %% the United States and the So=iet Union 3ockeyed for po&er during &hat is kno&n as the 4old War, dri=en by an ideological di=ide bet&een capitalism and communism. /hey dominated the military affairs of ,urope, &ith the U.S. and its 1A/. allies on one side and the USSA and its Warsa& Pact allies on the other. /he U.S. de=eloped a policy of $containment$ to&ard So=iet bloc eOpansion. While they engaged in proOy &ars and de=eloped po&erful nuclear arsenals, the t&o countries a=oided direct military conflict. /he U.S. often opposed /hird World left &ing mo=ements that it =ie&ed as So=iet sponsored. American troops fought 4ommunist 4hinese and 1orth Porean forces in the Porean War of (D82Q8+. /he So=iet UnionNs (D8: launch

of the first artificial satellite and its (DB( launch of the first manned spaceflight initiated a $Space Aace$ in &hich the United States became the first to land a man on the moon in (DBD.'((8) A proOy &ar &as eOpanded in Southeast Asia &ith the >ietnam War. At home, the U.S. eOperienced sustained economic eOpansion and a rapid gro&th of its population and middle class. 4onstruction of an interstate high&ay system transformed the nationWs infrastructure o=er the follo&ing decades. "illions mo=ed from farms and inner cities to large suburban housing de=elopments.'((B)'((:) A gro&ing 4i=il Aights mo=ement used non=iolence to confront segregation and discrimination, &ith "artin -uther Ping ?r. becoming a prominent leader and figurehead. A combination of court decisions and legislation, culminating in the 4i=il Aights Act of (DB<, sought to end racial discrimination.'((6)'((D)'(*2) "ean&hile, a counterculture mo=ement gre& &hich &as fueled by opposition to the >ietnam &ar, black nationalism, and the seOual re=olution. /he launch of a $War on Po=erty$ eOpanded entitlement and &elfare spending.'(*() /he (D:2s and early (D62s sa& the onset of stagflation. After his election in (D62, President Aonald Aeagan responded to economic stagnation &ith free market oriented reforms. Follo&ing the collapse of dXtente, he abandoned $containment$ and initiated the more aggressi=e $rollback$ strategy to&ards the USSA.'(**)'(*+)'(*<)'(*8)'(*B) After a surge in female labor participation o=er the pre=ious decade, by (D68 a ma3ority of &omen age (B and o=er &ere employed.'(*:) /he late (D62s brought a $tha&$ in relations &ith the USSA, and its collapse in (DD( finally ended the 4old War.'(*6)'(*D)'(+2)'(+() 4ontemporary history /he former World /rade 4enter in -o&er "anhattan on DE(( .ne World /rade 4enter, built in its place "ain article# @istory of the United States ((DD(Qpresent) After the 4old War, the (DD2s sa& the longest economic eOpansion in modern U.S. history, ending in *22(.'(+*) .riginating in US defense net&orks, the %nternet spread to international academic net&orks, and then to the public in the (DD2s, ha=ing a great impact on the global economy, society, and culture.'(++) .n September ((, *22(, al Yaeda terrorists struck the World /rade 4enter in 1e& ;ork 4ity and the Pentagon near Washington, 5.4., killing nearly +,222 people.'(+<) %n response the United States launched the War on /error, &hich includes the ongoing &ar in Afghanistan and the *22+Q(( %raF War.'(+8)'(+B)'(+:)'(+6) %n *226, amid the !reat Aecession, the first African American president, 0arack .bama, &as elected.'(+D) !eography, climate, and en=ironment "ain articles# !eography of the United States, 4limate of the United States, and ,n=ironment of the United States

A composite satellite image of the contiguous United States and surrounding areas /he land area of the contiguous United States is *,D8D,2B< sFuare miles (:,BB+,D<( km*). Alaska, separated from the contiguous United States by 4anada, is the largest state at BB+,*B6 sFuare miles ((,:(:,68B km*). @a&aii, occupying an archipelago in the central Pacific, south&est of 1orth America, is (2,D+( sFuare miles (*6,+(( km*) in area.'(<2) /he United States is the &orldNs third or fourth largest nation by total area (land and &ater), ranking behind Aussia and 4anada and 3ust abo=e or belo& 4hina. /he ranking =aries depending on ho& t&o territories disputed by 4hina and %ndia are counted and ho& the total siCe of the United States is measured# calculations range from +,B:B,<6B sFuare miles (D,8**,288 km*)'(<() to +,:(:,6(+ sFuare miles (D,B*D,2D( km*)'(<*) to +,:D<,(2( sFuare miles (D,6*B,B:B km*).'<)

"easured by only land area, the United States is third in siCe behind Aussia and 4hina, 3ust ahead of 4anada.'(<+) /he coastal plain of the Atlantic seaboard gi=es &ay further inland to deciduous forests and the rolling hills of the Piedmont. /he Appalachian "ountains di=ide the eastern seaboard from the !reat -akes and the grasslands of the "id&est. /he "ississippiQ"issouri Ai=er, the &orldNs fourth longest ri=er system, runs mainly northQsouth through the heart of the country. /he flat, fertile prairie of the !reat Plains stretches to the &est, interrupted by a highland region in the southeast. /he Aocky "ountains, at the &estern edge of the !reat Plains, eOtend north to south across the country, reaching altitudes higher than (<,222 feet (<,+22 m) in 4olorado. Farther &est are the rocky !reat 0asin and deserts such as the 4hihuahua and "o3a=e. /he Sierra 1e=ada and 4ascade mountain ranges run close to the Pacific coast, both ranges reaching altitudes higher than (<,222 feet (<,+22 m). /he lo&est and highest points in the continental United States are in the state of 4alifornia, and only about 62 miles ((+2 km) apart. At *2,+*2 feet (B,(D< m), AlaskaNs "ount "cPinley is the tallest peak in the country and in 1orth America. Acti=e =olcanoes are common throughout AlaskaNs AleOander and Aleutian %slands, and @a&aii consists of =olcanic islands. /he super=olcano underlying ;ello&stone 1ational Park in the Aockies is the continentNs largest =olcanic feature.'(<<) /he United States, &ith its large siCe and geographic =ariety, includes most climate types. /o the east of the (22th meridian, the climate ranges from humid continental in the north to humid subtropical in the south. /he southern tip of Florida is tropical, as is @a&aii. /he !reat Plains &est of the (22th meridian are semi arid. "uch of the Western mountains are alpine. /he climate is arid in the !reat 0asin, desert in the South&est, "editerranean in coastal 4alifornia, and oceanic in coastal .regon and Washington and southern Alaska. "ost of Alaska is subarctic or polar. ,Otreme &eather is not uncommonRthe states bordering the !ulf of "eOico are prone to hurricanes, and most of the &orldNs tornadoes occur &ithin the country, mainly in the "id&estNs /ornado Alley.'(<8)

/he bald eagle has been the national bird of the United States since (:6*. /he U.S. ecology is considered $megadi=erse$# about (:,222 species of =ascular plants occur in the contiguous United States and Alaska, and o=er (,622 species of flo&ering plants are found in @a&aii, fe& of &hich occur on the mainland.'(<B) /he United States is home to more than <22 mammal, :82 bird, and 822 reptile and amphibian species.'(<:) About D(,222 insect species ha=e been described.'(<6) /he bald eagle is both the national bird and national animal of the United States, and is an enduring symbol of the country itself.'(<D) /here are 86 national parks and hundreds of other federally managed parks, forests, and &ilderness areas.'(82) Altogether, the go=ernment o&ns *6.6G of the countryNs land area.'(8() "ost of this is protected, though some is leased for oil and gas drilling, mining, logging, or cattle ranchingM *.<G is used for military purposes.'(8()'dead link)'(8*)'(8+) ,n=ironmental issues ha=e been on the national agenda since (D:2. ,n=ironmental contro=ersies include debates on oil and nuclear energy, dealing &ith air and &ater pollution, the economic costs of protecting &ildlife, logging and deforestation,'(8<)'(88) and international responses to global &arming.'(8B)'(8:) "any federal and state agencies are in=ol=ed. /he most prominent is the ,n=ironmental Protection Agency (,PA), created by presidential order in (D:2.'(86) /he idea of &ilderness has shaped the management of public lands since (DB<, &ith the Wilderness Act. '(8D) /he ,ndangered Species Act of (D:+ is intended to protect threatened and endangered species and their habitats, &hich are monitored by the United States Fish and Wildlife Ser=ice.

5emographics "ain articles# 5emographics of the United States, Americans, and -ist of United States cities by population Population

-argest ancestry groups by county, *222 AaceE,thnicity (as gi=en by the *2(2 4ensus)'(B2) 0y race# White :*.<G African American (*.BG Asian <.6G American %ndian and Alaska 1ati=e 2.DG 1ati=e @a&aiian and Pacific %slander 2.*G .ther B.*G "ultiracial (* or more) *.DG 0y ethnicity#'(B() @ispanicE-atino (of any race) (B.+G 1on @ispanicE-atino (of any race) 6+.:G /he U.S. 4ensus 0ureau estimates the countryNs population no& to be +(:,DB6,222,'8) including an approOimate ((.* million illegal immigrants.'(B*) /he U.S. population almost Fuadrupled during the *2th century, from about :B million in (D22.'(B+) /he third most populous nation in the &orld, after 4hina and %ndia, the United States is the only ma3or industrialiCed nation in &hich large population increases are pro3ected.'(B<) With a birth rate of (+ per (,222, +8G belo& the &orld a=erage, its population gro&th rate is positi=e at 2.DG, significantly higher than those of many de=eloped nations.'(B8) %n fiscal year *2(*, o=er one million immigrants (most of &hom entered through family reunification) &ere granted legal residence.'(BB) "eOico has been the leading source of ne& residents since the (DB8 %mmigration Act. 4hina, %ndia, and the Philippines ha=e been in the top four sending countries e=ery year.'(B:)'(B6) 1ine million Americans identify themsel=es as homoseOual, biseOual, or transgender.'(BD) A *2(2 sur=ey found that se=en percent of men and eight percent of &omen identified themsel=es as gay, lesbian, or biseOual.'(:2) /he United States has a =ery di=erse populationR+( ancestry groups ha=e more than one million members.'(:() White Americans are the largest racial groupM !erman Americans, %rish Americans, and ,nglish Americans constitute three of the countryNs four largest ancestry groups. '(:() 0lack Americans are the nationNs largest racial minority and third largest ancestry group. '(:() Asian Americans are the countryNs second largest racial minorityM the three largest Asian American ethnic groups are 4hinese Americans, Filipino Americans, and %ndian Americans.'(:() %n *2(2, the U.S. population included an estimated 8.* million people &ith some American %ndian or Alaska 1ati=e ancestry (*.D million eOclusi=ely of such ancestry) and (.* million &ith some nati=e @a&aiian or Pacific island ancestry (2.8 million eOclusi=ely).'(:*) /he census counted more than (D million people of $Some .ther Aace$ &ho &ere $unable to identify &ith any$ of its fi=e official race categories in *2(2.'(:*) /he population gro&th of @ispanic and -atino Americans (the terms are officially interchangeable) is a ma3or demographic trend. /he 82.8 million Americans of @ispanic descent'(:*) are identified as sharing a distinct $ethnicity$ by the 4ensus 0ureauM B<G of @ispanic Americans are of "eOican descent.'(:+) 0et&een *222 and *2(2, the countryNs @ispanic population increased <+G &hile the non @ispanic population rose 3ust <.DG.'(B2) "uch of this gro&th is from immigrationM in

*22:, (*.BG of the U.S. population &as foreign born, &ith 8<G of that figure born in -atin America.'(:<) Fertility is also a factorM in *2(2 the a=erage @ispanic (of any race) &oman ga=e birth to *.+8 children in her lifetime, compared to (.D: for non @ispanic black &omen and (.:D for non @ispanic &hite &omen (both belo& the replacement rate of *.().'(:8) "inorities (as defined by the 4ensus 0ureau as all those beside non @ispanic, non multiracial &hites) constituted +B.+G of the population in *2(2,'(:B) and o=er 82G of children under age one,'(::) and are pro3ected to constitute the ma3ority by *2<*.'(:6) /his contradicts the report by the 1ational >ital Statistics Aeports, based on the U.S. census data, &hich concludes that, 8<G (*,(B*,<2B out of +,DDD,+6B in *2(2) of births &ere non @ispanic &hite.'(:8) About 6*G of Americans li=e in urban areas (including suburbs)M'<) about half of those reside in cities &ith populations o=er 82,222.'(:D) %n *226, *:+ incorporated places had populations o=er (22,222, nine cities had more than one million residents, and four global cities had o=er t&o million (1e& ;ork 4ity, -os Angeles, 4hicago, and @ouston).'(62) /here are 8* metropolitan areas &ith populations greater than one million.'(6() .f the 82 fastest gro&ing metro areas, <: are in the West or South.'(6*) /he metro areas of 5allas, @ouston, Atlanta, and PhoeniO all gre& by more than a million people bet&een *222 and *226.'(6() -eading population centers (see complete list) Aank 4ore city (cities)"etro area population 1e& ;ork 4ity 1e& ;ork 4ity -os Angeles -os Angeles 4hicago 4hicago ( 1e& ;ork 4ity (D,2(8,D22 1e& ;ork 1e&ark ?ersey 4ity, 1; 1? PA "SA 1ortheast * -os Angeles (*,D<<,62( -os AngelesQ-ong 0eachQSanta Ana, 4A "SA West + 4hicago D,82<,:8+ 4hicagoQ?olietQ1aper=ille, %-Q%1QW% "SA "id&est < 5allasQFort Worth B,8*B,8<6 5allasQFort WorthQArlington, /Z "SA South 8 @ouston B,26B,8+6 @oustonQ/he Woodlands Sugar -and "SA South B Philadelphia 8,DD*,<(< PhiladelphiaQ4amdenQWilmington, PAQ1?Q5,Q"5 "SA 1ortheast : Washington, 5.4. 8,:2+,D<6 Washington, 54Q>AQ"5QW> "SA 1ortheast 6 "iami 8,B:2,(*8 "iamiQFort -auderdaleQPompano 0each, F- "SA South D Atlanta 8,+8D,*28 AtlantaQSandy SpringsQ"arietta, !A "SA South (2 0oston <,8D(,((* 0ostonQ4ambridgeQYuincy, "AQ1@ "SA 1ortheast (( San Francisco <,+D(,2+: San FranciscoQ.aklandQFremont, 4A "SA West (* San 0ernardino Ai=erside <,+2<,DD: San 0ernandinoQAi=ersideQ.ntario, 4A "SA West (+ 5etroit <,*68,6+* 5etroitQWarrenQ-i=onia, "% "SA "id&est (< PhoeniO <,*B+,*+B PhoeniOQ"esaQ!lendale, A[ "SA West (8 Seattle +,822,2*B SeattleQ/acomaQ0elle=ue, WA "SA West (B "inneapolisQSt. Paul +,+(6,<6B "inneapolisQSt. PaulQ0loomington, "1QW% "SA "id&est (: San 5iego +,(<2,2BD San 5iegoQ4arlsbadQSan "arcos, 4A "SA West (6 /ampaQSt. Petersburg *,6*<,:*< /ampaQSt. PetersburgQ4lear&ater, F- "SA South =ie& talk edit "etropolitan Statistical Area

Aegion'(6+)

(D

St. -ouis *,6(:,+88 St. -ouisQSt. 4harlesQFarmington, ".Q%- "SA "id&est *2 0altimore *,:*D,((2 0altimoreQ/o&son, "5 "SA 1ortheast based upon *2(( population estimates from the U.S. 4ensus 0ureau'(6<)

-anguage -anguages spoken by more than (,222,222 in the U.S. as of *2(2'(68) -anguage Percent of population 1umber of speakers ,nglish 62G *++,:62,++6 4ombined total of all languages other than ,nglish *2G 8:,2<6,B(: Spanish (eOcluding Puerto Aico and Spanish 4reole) (*G +8,<+:,D68 4hinese (including 4antonese and "andarin) 2.DG *,8B:,::D /agalog2.8G (,8<*,((6 >ietnamese 2.<G (,*D*,<<6 French 2.<G (,*66,6++ Porean 2.<G (,(26,<26 !erman 2.<G (,(2:,6BD "ain article# -anguages of the United States See also# -anguage Spoken at @ome and -ist of endangered languages in the United States ,nglish (American ,nglish) is the de facto national language. Although there is no official language at the federal le=el, some la&sRsuch as U.S. naturaliCation reFuirementsRstandardiCe ,nglish. %n *2(2, about *+2 million, or 62G of the population aged fi=e years and older, spoke only ,nglish at home. Spanish, spoken by (*G of the population at home, is the second most common language and the most &idely taught second language.'(6B)'(6:) Some Americans ad=ocate making ,nglish the countryNs official language, as it is in at least *6 states.'D) 0oth @a&aiian and ,nglish are official languages in @a&aii, by state la&.'(66) While neither has an official language, 1e& "eOico has la&s pro=iding for the use of both ,nglish and Spanish, as -ouisiana does for ,nglish and French.'(6D) .ther states, such as 4alifornia, mandate the publication of Spanish =ersions of certain go=ernment documents including court forms.'(D2) "any 3urisdictions &ith large numbers of non ,nglish speakers produce go=ernment materials, especially =oting information, in the most commonly spoken languages in those 3urisdictions. Se=eral insular territories grant official recognition to their nati=e languages, along &ith ,nglish# Samoan and 4hamorro are recogniCed by American Samoa and !uam, respecti=elyM'citation needed) 4arolinian and 4hamorro are recogniCed by the 1orthern "ariana %slandsM'citation needed) Spanish is an official language of Puerto Aico and is more &idely spoken than ,nglish there.'(D() Aeligion "ain article# Aeligion in the United States See also# @istory of religion in the United States, Freedom of religion in the United States, Separation of church and state in the United States, and -ist of religious mo=ements that began in the United States Aeligious affiliation in the U.S. (*2(*)'(D*) Affiliation G of U.S. population 4hristian :+

Protestant 4atholic "ormon

<6 ** * (

,astern .rthodoO .ther Faith Unaffiliated B (D.B

5onNt kno&Erefused ans&er /otal (22

/he First Amendment of the U.S. 4onstitution guarantees the free eOercise of religion and forbids 4ongress from passing la&s respecting its establishment. 4hristianity is by far the most common religion practiced in the U.S., but other religions are follo&ed, too. %n a *2(+ sur=ey, 8BG of Americans said that religion played a $=ery important role in their li=es$, a far higher figure than that of any other &ealthy nation.'(D+) %n a *22D !allup poll <*G of Americans said that they attended church &eekly or almost &eeklyM the figures ranged from a lo& of *+G in >ermont to a high of B+G in "ississippi.'(D<) As &ith other Western countries, the U.S. is becoming less religious. %rreligion is gro&ing rapidly among Americans under +2.'(D8) Polls sho& that o=erall American confidence in organiCed religion is declining,'(DB) and that younger Americans in particular are becoming increasingly irreligious.'(D:) According to a *2(* sur=ey, :+G of adults identified themsel=es as 4hristian,'(D6) do&n from 6B.<G in (DD2.'(DD) Protestant denominations accounted for <6G, &hile Aoman 4atholicism, at **G, &as the largest indi=idual denomination.'(D6) /he total reporting non 4hristian religions in *2(* &as BG, up from <G in *22:.'(D6) .ther religions include ?udaism ((.:G), 0uddhism (2.:G), %slam (2.BG), @induism (2.<G), and Unitarian Uni=ersalism (2.+G).'(D6) /he sur=ey also reported that (D.BG of Americans described themsel=es as agnostic, atheist or simply ha=ing no religion, up from 6.*G in (DD2.'(D6)'(DD)'*22) /here are also 0ahaNi, Sikh, ?ain, Shinto, 4onfucian, /aoist, 5ruid, 1ati=e American, Wiccan, humanist and deist communities.'*2() Protestantism is the largest group of religions in the United States, &ith 0aptists being the largest Protestant sect, and the Southern 0aptist 4on=ention being the largest Protestant denomination in the U.S. About (D percent of Protestants are ,=angelical, &hile (8 percent are mainline and 6 percent belong to a traditionally 0lack church. Aoman 4atholicism in the U.S. has its origin in the Spanish and French coloniCation of the Americas, and later gre& due to %rish, %talian, Polish, !erman and @ispanic immigration. Ahode %sland is the only state &here the ma3ority of the population is 4atholic. -utheranism in the U.S. has its origin in immigration from 1orthern ,urope. 1orth and South 5akota are the only states in &hich a plurality of the population is -utheran. Utah is the only state &here "ormonism is the religion of the ma3ority of the population. "ormonism is also relati=ely common in parts of %daho, 1e=ada and Wyoming. /he 0ible 0elt is an informal term for a region in the Southern United States in &hich socially conser=ati=e e=angelical Protestantism is a significant part of the culture and 4hristian church attendance across the denominations is generally higher than the nationNs a=erage. 0y contrast, religion plays the least important role in 1e& ,ngland and in the Western United States.'(D<) Family structure "ain article# Family structure in the United States %n *22:, 86G of Americans age (6 and o=er &ere married, BG &ere &ido&ed, (2G &ere

di=orced, and *8G had ne=er been married.'*2*) Women no& &ork mostly outside the home and recei=e a ma3ority of bachelorNs degrees.'*2+) /he U.S. teenage pregnancy rate, :D.6 per (,222 &omen, is the highest among .,45 nations. '*2<) 0et&een *22: and *2(2, the highest teenage birth rate &as in "ississippi, and the lo&est in 1e& @ampshire.'*28) Abortion is legal throughout the U.S., o&ing to Aoe =. Wade, a (D:+ landmark decision by the United States Supreme 4ourt. While the abortion rate is falling, the abortion ratio of *<( per (,222 li=e births and abortion rate of (8 per (,222 &omen aged (8Q<< remain higher than those of most Western nations.'*2B) %n *2((, the a=erage age at first birth &as *8.B and <2.:G of births &ere to unmarried &omen.'*2:) /he total fertility rate (/FA) &as estimated for *2(+ at *.2B births per &oman.'*26) Adoption in the United States is common and relati=ely easy from a legal point of =ie& (compared to other Western countries).'*2D) %n *22(, &ith o=er (*:,222 adoptions, the U.S. accounted for nearly half of the total number of adoptions &orld&ide.'*(2) Same seO marriage is legally performed in (B U.S. states, 6 1ati=e American /ribal ?urisdictions, the 5istrict of 4olumbia, and 4ook 4ounty, %llinois. Same seO marriage &as performed in Utah but the United States Supreme 4ourt issued a stay and same seO marriages are not currently performed in the state &hile the (2th 4ircuit 4ourt of Appeals in 5en=er considers the case.'*(() Same seO marriage &as also briefly performed in "ichigan until a temporary stay &as issued. .regon recogniCes same seO marriage performed in other 3urisdictions. A federal 3udge in .hio recogniCed out of state marriages for death certificate purposes only.'*(*) 4olorado recogniCes same seO marriage for 3oint taO filling purposes only.'*(+) %llinois has legaliCed same seO marriage but it has not yet gone into effect. Same seO marriage is currently legal in %llinois for same seO couples in &hich at least one of them is terminally ill.'*(<) Same seO marriage in %llinois is also legal in select counties. Polygamy is illegal throughout the U.S.'*(8) !o=ernment and politics "ain articles# Federal go=ernment of the United States, state go=ernments of the United States, and elections in the United States U.S. 4apitol, &here 4ongress sits# the Senate, leftM the @ouse, right /he White @ouse, home of the U.S. President Supreme 4ourt 0uilding, &here the nationNs highest court sits /he United States is the &orldNs oldest sur=i=ing federation. %t is a constitutional republic and representati=e democracy, $in &hich ma3ority rule is tempered by minority rights protected by la&$. '*(B) /he go=ernment is regulated by a system of checks and balances defined by the U.S. 4onstitution, &hich ser=es as the countryNs supreme legal document.'*(:) For *2(*, the U.S. ranked *(st on the 5emocracy %ndeO'*(6) and (Dth on the 4orruption Perceptions %ndeO.'*(D) %n the American federalist system, citiCens are usually sub3ect to three le=els of go=ernment# federal, state, and local. /he local go=ernmentNs duties are commonly split bet&een county and municipal go=ernments. %n almost all cases, eOecuti=e and legislati=e officials are elected by a plurality =ote of citiCens by district. /here is no proportional representation at the federal le=el, and it is =ery rare at lo&er le=els.

Political system of the United States /he federal go=ernment is composed of three branches#

-egislati=e# /he bicameral 4ongress, made up of the Senate and the @ouse of Aepresentati=es, makes federal la&, declares &ar, appro=es treaties, has the po&er of the purse,'**2) and has the po&er of impeachment, by &hich it can remo=e sitting members of the go=ernment.'**() ,Oecuti=e# /he president is the commander in chief of the military, can =eto legislati=e bills before they become la& (sub3ect to 4ongressional o=erride), and appoints the members of the 4abinet (sub3ect to Senate appro=al) and other officers, &ho administer and enforce federal la&s and policies.'***) ?udicial# /he Supreme 4ourt and lo&er federal courts, &hose 3udges are appointed by the president &ith Senate appro=al, interpret la&s and o=erturn those they find unconstitutional. /he @ouse of Aepresentati=es has <+8 =oting members, each representing a congressional district for a t&o year term. @ouse seats are apportioned among the states by population e=ery tenth year. At the *2(2 census, se=en states had the minimum of one representati=e, &hile 4alifornia, the most populous state, had 8+.'**+) /he Senate has (22 members &ith each state ha=ing t&o senators, elected at large to siO year termsM one third of Senate seats are up for election e=ery other year. /he president ser=es a four year term and may be elected to the office no more than t&ice. /he president is not elected by direct =ote, but by an indirect electoral college system in &hich the determining =otes are apportioned to the states and the 5istrict of 4olumbia.'**<) /he Supreme 4ourt, led by the 4hief ?ustice of the United States, has nine members, &ho ser=e for life.'**8) /he state go=ernments are structured in roughly similar fashionM 1ebraska uniFuely has a unicameral legislature.'**B) /he go=ernor (chief eOecuti=e) of each state is directly elected. Some state 3udges and cabinet officers are appointed by the go=ernors of the respecti=e states, &hile others are elected by popular =ote. /he original teOt of the 4onstitution establishes the structure and responsibilities of the federal go=ernment and its relationship &ith the indi=idual states. Article .ne protects the right to the $great &rit$ of habeas corpus, /he 4onstitution has been amended *: timesM'**:) the first (2 amendments, &hich make up the 0ill of Aights, and the Fourteenth Amendment form the central basis of AmericansN indi=idual rights. All la&s and go=ernmental procedures are sub3ect to 3udicial re=ie& and any la& ruled by the courts to be in =iolation of the 4onstitution is =oided. /he principle of 3udicial re=ie&, not eOplicitly mentioned in the 4onstitution, &as established by the Supreme 4ourt in "arbury =. "adison ((62+)'**6) in a decision handed do&n by 4hief ?ustice ?ohn "arshall.'**D) Political di=isions "ain articles# Political di=isions of the United States, U.S. state, /erritories of the United States, and -ist of states and territories of the United States Further information# /erritorial e=olution of the United States and United States territorial acFuisitions /he United States is a federal union of 82 states. /he original (+ states &ere the successors of the (+ colonies that rebelled against 0ritish rule. ,arly in the countryNs history, three ne& states &ere organiCed on territory separated from the claims of the eOisting states# Pentucky from >irginiaM /ennessee from 1orth 4arolinaM and "aine from "assachusetts. "ost of the other states ha=e been car=ed from territories obtained through &ar or purchase by the U.S. go=ernment. .ne set of eOceptions includes >ermont, /eOas, and @a&aii# each &as an independent republic before 3oining the union. 5uring the American 4i=il War, West >irginia broke a&ay from >irginia. /he most recent stateR@a&aiiRachie=ed statehood on August *(, (D8D.'*+2) /he states do not ha=e the right to unilaterally secede from the union. /he states compose the =ast bulk of the U.S. land mass. /he 5istrict of 4olumbia is a federal district &hich contains the capital of the United States, Washington 5.4. /he United States also possesses fi=e ma3or o=erseas territories# Puerto Aico and the United States >irgin %slands in the 4aribbeanM and American Samoa, !uam, and the 1orthern "ariana %slands in the Pacific.'*+()

/hose born in the ma3or territories are birthright U.S. citiCens eOcept Samoans. Samoans born in American Samoa are born U.S. nationals, and may become naturaliCed citiCens.'*+*) American citiCens residing in the territories ha=e fundamental constitutional protections and electi=e self go=ernment, &ith a territorial "ember of 4ongress, but they do not =ote for president as states. /erritories ha=e personal and business taO regimes different from that of states.'*++) /he United States also obser=es tribal so=ereignty of the 1ati=e 1ations. /hough reser=ations are &ithin state borders, the reser=ation is a so=ereign entity. While the United States recogniCes this so=ereignty, other countries may not.'*+<) "ap of USA &ith state names *.s=g About this image

'sho&)Statehood Parties and elections "ain articles# Politics of the United States and Political ideologies in the United States

(from left to right) @ouse "a3ority -eader ,ric 4antor, @ouse "inority -eader 1ancy Pelosi, @ouse Speaker ?ohn 0oehner, President 0arack .bama, Senate "a3ority -eader @arry Aeid, Senate "inority -eader "itch "c4onnell at the White @ouse in *2(( /he United States has operated under a t&o party system for most of its history.'*+8) For electi=e offices at most le=els, state administered primary elections choose the ma3or party nominees for subseFuent general elections. Since the general election of (68B, the ma3or parties ha=e been the 5emocratic Party, founded in (6*<, and the Aepublican Party, founded in (68<. Since the 4i=il War, only one third party presidential candidateRformer president /heodore Aoose=elt, running as a Progressi=e in (D(*Rhas &on as much as *2G of the popular =ote. /he third largest political party is the -ibertarian Party. Within American political culture, the Aepublican Party is considered center right or conser=ati=e and the 5emocratic Party is considered center left or liberal.'*+B) /he states of the 1ortheast and West 4oast and some of the !reat -akes states, kno&n as $blue states$, are relati=ely liberal. /he $red states$ of the South and parts of the !reat Plains and Aocky "ountains are relati=ely conser=ati=e. /he &inner of the *226 and *2(* presidential elections, 5emocrat 0arack .bama, is the <<th U.S. president. %n the ((+th United States 4ongress, the @ouse of Aepresentati=es is controlled by the Aepublican Party, &hile the 5emocratic Party has control of the Senate. /he Senate currently consists of 8* 5emocrats, t&o independents &ho caucus &ith the 5emocrats, and <B AepublicansM the @ouse consists of *+< Aepublicans and *2( 5emocrats.'*+:) /here are +2 Aepublican and *2 5emocratic state go=ernors.'*+6) Since the founding of the United States until *222s, the countryNs go=ernance has been primarily dominated by White Anglo SaOon Protestants (WASPs). @o&e=er, the situation has changed recently and of the top (: positions (four national candidates of the t&o ma3or party in the *2(* U.S. presidential election, four leaders in ((*th United States 4ongress, and nine Supreme 4ourt ?ustices) there is only one WASP.'*+D)'*<2)'*<()

/he United 1ations @eadFuarters has been situated in "idto&n "anhattan since (D8*. Foreign relations "ain articles# Foreign relations of the United States and Foreign policy of the United States See also# 4o=ert United States foreign regime change actions /he United States has an established structure of foreign relations. %t is a permanent member of the United 1ations Security 4ouncil, and 1e& ;ork 4ity is home to the United 1ations @eadFuarters. %t is a member of the !6,'*<*) !*2, and .rganisation for ,conomic 4o operation and 5e=elopment. Almost all countries ha=e embassies in Washington, 5.4., and many ha=e consulates around the country. -ike&ise, nearly all nations host American diplomatic missions. @o&e=er, 4uba, %ran, 1orth Porea, 0hutan, and the Aepublic of 4hina (/ai&an) do not ha=e formal diplomatic relations &ith the United States (although the U.S. still supplies /ai&an &ith military eFuipment). /he United States has a $special relationship$ &ith the United Pingdom'*<+) and strong ties &ith 4anada,'*<<) Australia,'*<8) 1e& [ealand,'*<B) the Philippines,'*<:) ?apan,'*<6) South Porea, '*<D) %srael,'*82) and se=eral ,uropean countries, including France and !ermany. %t &orks closely &ith fello& 1A/. members on military and security issues and &ith its neighbors through the .rganiCation of American States and free trade agreements such as the trilateral 1orth American Free /rade Agreement &ith 4anada and "eOico. %n *226, the United States spent a net H*8.< billion on official de=elopment assistance, the most in the &orld. As a share of AmericaNs large gross national income (!1%), ho&e=er, the U.S. contribution of 2.(6G ranked last among ** donor states. 0y contrast, pri=ate o=erseas gi=ing by Americans is relati=ely generous.'*8() /he U.S. eOercises full international defense authority and responsibility for three so=ereign nations through 4ompact of Free Association &ith "icronesia, the "arshall %slands and Palau, all of &hich are Pacific island nations &hich &ere part of the U.S. administered /rust /erritory of the Pacific %slands beginning after World War %%, and gained independence in subseFuent years. !o=ernment finance See also# /aOation in the United States and United States federal budget /aOes are le=ied in the United States at the federal, state and local go=ernment le=el. /hese include taOes on income, payroll, property, sales, imports, estates and gifts, as &ell as =arious fees. %n *2(2 taOes collected by federal, state and municipal go=ernments amounted to *<.6G of !5P.'*8*) 5uring F;*2(*, the federal go=ernment collected approOimately H*.<8 trillion in taO re=enue, up H(<: billion or BG =ersus F;*2(( re=enues of H*.+2 trillion. Primary receipt categories included indi=idual income taOes (H(,(+*0 or <:G), Social SecurityESocial %nsurance taOes (H6<80 or +8G), and corporate taOes (H*<*0 or (2G).'*8+) U.S. taOation is generally progressi=e, especially the federal income taOes, and is among the most progressi=e in the de=eloped &orld,'*8<)'*88)'*8B)'*8:)'*86) but the incidence of corporate income taO has been a matter of considerable ongoing contro=ersy for decades.'*8D)'*B2)'*B() '*B*) %n *22D the top (2G of earners, &ith +BG of the nationNs income, paid :6.*G of the federal personal income taO burden, &hile the bottom <2G had a negati=e liability.'*8:) @o&e=er, payroll taOes for Social Security are a flat regressi=e taO, &ith no taO charged on income abo=e H((+,:22 and no taO at all paid on unearned income from things such as stocks and capital gains.'*B+)'*B<) /he historic reasoning for the regressi=e nature of the payroll taO is that entitlement programs ha=e not been =ie&ed as &elfare transfers.'*B8)'*BB) /he top (2G paid 8(.6G of total federal taOes in *22D, and the top (G, &ith (+.<G of pre taO national income, paid **.+G of federal taOes.'*8:) %n *2(+ the /aO Policy 4enter pro3ected total federal effecti=e taO rates of +8.8G for the top (G, *:.*G for the top Fuintile, (+.6G for the middle Fuintile, and J*.:G for the bottom Fuintile.'*B:)'*B6) State and local taOes =ary &idely, but are generally less progressi=e than federal taOes as they rely hea=ily on broadly borne regressi=e sales and property taOes that yield less =olatile re=enue streams, though their consideration does not eliminate the progressi=e nature of o=erall taOation.'*88)'*BD)

5uring F; *2(*, the federal go=ernment spent H+.8< trillion on a budget or cash basis, do&n HB2 billion or (.:G =s. F; *2(( spending of H+.B2 trillion. "a3or categories of F; *2(* spending included# "edicare V "edicaid (H62*0 or *+G of spending), Social Security (H:B60 or **G), 5efense 5epartment (HB:20 or (DG), non defense discretionary (HB(80 or (:G), other mandatory (H<B(0 or (+G) and interest (H**+0 or BG).'*8+) Public debt "ain article# 1ational debt of the United States

US federal debt held by the public as a percentage of !5P, from (:D2 to *2(+ %n "arch *2(+, U.S. federal go=ernment debt held by the public &as approOimately H((.666 trillion, or about :8G of U.S. !5P. %ntra go=ernmental holdings stood at H<.6B( trillion, gi=ing a combined total debt of H(B.:<D trillion.'*:2)'*:() 0y *2(*, total federal debt had surpassed (22G of U.S. !5P.'*:*) /he U.S. has a credit rating of AAK from Standard V PoorNs, AAA from Fitch, and Aaa from "oodyNs.'*:+) @istorically, the U.S. public debt as a share of !5P increased during &ars and recessions, and subseFuently declined. For eOample, debt held by the public as a share of !5P peaked 3ust after World War %% (((+G of !5P in (D<8), but then fell o=er the follo&ing +2 years. %n recent decades, large budget deficits and the resulting increases in debt ha=e led to concern about the long term sustainability of the federal go=ernmentNs fiscal policies.'*:<) @o&e=er, these concerns are not uni=ersally shared.'*:8) "ilitary "ain article# United States Armed Forces /he president holds the title of commander in chief of the nationNs armed forces and appoints its leaders, the Secretary of 5efense and the ?oint 4hiefs of Staff. /he United States 5epartment of 5efense administers the armed forces, including the Army, 1a=y, "arine 4orps, and Air Force. /he 4oast !uard is run by the 5epartment of @omeland Security in peacetime and by the 5epartment of the 1a=y during times of &ar. %n *226, the armed forces had (.< million personnel on acti=e duty. /he Aeser=es and 1ational !uard brought the total number of troops to *.+ million. /he 5epartment of 5efense also employed about :22,222 ci=ilians, not including contractors.'*:B)

/he carrier strike groups of the Pitty @a&k, Aonald Aeagan, and Abraham -incoln &ith aircraft from the "arine 4orps, 1a=y, and Air Force. "ilitary ser=ice is =oluntary, though conscription may occur in &artime through the Selecti=e Ser=ice System.'*::) American forces can be rapidly deployed by the Air ForceNs large fleet of transport aircraft, the 1a=yNs (2 acti=e aircraft carriers, and "arine ,Opeditionary Units at sea &ith the 1a=yNs Atlantic and Pacific fleets. /he military operates 6B8 bases and facilities abroad,'*:6) and maintains deployments greater than (22 acti=e duty personnel in *8 foreign countries.'*:D) /he eOtent of this global military presence has prompted some scholars to describe the United States as maintaining an $empire of bases$.'*62) /he "ilitary budget of the United States in *2((, &as more than H:22 billion, <(G of global military spending and eFual to the neOt (< largest national military eOpenditures combined. At <.:G of !5P, the rate &as the second highest among the top (8 military spenders, after Saudi Arabia.'*6() U.S. defense spending as a percentage of !5P ranked *+rd globally in *2(* according to the 4%A.'*6*) 5efenseNs share of U.S. spending has generally declined in recent decades, from 4old War peaks of (<.*G of !5P in (D8+ and BD.8G of federal outlays in (D8< to <.:G of !5P and (6.6G of federal outlays in *2((.'*6+)

/he proposed base 5epartment of 5efense budget for *2(*, H88+ billion, &as a <.*G increase o=er *2((M an additional H((6 billion &as proposed for the military campaigns in %raF and Afghanistan.'*6<) /he last American troops ser=ing in %raF departed in 5ecember *2((M'*68) <,<6< ser=icemen &ere killed during the %raF War.'*6B) ApproOimately D2,222 U.S. troops &ere ser=ing in Afghanistan in April *2(*M'*6:) by 1o=ember 6, *2(+ *,*68 had been killed during the War in Afghanistan.'*66) 4rime and la& enforcement "ain articles# -a& enforcement in the United States and 4rime in the United States See also# -a& of the United States, %ncarceration in the United States, 4apital punishment in the United States, and Second Amendment to the United States 4onstitution

-a& enforcement in the U.S. is maintained primarily by local police departments. /he 1e& ;ork 4ity Police 5epartment (1;P5) is the largest in the country.'*6D) -a& enforcement in the United States is primarily the responsibility of local police and sheriffNs departments, &ith state police pro=iding broader ser=ices. Federal agencies such as the Federal 0ureau of %n=estigation (F0%) and the U.S. "arshals Ser=ice ha=e specialiCed duties.'*D2) At the federal le=el and in almost e=ery state, 3urisprudence operates on a common la& system. State courts conduct most criminal trialsM federal courts handle certain designated crimes as &ell as certain appeals from the state criminal courts. Plea bargaining in the United States is =ery commonM the =ast ma3ority of criminal cases in the country are settled by plea bargain rather than 3ury trial.'*D()'*D*) %n *2(* there &ere <.: murders per (22,222 persons in the United States, a 8<G decline from the modern peak of (2.* in (D62.'*D+)'*D<)'*D8) Among de=eloped nations, the United States has abo=e a=erage le=els of =iolent crime and particularly high le=els of gun =iolence and homicide. '*DB) A cross sectional analysis of the World @ealth .rganiCation "ortality 5atabase from *22+ sho&ed that United States $homicide rates &ere B.D times higher than rates in the other high income countries, dri=en by firearm homicide rates that &ere (D.8 times higher.$'*D:) !un o&nership rights continue to be the sub3ect of contentious political debate. 4apital punishment is sanctioned in the United States for certain federal and military crimes, and used in +* states.'*D6) 1o eOecutions took place from (DB: to (D::, o&ing in part to a U.S. Supreme 4ourt ruling striking do&n arbitrary imposition of the death penalty. %n (D:B, that 4ourt ruled that, under appropriate circumstances, capital punishment may constitutionally be imposed. Since the decision there ha=e been more than (,+22 eOecutions, a ma3ority of these taking place in three states# /eOas, >irginia, and .klahoma.'*DD) "ean&hile, se=eral states ha=e either abolished or struck do&n death penalty la&s. %n *2(2, the country had the fifth highest number of eOecutions in the &orld, follo&ing 4hina, %ran, 1orth Porea, and ;emen.'+22) /he United States has the highest documented incarceration rate and total prison population in the &orld.'+2()'+2*) At the start of *226, more than *.+ million people &ere incarcerated, more than one in e=ery (22 adults.'+2+) /he prison population has Fuadrupled since (D62.'+2<) African American males are 3ailed at about siO times the rate of &hite males and three times the rate of @ispanic males.'+28) /he countryNs high rate of incarceration is largely due to changes in sentencing guidelines and drug policies.'+2B) %n *226, -ouisiana had the highest incarceration rate, and "aine the lo&est.'+2:) %n *2(*, -ouisiana had the highest rate of murder and non negligent manslaughter in the U.S., and 1e& @ampshire the lo&est.'+26) ,conomy "ain article# ,conomy of the United States ,conomic indicators

1ominal !5P (B.:DD trillion (Y< *2(+)'+2D) Aeal !5P gro&th +.*G (Y< *2(+, annualiCed) *.*G (*2(*) '+(2) 4P% inflation *.2G (February *2(* Q February *2(+) '+(() ,mployment to population ratio 86.8G ("arch *2(+) '+(*) Unemployment B.:G (5ecember *2(+) '+(+) -abor force participation rate B+.+G ("arch *2(+) '+(<) Po=erty (8.(G (*2(2) '+(8) Public debt H(B.:+6 trillion (Y+ *2(+) '+(B) @ousehold net &orth H::.+ trillion (Y+ *2(+) '+(:)

United States eOport treemap (*2(()# /he US is the &orldNs second largest eOporter. /he United States has a capitalist miOed economy &hich is fueled by abundant natural resources and high producti=ity.'+(6) According to the %nternational "onetary Fund, the U.S. !5P of H(B.6 trillion constitutes **G of the gross &orld product at market eOchange rates and o=er (DG of the gross &orld product at purchasing po&er parity (PPP).'B) /hough larger than any other nationNs, its national !5P &as about 8G smaller at PPP in *2(( than the ,uropean UnionNs, &hose population is around B*G higher.'+(D) From (D6+ to *226, U.S. real compounded annual !5P gro&th &as +.+G, compared to a *.+G &eighted a=erage for the rest of the !:.'+*2) /he country ranks ninth in the &orld in nominal !5P per capita and siOth in !5P per capita at PPP.'B) /he U.S. dollar is the &orldNs primary reser=e currency.'+*() /he United States is the largest importer of goods and second largest eOporter, though eOports per capita are relati=ely lo&. %n *2(2, the total U.S. trade deficit &as HB+8 billion.'+**) 4anada, 4hina, "eOico, ?apan, and !ermany are its top trading partners.'+*+) %n *2(2, oil &as the largest import commodity, &hile transportation eFuipment &as the countryNs largest eOport.'+**) 4hina is the largest foreign holder of U.S. public debt.'+*<) %n *22D, the pri=ate sector &as estimated to constitute 6B.<G of the economy, &ith federal go=ernment acti=ity accounting for <.+G and state and local go=ernment acti=ity (including federal transfers) the remaining D.+G.'+*8) While its economy has reached a postindustrial le=el of de=elopment and its ser=ice sector constitutes B:.6G of !5P, the United States remains an industrial po&er.'+*B) /he leading business field by gross business receipts is &holesale and retail tradeM by net income it is manufacturing.'+*:) 4hemical products are the leading manufacturing field.'+*6) /he United States is the third largest producer of oil in the &orld, as &ell as its largest importer.'+*D) %t is the &orldNs number one producer of electrical and nuclear energy, as &ell as liFuid natural gas, sulfur, phosphates, and salt. While agriculture accounts for 3ust under (G of !5P,'+*B) the United States is the &orldNs top producer of corn'++2) and soybeans.'++() /he 1ational Agricultural Statistics Ser=ice maintains agricultural statistics for products that includeM peanuts, .ats, Aye, Wheat, Aice, 4otton, corn, barley, hay, sunflo&ers, and oilseeds. %n addition, the United States 5epartment of Agriculture (US5A) pro=ides li=estock statistics regarding beef, poultry, pork, along &ith dairy products. /he 1ational "ining Association pro=ides data pertaining to coal and minerals that includeM beryllium, copper, lead, magnesium, Cinc, titanium and others.'++*)'+++) %n the franchising business model, "c5onaldNs and Sub&ay are the t&o most recogniCed brands in the &orld. 4oca 4ola is the most recogniCed soft drink company in the &orld.'++<) 4onsumer spending comprises :(G of the U.S. economy in *2(+.'++8) %n August *2(2, the American labor force consisted of (8<.( million people. With *(.* million people, go=ernment is the leading field of employment. /he largest pri=ate employment sector is health care and social assistance, &ith (B.< million people. About (*G of &orkers are unioniCed, compared to +2G in Western ,urope.'++B) /he World 0ank ranks the United States first in the ease of hiring and firing &orkers.'++:) /he United States is the only ad=anced economy that does not guarantee its

&orkers paid =acation'++6) and is one of 3ust a fe& countries in the &orld &ithout paid family lea=e as a legal right, &ith the others being Papua 1e& !uinea, Suriname and -iberia.'++D) %n *22D, the United States had the third highest labor producti=ity per person in the &orld, behind -uOembourg and 1or&ay. %t &as fourth in producti=ity per hour, behind those t&o countries and the 1etherlands.'+<2) /he *226 *2(* global recession had a significant impact on the United States, &ith output still belo& potential according to the 4ongressional 0udget .ffice.'+<() %t brought high unemployment (&hich has been decreasing but remains abo=e pre recession le=els), along &ith lo& consumer confidence, the continuing decline in home =alues and increase in foreclosures and personal bankruptcies, an escalating federal debt crisis, inflation, and rising petroleum and food prices. /here remains a record proportion of long term unemployed, continued decreasing household income, and taO and federal budget increases.'+<*)'+<+)'+<<) A *2(( poll found that more than half of all Americans think the U.S. is still in recession or e=en depression, despite official data that sho&s a historically modest reco=ery.'+<8) %ncome, po=erty and &ealth

Producti=ity and Aeal "edian Family %ncome !ro&th (D<:Q*22D

A tract housing de=elopment in San ?ose, 4alifornia Further information# %ncome in the United States, Po=erty in the United States, and Affluence in the United States Americans ha=e the highest a=erage household and employee income among .,45 nations, and in *22: had the second highest median household income.'*<)'+<B) According to the 4ensus 0ureau real median household income &as H82,82* in *2((, do&n from H8(,(<< in *2(2.'+<:) /he !lobal Food Security %ndeO ranked the U.S. number one for food affordability and o=erall food security in "arch *2(+.'+<6) Americans on a=erage ha=e o=er t&ice as much li=ing space per d&elling and per person as ,uropean Union residents, and more than e=ery ,U nation.'+<D) Wealth, like income and taOes, is highly concentratedM the richest (2G of the adult population possesses :*G of the countryNs household &ealth, &hile the bottom half claim only *G.'+82) /his is the second highest share among de=eloped nations.'+8() %n *2(+ the United 1ations 5e=elopment Programme ranked the United States (Bth among (+* countries on its ineFuality ad3usted human de=elopment indeO (%@5%), (+ places lo&er than in the standard @5%.'+8*) /here has been a &idening gap bet&een producti=ity and median incomes since the (D:2s.'+8+) While inflation ad3usted ($real$) household income had been increasing almost e=ery year from (D<: to (DDD, it has since been flat and e=en decreased recently.'+8<) /he rise in the share of total annual income recei=ed by the top ( percent, &hich has more than doubled from D percent in (D:B to *2 percent in *2((, has had a significant impact on income ineFuality,'+88) lea=ing the United States &ith one of the &idest income distributions among .,45 nations.'+8B)'+8:)'+86) /he post recession income gains ha=e been =ery une=en, &ith the top ( percent capturing D8 percent of the income gains from *22D to *2(*.'+8D) 0et&een ?une *22: and 1o=ember *226 the global recession led to falling asset prices around the &orld. Assets o&ned by Americans lost about a Fuarter of their =alue.'+B2) Since peaking in the second Fuarter of *22:, household &ealth is do&n H(< trillion.'+B() At the end of *226, household debt amounted to H(+.6 trillion.'+B*) /here &ere about B<+,222 sheltered and unsheltered homeless persons in the U.S. in ?anuary *22D, &ith almost t&o thirds staying in an emergency shelter or transitional housing program. %n *2(( (B.: million children li=ed in food insecure households, about +8G more than *22: le=els,

though only (.(G of U.S. children, or 6<8,222, sa& reduced food intake or disrupted eating patterns at some point during the year, and most cases &ere not chronic.'+B+) %nfrastructure /ransportation "ain article# /ransportation in the United States

/he %nterstate @igh&ay System, &hich eOtends <B,6:B miles (:8,<<2 km)'+B<) Personal transportation is dominated by automobiles, &hich operate on a net&ork of (+ million roads, including one of the &orldNs longest high&ay systems.'+B8) /he &orldNs second largest automobile market,'+BB) the United States has the highest rate of per capita =ehicle o&nership in the &orld, &ith :B8 =ehicles per (,222 Americans.'+B:) About <2G of personal =ehicles are =ans, SU>s, or light trucks.'+B6) /he a=erage American adult (accounting for all dri=ers and non dri=ers) spends 88 minutes dri=ing e=ery day, tra=eling *D miles (<: km).'+BD) "ass transit accounts for DG of total U.S. &ork trips.'+:2)'+:() While transport of goods by rail is eOtensi=e, relati=ely fe& people use rail to tra=el,'+:*) though ridership on Amtrak, the national intercity passenger rail system, gre& by almost +:G bet&een *222 and *2(2.'+:+) Also, light rail de=elopment has increased in recent years.'+:<) 0icycle usage for &ork commutes is minimal. '+:8) /he ci=il airline industry is entirely pri=ately o&ned and has been largely deregulated since (D:6, &hile most ma3or airports are publicly o&ned. /he three largest airlines in the &orld by passengers carried are U.S. basedM American Airlines is number one after its *2(+ acFuisition of US Air&ays.'+:B) .f the &orldNs +2 busiest passenger airports, (B are in the United States, including the busiest, @artsfield ?ackson Atlanta %nternational Airport.'+::) ,nergy See also# ,nergy policy of the United States /he United States energy market is *D,222 tera&att hours per year. ,nergy consumption per capita is :.6 tons of oil eFui=alent per year, the (2th highest rate in the &orld. %n *228, <2G of this energy came from petroleum, *+G from coal, and **G from natural gas. /he remainder &as supplied by nuclear po&er and rene&able energy sources.'+:6) /he United States is the &orldNs largest consumer of petroleum.'+:D) For decades, nuclear po&er has played a limited role relati=e to many other de=eloped countries, in part because of public perception in the &ake of a (D:D accident. %n *22:, se=eral applications for ne& nuclear plants &ere filed.'+62) /he United States has *:G of global coal reser=es.'+6() %t is the &orldNs largest producer of natural gas and crude oil.'+6*) Science and technology "ain article# Science and technology in the United States See also# /echnological and industrial history of the United States

Astronaut ?ames %r&in &alking on the "oon neOt to Apollo (8Ns landing module and lunar ro=er in (D:(. /he effort to reach the "oon &as triggered by the Space Aace. /he United States has been a leader in scientific research and technological inno=ation since the late (Dth century. %n (6:B, AleOander !raham 0ell &as a&arded the first U.S. patent for the telephone. /homas ,disonNs laboratory de=eloped the phonograph, the first long lasting light bulb, and the first =iable mo=ie camera.'+6+) %n the early *2th century, the automobile companies of Aansom ,. .lds and @enry Ford populariCed the assembly line. /he Wright brothers, in (D2+, made the first sustained and controlled hea=ier than air po&ered flight.'+6<)

/he rise of 1aCism in the (D+2s led many ,uropean scientists, including Albert ,instein, ,nrico Fermi, and ?ohn =on 1eumann, to immigrate to the United States.'citation needed) 5uring World War %%, the "anhattan Pro3ect de=eloped nuclear &eapons, ushering in the Atomic Age. /he Space Aace produced rapid ad=ances in rocketry, materials science, and computers.'citation needed) Ad=ancements by American microprocessor companies such as Ad=anced "icro 5e=ices (A"5), and %ntel along &ith both computer soft&are and hard&are companies that includeM Sun "icrosystems, %0", !1U -inuO, Apple 4omputer, and "icrosoft refined and populariCed the personal computer.'citation needed) /he AAPA1,/ &as de=eloped in the (DB2s to meet the 5efense 5epartment reFuirements, and became the first of a series of net&orks &hich e=ol=ed into the %nternet. /oday, B<G of research and de=elopment funding comes from the pri=ate sector.'+68) /he United States leads the &orld in scientific research papers and impact factor.'+6B) As of April *2(2, ::G of American households o&ned at least one computer, and B6G had broadband %nternet ser=ice.'+6:) 68G of Americans also o&n a mobile phone as of *2((.'+66) /he country is the primary de=eloper and gro&er of genetically modified food, representing half of the &orldNs biotech crops.'+6D) ,ducation "ain article# ,ducation in the United States See also# ,ducational attainment in the United States and @igher education in the United States

/he Uni=ersity of >irginia, founded by /homas ?efferson in (6(D, is one of the many public uni=ersities in the United States. American public education is operated by state and local go=ernments, regulated by the United States 5epartment of ,ducation through restrictions on federal grants. %n most states, children are reFuired to attend school from the age of siO or se=en (generally, kindergarten or first grade) until they turn (6 (generally bringing them through t&elfth grade, the end of high school)M some states allo& students to lea=e school at (B or (:.'+D2) About (*G of children are enrolled in parochial or nonsectarian pri=ate schools. ?ust o=er *G of children are homeschooled.'+D() /he U.S. spends more on education per student than any nation in the &orld, spending more than H((,222 per elementary student in *2(2 and more than H(*,222 per high school student.'+D*) Some 62G of U.S. college students attend public uni=ersities.'+D+) /he United States has many competiti=e pri=ate and public institutions of higher education. According to prominent international rankings, (+ or (8 American colleges and uni=ersities are ranked among the top *2 in the &orld.'+D<)'+D8) /here are also local community colleges &ith generally more open admission policies, shorter academic programs, and lo&er tuition. .f Americans *8 and older, 6<.BG graduated from high school, 8*.BG attended some college, *:.*G earned a bachelorNs degree, and D.BG earned graduate degrees.'+DB) /he basic literacy rate is approOimately DDG.'<)'+D:) /he United 1ations assigns the United States an ,ducation %ndeO of 2.D:, tying it for (*th in the &orld.'+D6) As for public eOpenditures on higher education, the U.S. trails some other .,45 nations but spends more per student than the .,45 a=erage, and more than all nations in combined public and pri=ate spending.'+D*)'+DD) As of *2(*, student loan debt eOceeded one trillion dollars, more than Americans o&e on credit cards.'<22) @ealth See also# @ealth care in the United States, @ealth care reform in the United States, and @ealth insurance in the United States

/he /eOas "edical 4enter in @ouston is the &orldNs largest medical center. /he United States has life eOpectancy of :6.< years at birth, up from :8.* years in (DD2, ranks it 82th among **( nations, and *:th out of the +< industrialiCed .,45 countries, do&n from *2th in (DD2.'<2()'<2*) %ncreasing obesity in the United States and health impro=ements else&here ha=e contributed to lo&ering the countryNs rank in life eOpectancy from (D6:, &hen it &as ((th in the &orld.'<2+) .besity rates in the United States are among the highest in the &orld.'<2<) ApproOimately one third of the adult population is obese and an additional third is o=er&eightM '<28) the obesity rate, the highest in the industrialiCed &orld, has more than doubled in the last Fuarter century.'<2B) .besity related type * diabetes is considered epidemic by health care professionals.'<2:) /he infant mortality rate of B.2B per thousand places the United States (:Bth highest out of *** countries.'<26) %n *2(2, coronary artery disease, lung cancer, stroke, chronic obstructi=e pulmonary diseases, and traffic accidents caused the most years of life lost in the U.S. -o& back pain, depression, musculoskeletal disorders, neck pain, and anOiety caused the most years lost to disability. /he most deleterious risk factors &ere poor diet, tobacco smoking, obesity, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, physical inacti=ity, and alcohol use. AlCheimerNs disease, drug abuse, kidney disease and cancer, and falls caused the most additional years of life lost o=er their age ad3usted (DD2 per capita rates.'<2*) U.S. teenage pregnancy and abortion rates are substantially higher than in other Western nations. /he U.S. is a global leader in medical inno=ation. America solely de=eloped or contributed significantly to D of the top (2 most important medical inno=ations since (D:8 as ranked by a *22( poll of physicians, &hile the ,U and S&itCerland together contributed to fi=e. Since (DBB, Americans ha=e recei=ed more 1obel PriCes in "edicine than the rest of the &orld. From (D6D to *22*, four times more money &as in=ested in pri=ate biotechnology companies in America than in ,urope.'<2D)'<(2) /he U.S. health care system far outspends any other nation, measured in both per capita spending and percentage of !5P.'<(() @ealth care co=erage in the United States is a combination of public and pri=ate efforts and is not uni=ersal. %n *2(2, <D.D million residents or (B.+G of the population did not carry health insurance. /he sub3ect of uninsured and underinsured Americans is a ma3or political issue.'<(*)'<(+) %n *22B, "assachusetts became the first state to mandate uni=ersal health insurance.'<(<) Federal legislation passed in early *2(2 &ould ostensibly create a near uni=ersal health insurance system around the country by *2(<, though the bill and its ultimate impact are issues of contro=ersy.'<(8)'<(B) 4ulture "ain article# 4ulture of the United States See also# Social class in the United States, Public holidays in the United States, and /ourism in the United States

/he Statue of -iberty in 1e& ;ork 4ity is a symbol of both the U.S. and the ideals of freedom, democracy, and opportunity.'<(:) /he United States is home to many cultures and a &ide =ariety of ethnic groups, traditions, and =alues.'(*)'<(6) Aside from the relati=ely small 1ati=e American and 1ati=e @a&aiian populations, nearly all Americans or their ancestors settled or immigrated &ithin the past fi=e centuries.'<(D) "ainstream American culture is a Western culture largely deri=ed from the traditions of ,uropean immigrants &ith influences from many other sources, such as traditions brought by sla=es from Africa.'(*)'<*2) "ore recent immigration from Asia and especially -atin America has added to a cultural miO that has been described as both a homogeniCing melting pot, and a heterogeneous salad bo&l in &hich immigrants and their descendants retain distincti=e cultural characteristics.'(*) 4ore American culture &as established by Protestant 0ritish colonists and shaped by the frontier settlement process, &ith the traits deri=ed passed do&n to descendants and transmitted to

immigrants through assimilation. Americans ha=e traditionally been characteriCed by a strong &ork ethic, competiti=eness, and indi=idualism, as &ell as a unifying belief in an $American creed$ emphasiCing liberty, eFuality, pri=ate property, democracy, rule of la&, and a preference for limited go=ernment.'<*() Americans are eOtremely charitable by global standards. According to a *22B 0ritish study, Americans ga=e (.B:G of !5P to charity, more than any other nation studied, more than t&ice the second place 0ritish figure of 2.:+G, and around t&el=e times the French figure of 2.(<G.'<**)'<*+) /he American 5ream, or the perception that Americans en3oy high social mobility, plays a key role in attracting immigrants.'<*<) Whether this perception is realistic has been a topic of debate.'<*8) '<*B)'<*:)'<*6)'+*2)'<*D) While the mainstream culture holds that the United States is a classless society,'<+2) scholars identify significant differences bet&een the countryNs social classes, affecting socialiCation, language, and =alues.'<+() AmericansN self images, social =ie&points, and cultural eOpectations are associated &ith their occupations to an unusually close degree.'<+*) While Americans tend greatly to =alue socioeconomic achie=ement, being ordinary or a=erage is generally seen as a positi=e attribute.'<++) Popular media "ain articles# "edia of the United States, 4inema of the United States, /ele=ision in the United States, and "usic of the United States

/he @olly&ood Sign in -os Angeles, 4alifornia /he &orldNs first commercial motion picture eOhibition &as gi=en in 1e& ;ork 4ity in (6D<, using /homas ,disonNs Pinetoscope. /he neOt year sa& the first commercial screening of a pro3ected film, also in 1e& ;ork, and the United States &as in the forefront of sound filmNs de=elopment in the follo&ing decades. Since the early *2th century, the U.S. film industry has largely been based in and around @olly&ood, 4alifornia. 5irector 5. W. !riffith &as central to the de=elopment of film grammar and .rson WellesNs 4itiCen Pane ((D<() is freFuently cited as the greatest film of all time.'<+<)'<+8) American screen actors like ?ohn Wayne and "arilyn "onroe ha=e become iconic figures, &hile producerEentrepreneur Walt 5isney &as a leader in both animated film and mo=ie merchandising. @olly&ood is also one of the leaders in motion picture production.'<+B) ,arly =ersions of the American ne&spaper comic strip and the American comic book began appearing in the (Dth century. %n (D+6, Superman, the Fuintessential comic book superhero of 54 4omics, de=eloped into an American icon.'<+:) Additional comic book publishers includeM "ar=el 4omics, created in (D+D, %mage 4omics, created in (DD*, 5ark @orse 4omics, created in (D6B, and numerous small press comic book companies. %n celebration of the industryNs success, annual comic con=entions take place at /he San 5iego 4omic 4on %nternational, &hich has an attendance of o=er (+2,222 =isitors. Americans are the hea=iest tele=ision =ie&ers in the &orld,'<+6) and the a=erage =ie&ing time continues to rise, reaching fi=e hours a day in *22B.'<+D) /he four ma3or broadcast tele=ision net&orks are all commercial entities. Americans listen to radio programming, also largely commercial, on a=erage 3ust o=er t&o and a half hours a day.'<<2) Aside from &eb portals and search engines, the most popular &ebsites are Facebook, ;ou/ube, Wikipedia, 0logger, e0ay, and 4raigslist.'<<() /he rhythmic and lyrical styles of African American music ha=e deeply influenced American music at large, distinguishing it from ,uropean traditions. ,lements from folk idioms such as the blues and &hat is no& kno&n as old time music &ere adopted and transformed into popular genres &ith global audiences. ?aCC &as de=eloped by inno=ators such as -ouis Armstrong and 5uke ,llington

early in the *2th century. 4ountry music de=eloped in the (D*2s, and rhythm and blues in the (D<2s.'<<*) ,l=is Presley and 4huck 0erry &ere among the mid (D82s pioneers of rock and roll. %n the (DB2s, 0ob 5ylan emerged from the folk re=i=al to become one of AmericaNs most celebrated song&riters and ?ames 0ro&n led the de=elopment of funk. "ore recent American creations include hip hop and house music. American pop stars such as Presley, "ichael ?ackson, and "adonna ha=e become global celebrities.'<<*) -iterature, philosophy, and the arts "ain articles# American literature, American philosophy, >isual art of the United States, and American classical music

"ark /&ain, American author and humorist %n the (6th and early (Dth centuries, American art and literature took most of its cues from ,urope. Writers such as 1athaniel @a&thorne, ,dgar Allan Poe, and @enry 5a=id /horeau established a distincti=e American literary =oice by the middle of the (Dth century. "ark /&ain and poet Walt Whitman &ere ma3or figures in the centuryNs second halfM ,mily 5ickinson, =irtually unkno&n during her lifetime, is no& recogniCed as an essential American poet.'<<+) A &ork seen as capturing fundamental aspects of the national eOperience and characterRsuch as @erman "el=illeNs "oby 5ick ((68(), /&ainNs /he Ad=entures of @uckleberry Finn ((668), and F. Scott FitCgeraldNs /he !reat !atsby ((D*8)Rmay be dubbed the $!reat American 1o=el$.'<<<) ,le=en U.S. citiCens ha=e &on the 1obel PriCe in -iterature, most recently /oni "orrison in (DD+. William Faulkner and ,rnest @eming&ay are often named among the most influential &riters of the *2th century.'<<8) Popular literary genres such as the Western and hardboiled crime fiction de=eloped in the United States. /he 0eat !eneration &riters opened up ne& literary approaches, as ha=e postmodernist authors such as ?ohn 0arth, /homas Pynchon, and 5on 5e-illo. /he transcendentalists, led by /horeau and Aalph Waldo ,merson, established the first ma3or American philosophical mo=ement. After the 4i=il War, 4harles Sanders Peirce and then William ?ames and ?ohn 5e&ey &ere leaders in the de=elopment of pragmatism. %n the *2th century, the &ork of W. >. .. Yuine and Aichard Aorty, and later 1oam 4homsky, brought analytic philosophy to the fore of American philosophical academia. ?ohn Aa&ls and Aobert 1oCick led a re=i=al of political philosophy. 4ornel West and ?udith 0utler ha=e led a continental tradition in American philosophical academia. !lobally influential 4hicago school economists like "ilton Friedman, ?ames ". 0uchanan, and /homas So&ell ha=e transcended discipline to impact =arious fields in social and political philosophy.'<<B)'<<:) %n the =isual arts, the @udson Ai=er School &as a mid (Dth century mo=ement in the tradition of ,uropean naturalism. /he realist paintings of /homas ,akins are no& &idely celebrated. /he (D(+ Armory Sho& in 1e& ;ork 4ity, an eOhibition of ,uropean modernist art, shocked the public and transformed the U.S. art scene.'<<6) !eorgia .NPeeffe, "arsden @artley, and others eOperimented &ith ne&, indi=idualistic styles. "a3or artistic mo=ements such as the abstract eOpressionism of ?ackson Pollock and Willem de Pooning and the pop art of Andy Warhol and Aoy -ichtenstein de=eloped largely in the United States. /he tide of modernism and then postmodernism has brought fame to American architects such as Frank -loyd Wright, Philip ?ohnson, and Frank !ehry.

/imes SFuare in 1e& ;ork 4ity, the hub of the 0road&ay /heater 5istrict. .ne of the first ma3or promoters of American theater &as impresario P. /. 0arnum, &ho began

operating a lo&er "anhattan entertainment compleO in (6<(. /he team of @arrigan and @art produced a series of popular musical comedies in 1e& ;ork starting in the late (6:2s. %n the *2th century, the modern musical form emerged on 0road&ayM the songs of musical theater composers such as %r=ing 0erlin, 4ole Porter, and Stephen Sondheim ha=e become pop standards. Play&right ,ugene .N1eill &on the 1obel literature priCe in (D+BM other acclaimed U.S. dramatists include multiple PulitCer PriCe &inners /ennessee Williams, ,d&ard Albee, and August Wilson. /hough little kno&n at the time, 4harles %=esNs &ork of the (D(2s established him as the first ma3or U.S. composer in the classical tradition, &hile eOperimentalists such as @enry 4o&ell and ?ohn 4age created a distincti=e American approach to classical composition. Aaron 4opland and !eorge !ersh&in de=eloped a ne& synthesis of popular and classical music. 4horeographers %sadora 5uncan and "artha !raham helped create modern dance, &hile !eorge 0alanchine and ?erome Aobbins &ere leaders in *2th century ballet. Americans ha=e long been important in the modern artistic medium of photography, &ith ma3or photographers including Alfred StieglitC, ,d&ard Steichen, and Ansel Adams. Food "ain article# 4uisine of the United States

Apple pie is a food synonymous &ith American culture. "ainstream American cuisine is similar to that in other Western countries. Wheat is the primary cereal grain. /raditional American cuisine uses indigenous ingredients, such as turkey, =enison, potatoes, s&eet potatoes, corn, sFuash, and maple syrup, &hich &ere consumed by 1ati=e Americans and early ,uropean settlers.'citation needed) Slo& cooked pork and beef barbecue, crab cakes, potato chips, and chocolate chip cookies are distincti=ely American foods. Soul food, de=eloped by African sla=es, is popular around the South and among many African Americans else&here. Syncretic cuisines such as -ouisiana 4reole, 4a3un, and /eO "eO are regionally important. /he confectionery industry in the United States includes /he @ershey 4ompany, the largest chocolate manufacturer in 1orth America. %n addition, Frito -ay, a subsidiary of Pepsi4o, is the largest globally distributed snack food company in the &orld. /he United States has a =ast 0reakfast cereal industry that includes brands such as PelloggNs and !eneral "ills. 4haracteristic dishes such as apple pie, fried chicken, piCCa, hamburgers, and hot dogs deri=e from the recipes of =arious immigrants. French fries, "eOican dishes such as burritos and tacos, and pasta dishes freely adapted from %talian sources are &idely consumed.'<<D) Americans generally prefer coffee to tea. "arketing by U.S. industries is largely responsible for making orange 3uice and milk ubiFuitous breakfast be=erages.'<82)'<8() /he American fast food industry, the &orldNs largest, pioneered the dri=e through format in the (D+2s. Fast food consumption has sparked health concerns. 5uring the (D62s and (DD2s, AmericansN caloric intake rose *<GM'<<D) freFuent dining at fast food outlets is associated &ith &hat public health officials call the American $obesity epidemic$.'<8*) @ighly s&eetened soft drinks are &idely popular, and sugared be=erages account for nine percent of American caloric intake.'<8+) Sports "ain article# Sports in the United States

S&immer "ichael Phelps is the most decorated .lympic athlete of all time.

/he market for professional sports in the United States is roughly HBD billion, roughly 82G larger than that of all of ,urope, the "iddle ,ast, and Africa combined.'<8<) 0aseball has been regarded as the national sport since the late (Dth century, &hile American football is no& by se=eral measures the most popular spectator sport.'<88) 0asketball and ice hockey are the countryNs neOt t&o leading professional team sports. /hese four ma3or sports, &hen played professionally, each occupy a season at different, but o=erlapping, times of the year. 4ollege football and basketball attract large audiences.'<8B) 0oOing and horse racing &ere once the most &atched indi=idual sports,'<8:) but they ha=e been eclipsed by golf and auto racing, particularly 1AS4AA.'citation needed) %n the *(st century, tele=ised miOed martial arts has also gained a strong follo&ing of regular =ie&ers.'<86)'<8D) While soccer is less popular in the United States than in many other nations, the menNs national soccer team has been to the past siO World 4ups and the &omen are \( in the &omenNs &orld rankings. While most ma3or U.S. sports ha=e e=ol=ed out of ,uropean practices, basketball, =olleyball, skateboarding, sno&boarding, and cheerleading are American in=entions, some of &hich ha=e become popular in other countries. -acrosse and surfing arose from 1ati=e American and 1ati=e @a&aiian acti=ities that predate Western contact.'<B2) ,ight .lympic !ames ha=e taken place in the United States. /he United States has &on *,<22 medals at the Summer .lympic !ames, more than any other country, and *6( in the Winter .lympic !ames, the second most by *2(<. '<B() See also Portal icon United States portal %ndeO of United States related articles .utline of the United States -ist of United States cities by population -ist of metropolitan areas of the United States -ist of official United States national symbols %mmigration to the United States Symbol book class*.s=g United States at Wikipedia books Aeferences ?ump up L +B U.S.4. ] +2* 1ational motto ?ump up L Simonson, *2(2 ?ump up L 5ept. of /reasury, *2(( L ?ump up to# a b c d $United States$. /he World Factbook. 4%A. September +2, *22D. Aetrie=ed ?anuary 8, *2(2 (area gi=en in sFuare kilometers). L ?ump up to# a b $U.S. P.P4lock Pro3ection$. U.S. 4ensus 0ureau. (figure updated automatically). L ?ump up to# a b c d e f g h $World ,conomic .utlook 5atabase# United States$. %nternational "onetary Fund. April *2(<. Aetrie=ed April D, *2(<. ?ump up L $%ncome, Po=erty and @ealth %nsurance 4o=erage in the United States# *2(($. 1e&sroom. United States 4ensus 0ureau. September (*, *2(*. Aetrie=ed ?anuary *+, *2(+. ?ump up L $@uman 5e=elopment Aeport *2(+$. United 1ations 5e=elopment Programme. "arch (<, *2(+. Aetrie=ed "arch (<, *2(+. L ?ump up to# a b Feder, ?ody (?anuary *8, *22:). $,nglish as the .fficial -anguage of the United States# -egal 0ackground and Analysis of -egislation in the ((2th 4ongress$. %l&.com (4ongressional Aesearch Ser=ice). Aetrie=ed ?une (D, *22:. ?ump up L /he 1e& ;ork /imes !uide to ,ssential Pno&ledge, Second ,dition# A 5esk Aeference for the 4urious "ind. St. "artinNs Press. *22:. p. B+*. %S01 D:6 2 +(* +:B8D 6. ?ump up L .nuf, Peter S. ((D6+). /he .rigins of the Federal Aepublic# ?urisdictional 4ontro=ersies in the United States, (::8Q(:6:. Philadelphia# Uni=ersity of Pennsyl=ania Press. %S01 D:6 2 6(** ((B: *. L ?ump up to# a b c d Adams, ?.Y.M Strother Adams, Pearlie (*22(). 5ealing &ith 5i=ersity. 4hicago# PendallE@unt. %S01 2 :6:* 6(<8 Z. L ?ump up to# a b "augh %%, /homas @. (?uly (*, *2(*). $Who &as first^ 1e& info on 1orth

AmericaNs earliest residents$. -os Angeles /imes. ?ump up L !reene, ?ack P.M Pole, ?.A., eds. (*226). A 4ompanion to the American Ae=olution. pp. +8*Q+B(. ?ump up L 0ender, /homas (*22B). A 1ation Among 1ations# AmericaNs Place in World @istory. 1e& ;ork# @ill V Wang. p. B(. %S01 D:6 2 62D2 :*+8 <. L ?ump up to# a b 4arlisle, Aodney P.M !olson, ?. !eoffrey (*22:). "anifest 5estiny and the ,Opansion of America. /urning Points in @istory Series. A04 4-%.. p. *+6. %S01 D:6 ( 68(2D 6++ 2. ?ump up L $/he 4i=il War and emancipation (6B(Q(6B8$. Africans in America. 0oston, "A# W!0@. 1o date. Aetrie=ed "arch *B, *2(+. 0ritannica ,ducational Publishing (*22D). Wallenfeldt, ?effrey @., ed. /he American 4i=il War and Aeconstruction# People, Politics, and Po&er. America at War. Aosen Publishing !roup. p. *B<. %S01 D:6 ( B(8+2 2<8 :. ?ump up L White, 5onald W. ((DDB). $(# /he Frontiers$. /he American 4entury. ;ale Uni=ersity Press. %S01 2 +22 28:*( 2. Aetrie=ed "arch *B, *2(+. ?ump up L "addison, Angus (*22B). $@istorical Statistics for the World ,conomy$. /he 1etherlands# /he !roningen !ro&th and 5e=elopment 4entre, ,conomics 5epartment of the Uni=ersity of !roningen. Aetrie=ed 1o=ember B, *226. ?ump up L /he ,uropean Union has a larger collecti=e economy, but is not a single nation. ?ump up L $U.S. Workers WorldNs "ost Producti=e$. 40S 1e&s. February ((, *22D. Aetrie=ed April *+, *2(+. ?ump up L $"anufacturing, ?obs and the U.S. ,conomy$. Alliance for American "anufacturing. *2(+. ?ump up L $.,45 0etter -ife %ndeO$. .,45 Publishing. Aetrie=ed 1o=ember *8, *2(*. L ?ump up to# a b $@ousehold %ncome$. Society at a !lance *2((# .,45 Social %ndicators. .,45 Publishing. April (*, *2((. doi#(2.(:6:Esoc_glance *2(( B en. Aetrie=ed 1o=ember *8, *2(*. ?ump up L $4risis sFueeCes income and puts pressure on ineFuality and po=erty$. .,45 (*2(+). Aetrie=ed ?uly *B, *2(+. ?ump up L %ncome distribution and po=erty Q .,45. .,45 ?ump up L $4ensus# U.S. Po=erty Aate Spikes, 1early 82 "illion Americans Affected$ 40S. 1o=ember (8, *2(* ?ump up L $/rends in &orld military eOpenditure, *2(+$. Stockholm %nternational Peace Aesearch %nstitute. April *2(<. Aetrie=ed April (<, *2(<. ?ump up L 4ohen, *22<#@istory and the @yperpo&er ?ump up L 004, April *226#4ountry Profile# United States of America ?ump up L $!eographical trends of research output$. Aesearch /rends. Aetrie=ed "arch (B, *2(<. ?ump up L $/he top *2 countries for scientific output$. .pen Access Week. Aetrie=ed "arch (B, *2(<. ?ump up L $!ranted patents$. ,uropean Patent .ffice. Aetrie=ed "arch (B, *2(<. ?ump up L $4artographer Put NAmericaN on the "ap 822 years Ago$. USA /oday (Washington, 5.4.). Associated Press. April *<, *22:. Aetrie=ed 1o=ember +2, *226. ?ump up L 5e-ear, 0yron (?uly <, *2(+) Who coined NUnited States of AmericaN^ "ystery might ha=e intriguing ans&er. $@istorians ha=e long tried to pinpoint eOactly &hen the name NUnited States of AmericaN &as first used and by &hom. A ne& find suggests the man might ha=e been !eorge Washington himself.$ 4hristian Science "onitor (0oston, "A). ?ump up L $/o the inhabitants of >irginia,$ by A P-A1/,A. 5iOon and @unterNs >irginia !aCette \(*6: Q April B, (::B, Williamsburg, >irginia. -etter is also included in Peter ForceNs American Archi=es >ol. 8 ?ump up L 4arter, Austy (August (6, *2(*). $;ou read it here first$'dead link). >irginia !aCette. $@e did a search of the archi=es and found the letter on the front page of the April B, (::B, edition, published by @unter V 5iOon.$ ?ump up L 5e-ear, 0yron (August (B, *2(*). $Who coined the name NUnited States of AmericaN^ "ystery gets ne& t&ist.$ 4hristian Science "onitor (0oston, "A). ?ump up L ?effersonNs $original Aough draught$ of the 5eclaration of %ndependence'dead link) ?ump up L $/he 4harters of Freedom$. 1ational Archi=es. Aetrie=ed ?une *2, *22:.

?ump up L "ary "ostert (*228). /he /hreat of Anarchy -eads to the 4onstitution of the United States. 4/A Publishing, %nc. p. (6. %S01 D:6 2 D:8+68( < *. ?ump up L $!et to Pno& 5.4.$. @istorical Society of Washington, 5.4. Aetrie=ed ?uly ((, *2((. ?ump up L For eOample, the U.S. embassy in Spain calls itself the embassy of the $,stados Unidos$, literally the &ords $states$ and $united$, and also uses the initials $,,.UU.$, the doubled letters implying plural use in Spanish '() ,lse&here on the site $,stados Unidos de AmXrica$ is used '*) ?ump up L [immer, 0en3amin (1o=ember *<, *228). $-ife in /hese, Uh, /his United States$. Uni=ersity of Pennsyl=aniaR-anguage -og. Aetrie=ed ?anuary 8, *2(+. ?ump up L !. @. ,merson, /he Uni=ersalist Yuarterly and !eneral Ae=ie&, >ol. *6 (?an. (6D(), p. <D, Fuoted in [immer paper abo=e. ?ump up L Wilson, Penneth !. ((DD+). /he 4olumbia !uide to Standard American ,nglish. 1e& ;ork# 4olumbia Uni=ersity Press, pp. *:Q*6. %S01 2 *+( 2BD6D 6. ?ump up L Smithsonian, *22<, @uman .rigins ?ump up L Pudeba, 1. (*2(<, February *6). 4hapter ( Q /he First 0ig Steppe Q Aboriginal 4anadian @istory. Aetrie=ed from /he @istory of 4anada# http#EE&&&.thehistoryofcanadapodcast.comEchapter ( first big steppeE ?ump up L $/he 4ambridge encyclopedia of human paleopathology$. Arthur 4. Aufderheide, 4onrado Aodr`gueC "art`n, .din -angs3oen ((DD6). 4ambridge Uni=ersity Press. p. *28. %S01 2 8*( 88*2+ B ?ump up L 0ianchine, Ausso, (DD* pp. **8Q*+* ?ump up L "ann, *228 p. << ?ump up L /hornton, (D6: p. <D ?ump up L Pessel, *228 pp. (<*Q(<+ ?ump up L "ercer 4ountry @istorical Society, *228 ?ump up L ?uergens, *2((, p. BD ?ump up L Aipper, *226 p. B ?ump up L Aipper, *226 p. 8 ?ump up L 4allo&ay, (DD6, p. 88 ?ump up L /aylor, pp. ++Q+< ?ump up L /aylor, pp. :*, :< ?ump up L Walton, *22D, pp. *DQ+( ?ump up L Aemini, *22:, pp. *Q+ ?ump up L ?ohnson, (DD:, pp. *BQ+2 ?ump up L Walton, *22D, chapter + ?ump up L -emon, (D6: ?ump up L 4lingan, *222, p. (+ ?ump up L /adman, *222, p. (8+< ?ump up L Schneider, *22:, p. <6< ?ump up L -ien, (D(+, p. 8** ?ump up L 5a=is, (DDB, p. : ?ump up L Yuirk, *2((, p. (D8 ?ump up L 0ilhartC, /erry 5.M ,lliott, Alan 4. (*22:). 4urrents in American @istory# A 0rief @istory of the United States. ".,. Sharpe. %S01 D:6 2 :B8B (6(: :. ?ump up L Wood, !ordon S. ((DD6). /he 4reation of the American Aepublic, (::BQ(:6:. U14 Press 0ooks. p. *B+. %S01 D:6 2 62:6 <:*+ :. ?ump up L Walton, *22D, pp. +6Q+D ?ump up L Walton, *22D, p. +8 ?ump up L @umphrey, 4arol Sue (*22+). /he Ae=olutionary ,ra# Primary 5ocuments on ,=ents from (::B /o (622. !reen&ood Publishing. pp. 6Q(2. %S01 D:6 2 +(+ +*26+ 8. ?ump up L Fabian ;oung, AlfredM 1ash, !ary 0.M Aaphael, Aay (*2((). Ae=olutionary Founders# Aebels, Aadicals, and Aeformers in the "aking of the 1ation. Aandom @ouse 5igital. pp. <Q:. %S01 D:6 2 +2: *:((2 8. ?ump up L !reene and Pole, A 4ompanion to the American Ae=olution p +8:. ?onathan A. 5ull, A 5iplomatic @istory of the American Ae=olution ((D6:) p. (B(. -a&rence S. Paplan, $/he /reaty of Paris, (:6+# A @istoriographical 4hallenge,$ %nternational @istory Ae=ie&, Sept (D6+, >ol. 8 %ssue

+, pp <+(Q<<* ?ump up L 0oyer, *22:, pp. (D*Q(D+ ?ump up L 4ogliano, Francis 5. (*226). /homas ?efferson# Aeputation and -egacy. Uni=ersity of >irginia Press. p. *(D. %S01 D:6 2 6(+D *:++ B. ?ump up L Walton, *22D, p. <+ ?ump up L !ordon, *22<, pp. *:,*D ?ump up L 4lark, "ary Ann ("ay *2(*). /hen WeNll Sing a 1e& Song# African %nfluences on AmericaNs Aeligious -andscape. Ao&man V -ittlefield. p. <:. %S01 D:6 ( <<** 266( 2. ?ump up L @einemann, Aonald -., et.al., .ld 5ominion, 1e& 4ommon&ealth# a history of >irginia (B2: *22:, *22: %S01 D:6 2 6(+D *B2D <, p.(D: ?ump up L 0illington, Aay AllenM Aidge, "artin (*22(). West&ard ,Opansion# A @istory of the American Frontier. U1" Press. p. **. %S01 D:6 2 6*B+ (D6( <. ?ump up L $-ouisiana Purchase$. 1ational Park Ser=ices. Aetrie=ed "arch (, *2((. ?ump up L Wait, ,ugene ". ((DDD). America and the War of (6(*. 1o=a Publishers. p. :6. %S01 D:6 ( 8B2:* B<< D. ?ump up L Plose, 1elsonM ?ones, Aobert F. ((DD<). United States @istory to (6::. 0arronNs ,ducational Series. p. (82. %S01 D:6 2 6(*2 (6+< D. ?ump up L Winchester, pp. (D6, *(B, *8(, *8+ ?ump up L "orrison, "ichael A. ((DDD). Sla=ery and the American West# /he ,clipse of "anifest 5estiny and the 4oming of the 4i=il War. Uni=ersity of 1orth 4arolina Press. pp. (+Q*(. %S01 D:6 2 62:6 <:DB (. ?ump up L Pemp, Aoger -. (*2(2). 5ocuments of American 5emocracy# A 4ollection of ,ssential Works. "cFarland. p. (62. %S01 D:6 2 :6B< <*(2 *. ?ump up L "c%l&raith, /homas F.M "uller, ,d&ard P. (*22(). 1orth America# /he @istorical !eography of a 4hanging 4ontinent. Ao&man V -ittlefield. p. B(. %S01 D:6 2 :<*8 22(D 6. ?ump up L Smith 0aranCini, "arlene ((DDD). A !olden State# "ining and ,conomic 5e=elopment in !old Aush 4alifornia. Uni=ersity of 4alifornia Press. p. *2. %S01 D:6 2 8*2 *(::( +. ?ump up L 0lack, ?eremy (*2((). Fighting for America# /he Struggle for "astery in 1orth America, (8(DQ(6:(. %ndiana Uni=ersity Press. p. *:8. %S01 D:6 2 *8+ +8BB2 <. ?ump up L Wishart, 5a=id ?. (*22<). ,ncyclopedia of the !reat Plains. Uni=ersity of 1ebraska Press. p. +:. %S01 D:6 2 62+* <:6: (. ?ump up L Smith (*22(), !rant, pp. 8*+Q8*B ?ump up L Stuart "urray (*22<). Atlas of American "ilitary @istory. %nfobase Publishing. p. :B. %S01 D:6 ( <+6( +2*8 8. L ?ump up to# a b Patrick Parl .N0rien (*22*). Atlas of World @istory. .Oford Uni=ersity Press. p. (6<. %S01 D:6 2 (D 8*(D*( 2. ?ump up L >ino=skis, "aris ((DD2). $/o&ard a social history of the American 4i=il War# eOploratory essays$. 4ambridge Uni=ersity Press. p. B. %S01 2 8*( +D88D +. ?ump up L $(6B2 4ensus$. U.S. 4ensus 0ureau. Aetrie=ed ?une (2, *22:. Page : lists a total sla=e population of +,D8+,:B2. ?ump up L 5e Aosa, "arshall -. ((DD:). /he Politics of 5issolution# /he Yuest for a 1ational %dentity and the American 4i=il War. ,dison, 1?# /ransaction. p. *BB. %S01 ( 8B222 +<D D. L ?ump up to# a b !. Alan /arr (*22D). ?udicial Process and ?udicial Policymaking. 4engage -earning. p. +2. %S01 D:6 2 <D8 8B:+B +. ?ump up L ?ohn Po&ell (*22D). ,ncyclopedia of 1orth American %mmigration. %nfobase Publishing. p. :<. %S01 D:6 ( <+6( (2(* :. ?ump up L Winchester, pp. +8(, +68 ?ump up L [inn, @o&ard. A PeopleNs @istory of the United States. 1e& ;ork# @arper Perennial "odern 4lassics, *228. 4hapter (+, $/he Socialist 4hallenge$ pp. +*(Q+8: %S01 2 2B 26+6B8 8 ?ump up L "c5uffie, ?eromeM Piggrem, !ary WayneM Wood&orth, Ste=en ,. (*228). U.S. @istory Super Ae=ie&. Piscata&ay, 1?# Aesearch V ,ducation Association. p. <(6. %S01 2 :+6B 22:2 D. ?ump up L >oris, ?acFueline >an ((DDB). 4arrie 4hapman 4att# A Public -ife. Women and Peace Series. 1e& ;ork 4ity# Feminist Press at 4U1;. p. =ii. %S01 ( 886B( (+D 6. $4arrie 4hapmann 4att led an army of =oteless &omen in (D(D to pressure 4ongress to pass the constitutional amendment gi=ing them the right to =ote and con=inced state legislatures to ratify it in (D*2. ... 4att &as one of the best kno&n &omen in the United States in the first half of the t&entieth

century and &as on all lists of famous American &omen.$ ?ump up L Winchester pp. <(2Q<(( ?ump up L AOinn, ?uneM Stern, "ark ?. (*22:). Social Welfare# A @istory of the American Aesponse to 1eed (:th ed.). 0oston# Allyn V 0acon. %S01 D:6 2 *28 8**(8 B. ?ump up L 0urton, ?effrey F., et al. (?uly *222). $A 0rief @istory of ?apanese American Aelocation 5uring World War %%$. 4onfinement and ,thnicity# An .=er=ie& of World War %% ?apanese American Aelocation Sites. 1ational Park Ser=ice. Aetrie=ed April *, *2(2. ?ump up L -eland, AnneM .boroceanu, "ariQ?ana (February *B, *2(2). $American War and "ilitary .perations 4asualties# -ists and Statistics$. 4ongressional Aesearch Ser=ice. Aetrie=ed February (6, *2((. p. *. ?ump up L Pennedy, Paul ((D6D). /he Aise and Fall of the !reat Po&ers. 1e& ;ork# >intage. p. +86. %S01 2 B:D :*2(D :. %ndeed, World War %% ushered in the Cenith of U.S. po&er in &hat came to be called the American 4entury, as -effler *2(2, p. B:, indicates# $/ruman presided o=er the greatest military and economic po&er the &orld had e=er kno&n. War production had lifted the United States out of the !reat 5epression and had inaugurated an era of unimagined prosperity. !ross national product increased by B2 percent during the &ar, total earnings by 82 percent. 5espite social unrest, labor agitation, racial conflict, and teenage =andalism, Americans had more discretionary income than e=er before. Simultaneously, the U.S. go=ernment had built up the greatest &ar machine in human history. 0y the end of (D<*, the United States &as producing more arms than all the AOis states combined, and, in (D<+, it made almost three times more armaments than did the So=iet Union. %n (D<8, the United States had t&o thirds of the &orldNs gold reser=es, three fourths of its in=ested capital, half of its shipping =essels, and half of its manufacturing capacity. %ts !1P &as three times that of the So=iet Union and more than fi=e times that of 0ritain. %t &as also nearing completion of the atomic bomb, a technological and production feat of huge costs and proportions.$ ?ump up L $/he United States and the Founding of the United 1ations, August (D<( Q .ctober (D<8$. U.S. 5ept. of State, 0ureau of Public Affairs, .ffice of the @istorian. .ctober *228. Archi=ed from the original on ?une (*, *22:. Aetrie=ed ?une ((, *22:. ?ump up L Pacific War Aesearch Society (*22B). ?apanNs -ongest 5ay. 1e& ;ork# .Oford Uni=ersity Press. %S01 < ::22 *66: +. ?ump up L 4ollins, "ichael ((D66). -iftoff# /he Story of AmericaNs Ad=enture in Space. 1e& ;ork# !ro=e Press. ?ump up L Winchester, pp. +28 +26 ?ump up L $@istory and cultural impact of the %nterstate @igh&ay system$. U=m.edu. Aetrie=ed *2(< 2* (8. ?ump up L 5allek, Aobert (*22<). -yndon 0. ?ohnson# Portrait of a President. .Oford Uni=ersity Press. p. (BD. %S01 D:6 2 (D 8(8D*2 *. ?ump up L $.ur 5ocuments Q 4i=il Aights Act ((DB<)$. United States 5epartment of ?ustice. Aetrie=ed ?uly *6, *2(2. ?ump up L $Aemarks at the Signing of the %mmigration 0ill, -iberty %sland, 1e& ;ork$. .ctober +, (DB8. Aetrie=ed ?anuary (, *2(*. ?ump up L Social Security @istory, the United States Social Security Administration ?ump up L Soss, *2(2, p. *:: ?ump up L Fraser, (D6D ?ump up L Ferguson, (D6B, pp. <+Q8+ ?ump up L Williams, pp. +*8Q++( ?ump up L 1iskanen, William A. ((D66). Aeaganomics# an insiderNs account of the policies and the people. .Oford Uni=ersity Press. p. +B+. %S01 D:6 2 (D 828+D< <. ?ump up L $Women in the -abor Force# A 5atabook$. U.S. 0ureau of -abor Statistics. *2(+. p. ((. Aetrie=ed *( "arch *2(<. ?ump up L @o&ell, 0uddy Wayne (*22B). /he Ahetoric of Presidential Summit 5iplomacy# Aonald Aeagan and the U.S. So=iet Summits, (D68R(D66. /eOas AV" Uni=ersity. p. +8*. %S01 D:6 2 8<D <(B86 B. ?ump up L Pissinger, @enry (*2((). 5iplomacy. Simon and Schuster. pp. :6(Q:6<. %S01 D:6 ( <+D( *B+( 6. "ann, ?ames (*22D). /he Aebellion of Aonald Aeagan# A @istory of the ,nd of the 4old War.

Penguin. p. <+*. %S01 D:6 ( <<2B 6B+D D. ?ump up L @ayes, *22D ?ump up L US @istory.org, *2(+ ?ump up L >oyce, 0ill (August *(, *22B). $Why the ,Opansion of the (DD2s -asted So -ong$. %o&a Workforce %nformation 1et&ork. Aetrie=ed August (B, *22:. 5ale, Aeginald (February (6, *222). $5id 4linton 5o %t, or Was @e -ucky^$. /he 1e& ;ork /imes. Aetrie=ed "arch B, *2(+. "anki&, 1. !regory (*226). "acroeconomics. 4engage -earning. p. 88D. %S01 D:6 2 +*< 86DDD +. ?ump up L Winchester, pp. <*2 <*+ ?ump up L Flashback DE((# As %t @appened. FoO 1e&s. September D, *2((. Aetrie=ed "arch B, *2(+. $America remembers Sept. (( attacks (( years later$. 40S 1e&s. Associated Press. September ((, *2(*. Aetrie=ed "arch B, *2(+. $5ay of /error >ideo Archi=e$. 411. *228. Aetrie=ed "arch B, *2(+. ?ump up L Walsh, Penneth /. (5ecember D, *226). $/he NWar on /errorN %s 4ritical to President !eorge W. 0ushNs -egacy$. U.S. 1e&s V World Aeport. Aetrie=ed "arch B, *2(+. @aass, Aichard 1. (.ctober (8, *22(). $/he 0ush AdministrationNs Aesponse to September ((th Rand 0eyond$. /errorism. 4ouncil on Foreign Aelations. Aetrie=ed "arch B, *2(+. Atkins, Stephen ,. (*2((). /he DE(( ,ncyclopedia# Second ,dition. A04 4-%.. p. 6:*. %S01 D:6 ( 8D66< D*( D. ?ump up L $"any ,uropeans .ppose War in %raF$. USA /oday. February (<, *22+. Aetrie=ed September (, *226. $"ost Americans Support War &ith %raF, Sho&s 1e& Pe&E4FA Poll Q 4ommentary by -ee Feinstein$. 4ouncil on Foreign Affairs. .ctober (2, *22*. Aetrie=ed "arch :, *2(+. ?ump up L Wong, ,d&ard (February (8, *226). $.=er=ie&# /he %raF War$. /he 1e& ;ork /imes. Aetrie=ed "arch :, *2(+. $/he %n=asion of %raF$. Frontline. W!0@ ,ducational Foundation. February *B, *22<. Aetrie=ed "arch :, *2(+. ?ohnson, ?ames /urner (*228). /he War to .ust Saddam @ussein# ?ust War and the 1e& Face of 4onflict. Ao&man V -ittlefield. p. (8D. %S01 D:6 2 :<*8 <D8B *. ?ump up L 5urando, ?essicaM Aae !reen, Shannon (5ecember *(, *2((). $/imeline# Pey moments in the %raF War$. USA /oday. Associated Press. Aetrie=ed "arch :, *2(+. $-ast American /roops -ea=e %raF "arking ,nd of War$. FoO 1e&s. Associated Press. 5ecember (6, *2((. Aetrie=ed "arch :, *2(+. ?ump up L Washington, ?esseM Augaber, 4hris (September D, *2((). $African American ,conomic !ains Ae=ersed 0y !reat Aecession$. @uffington Post. Associated Press. Aetrie=ed "arch :, *2(+. @argrea=es, Ste=e (1o=ember 8, *226). $.bama rides economy to White @ouse$. 411. Aetrie=ed "arch :, *2(+. .ne ;ear %n, a 4loser -ook at the .bama Presidency. "ac1eilE-ehrer Production. *2(2. Aetrie=ed "arch :, *2(*. ?ump up L -ubo&ski, AubenM >esterby, "arlo&M 0ucholtC, Sha&n (?uly *(, *22B). $AA,% 4hapter (.(# -and Use$. ,conomic Aesearch Ser=ice. Aetrie=ed "arch D, *22D. ?ump up L $United States$. ,ncyclopadia 0ritannica. Aetrie=ed "arch *8, *226 (area gi=en in sFuare miles). ?ump up L $Population by SeO, Aate of Population %ncrease, Surface Area and 5ensity$. 5emographic ;earbook *228. U1 Statistics 5i=ision. Aetrie=ed "arch *8, *226 (area gi=en in sFuare kilometers). ?ump up L $World Factbook# Area 4ountry 4omparison /able$. ;ahoo ,ducation. Aetrie=ed February *6, *22:. ?ump up L .N@anlon, -arry. $Super=olcano# WhatNs Under ;ello&stone^$. 5isco=ery 4hannel. Archi=ed from the original on "ay *8, *2(*. Aetrie=ed ?une (+, *22:. ?ump up L Perkins, Sid ("ay ((, *22*). $/ornado Alley, USA$. Science 1e&s. Archi=ed from the original on ?uly (, *22:. Aetrie=ed September *2, *22B. ?ump up L "orin, 1ancy. $>ascular Plants of the United States$. Plants. 1ational 0iological

Ser=ice. Aetrie=ed .ctober *:, *226. ?ump up L $!lobal Significance of Selected U.S. 1ati=e Plant and Animal Species$. S5% !roup. February D, *22(. Aetrie=ed ?anuary *2, *22D. ?ump up L $1umbers of %nsects (Species and %ndi=iduals)$. Smithsonian %nstitution. Aetrie=ed ?anuary *2, *22D. ?ump up L -a&rence, ,.A. ((DD2). $Symbol of a 1ation# /he 0ald ,agle in American 4ulture$. /he ?ournal of American 4ulture (+ (()# B+QBD. doi#(2.((((E3.(8<* :+<Z.(DD2.(+2(_B+.O. ?ump up L $1ational Park Ser=ice Announces Addition of /&o 1e& Units$ (Press release). 1ational Park Ser=ice. February *6, *22B. Aetrie=ed ?une (+, *22B. L ?ump up to# a b $Federal -and and 0uildings .&nership$. Aepublican Study 4ommittee. "ay (D, *228. Aetrie=ed "arch D, *22D.'dead link) ?ump up L $1.AA# !ulf of "eOico N5ead [oneN Predictions Feature Uncertainty$. U.S. !eological Sur=ey (US!S). ?une *(, *2(*. Aetrie=ed ?une *+, *2(*. ?ump up L $What is hypoOia^$. -ouisiana Uni=ersities "arine 4onsortium (-U"4.1). Aetrie=ed "ay (6, *2(+. ?ump up L /he 1ational Atlas of the United States of America (*2(+ 2( (<). $Forest Aesources of the United States$. 1ationalatlas.go=. Aetrie=ed *2(< 2( (+. ?ump up L $-and Use 4hanges %n=ol=ing Forestry in the United States# (D8* to (DD:, With Pro3ections to *282$ (P5F). *22+. Aetrie=ed *2(< 2( (+. ?ump up L 5aynes V Sussman, *2(2, pp. +, :*, :<Q:B, :6 ?ump up L @ays, Samuel P. (*222). A @istory of ,n=ironmental Politics since (D<8. ?ump up L Aothman, @al P. ((DD6)./he !reening of a 1ation^ ,n=ironmentalism in the United States since (D<8 ?ump up L /urner, ?ames "orton (*2(*). /he Promise of Wilderness L ?ump up to# a b $*2(2 4ensus 5ata$. U.S. 4ensus 0ureau. Aetrie=ed "arch *D, *2((. ?ump up L http#EE&&&.census.go=EprodEcen*2(2EbriefsEc*2(2br 2*.pdf ?ump up L 4amarota, Ste=en A.M ?ensenius, Paren (?uly *226). $@ome&ard 0ound# Aecent %mmigration ,nforcement and the 5ecline in the %llegal Alien Population$. 4enter for %mmigration Studies. Aetrie=ed August B, *226.'dead link) ?ump up L $Statistical Abstract of the United States$. United States 4ensus 0ureau. *228. ?ump up L $,Oecuti=e Summary# A Population Perspecti=e of the United States$. Population Aesource 4enter. "ay *222. Archi=ed from the original on ?une <, *22:. Aetrie=ed 5ecember *2, *22:. ?ump up L $0irths# Preliminary 5ata for *2(2$. 1ational >ital Statistics Aeports, >olume B2. 1ational 4enter for @ealth Statistics. *2((. Aetrie=ed August (:, *2(*. ?ump up L $U.S. -egal Permanent Aesidents# *2(*$. .ffice of %mmigration Statistics Annual Flo& Aeport. ?ump up L $;earbook of %mmigration Statistics# *2(( Q Persons .btaining -egal Permanent Aesident Status by Aegion and 4ountry of 0irth# Fiscal ;ears *22* to *2(( (/able +)$. U.S. 5ept. of @omeland Security. Aetrie=ed February <, *2(+. ?ump up L $;earbook of %mmigration Statistics# *22: Q Persons .btaining -egal Permanent Aesident Status by Aegion and 4ountry of 0irth# Fiscal ;ears (DD6 to *22: (/able +)$. U.S. 5ept. of @omeland Security. Aetrie=ed February <, *2(+. ?ump up L 5onaldson ?ames, Susan (April 6, *2((). $!ay Americans "ake Up < Percent of Population$. A04 1e&s. Aetrie=ed August *B, *2(*. ?ump up L 1ational Sur=ey of SeOual @ealth and 0eha=ior. Aetrie=ed ?anuary B, *2(+. L ?ump up to# a b c d $Ancestry *222$. U.S.4ensus 0ureau. ?une *22<. Aetrie=ed ?une (+, *22:. L ?ump up to# a b c @umes, Paren A.M ?ones, 1icholas A.M AamireC, Aoberto A. ("arch *2((). $.=er=ie& of Aace and @ispanic .rigin# *2(2$. U.S. 4ensus 0ureau. Aetrie=ed "arch *D, *2((. ?ump up L $02+22(. @ispanic or -atino .rigin by Specific .rigin$. *22: American 4ommunity Sur=ey. U.S. 4ensus 0ureau. Aetrie=ed September *B, *226. ?ump up L $/ables <( and <*R1ati=e and Foreign 0orn Populations$. Statistical Abstract of the United States *22D. U.S. 4ensus 0ureau. Aetrie=ed .ctober ((, *22D. L ?ump up to# a b $1ational >ital Stattistics Aeports# >olume B(, 1umber (. 0irths# Final 5ata for *2(*$. 4dc.go=. August *2(*. Aetrie=ed 1o=ember *8, *2(*. ?ump up L U.S. 4ensus 0ureau# $U.S. 4ensus 0ureau 5eli=ers Final State *2(2 4ensus

Population /otals for -egislati=e Aedistricting$ see custom table, *nd &orksheet ?ump up L ,Oner, Aich (?uly +, *2(*). $Americans under age one no& mostly minorities, but not in .hio# Statistical Snapshot$. /he Plain 5ealer (4le=eland, .@). Aetrie=ed ?uly *D, *2(*. ?ump up L $An .lder and "ore 5i=erse 1ation by "idcentury$ (Press release). U.S. 4ensus 0ureau. August (<, *226. Aetrie=ed "arch *D, *2(+. ?ump up L $United StatesRUrbanEAural and %nsideE.utside "etropolitan Area (!4/ P(. Population, @ousing Units, Area, and 5ensity# *222)$. U.S. 4ensus 0ureau. April (, *222. Aetrie=ed September *+, *226.'dead link) ?ump up L $/able (# Annual ,stimates of the Aesident Population for %ncorporated Places .=er (22,222, Aanked by ?uly (, *226 Population# April (, *222 to ?uly (, *226$. *226 Population ,stimates. U.S. 4ensus 0ureau, Population 5i=ision. ?uly (, *22D. Archi=ed from the original on 5ecember :, *22D. L ?ump up to# a b $/able 8. ,stimates of Population 4hange for "etropolitan Statistical Areas and Aankings# ?uly (, *22: to ?uly (, *226$. *226 Population ,stimates. U.S. 4ensus 0ureau. "arch (D, *22D. Archi=ed from the original on 5ecember :, *22D. ?ump up L $Aaleigh and Austin are Fastest !ro&ing "etro Areas$. U.S. 4ensus 0ureau. "arch (D, *22D. Aetrie=ed .ctober ((, *22D. ?ump up L $Figure AQ+. 4ensus Aegions, 4ensus 5i=isions, and /heir 4onstituent States$ (P5F). U.S. 4ensus 0ureau. Aetrie=ed *22: 2B (:. ?ump up L $Annual ,stimates of the Population of "etropolitan and "icropolitan Statistical Areas# April (, *2(2 to ?uly (, *2(($. U.S. 4ensus 0ureau. Aetrie=ed *2(* 2B 2:. ?ump up L $United States$. "odern -anguage Association. Aetrie=ed September *, *2(+. ?ump up L $-anguage Spoken at @ome by the U.S. Population, *2(2$, American 4ommunity Sur=ey, U.S. 4ensus 0ureau, in World Almanac and 0ook of Facts *2(*, p. B(8. ?ump up L $Foreign -anguage ,nrollments in United States %nstitutions of @igher -earning$. "-A. Fall *22*. Aetrie=ed .ctober (B, *22B. ?ump up L $/he 4onstitution of the State of @a&aii, Article Z>, Section <$. @a&aii -egislati=e Aeference 0ureau. 1o=ember :, (D:6. Aetrie=ed ?une (D, *22:.'dead link) ?ump up L 5icker, Susan ?. (*22+). -anguages in America# A Pluralist >ie&. 4le=edon, UP# "ultilingual "atters. pp. *(B, **2Q*8. %S01 ( 68+8D B8( 8. ?ump up L $4alifornia 4ode of 4i=il Procedure, Section <(*.*2(B)$. -egislati=e 4ounsel, State of 4alifornia. Aetrie=ed 5ecember (:, *22:. $4alifornia ?udicial 4ouncil Forms$. ?udicial 4ouncil, State of 4alifornia. Aetrie=ed 5ecember (:, *22:. ?ump up L $/ranslation in Puerto Aico$. Puerto Aico 4hannel. Aetrie=ed *D 5ecember *2(+. ?ump up L $US Aeligious -andscape Sur=ey$. *2(*. Aetrie=ed *2(* (* (2. ?ump up L $Aeligion$. !allup. ?une *2(+. Aetrie=ed ?anuary (2, *2(<. L ?ump up to# a b $"ississippians !o to 4hurch the "ostM >ermonters, -east$. !allup.com. Aetrie=ed *2(< 2( (+. ?ump up L "erica, 5an (?une (*, *2(*). $Pe& Sur=ey# 5oubt of !od !ro&ing Yuickly among "illennials$. 411. Aetrie=ed ?une (<, *2(*. ?ump up L @ooda, Samreen (?uly (*, *2(*). $American 4onfidence %n .rganiCed Aeligion At All /ime -o&$. @uffington Post. Aetrie=ed ?uly (<, *2(*. ?ump up L $Aeligion Among the "illennials$. /he Pe& Forum on Aeligion V Public -ife. Aetrie=ed August *D, *2(*. L ?ump up to# a b c d e $$1ones$ on the Aise$. Pe& Forum on Aeligion V Public -ife. *2(*. Aetrie=ed ?anuary (2, *2(<. L ?ump up to# a b Posmin, 0arry A., ,gon "ayer, and Ariela Paysar (5ecember (D, *22(). $American Aeligious %dentification Sur=ey *22($. 4U1; !raduate 4enter. Aetrie=ed September (B, *2((. ?ump up L $United States$. Aetrie=ed "ay *, *2(+. ?ump up L "edia, "inorities, and "eaning# A 4ritical %ntroduction R Page 66, 5ebra -. "erskin Q *2(2 ?ump up L $/able 88R"arital Status of the Population by SeO, Aace, and @ispanic .rigin# (DD2 to *22:$. Statistical Abstract of the United States *22D. U.S. 4ensus 0ureau. Aetrie=ed .ctober ((, *22D. ?ump up L $WomenNs Ad=ances in ,ducation$. 4olumbia Uni=ersity, %nstitute for Social and

,conomic Aesearch and Policy. *22B. Archi=ed from the original on ?une D, *22:. Aetrie=ed ?une B, *22:. ?ump up L $/eenage birth rate statistics Q countries compared Q 1ation"aster People$. 1ationmaster.com. Aetrie=ed ?uly (2, *2((. ?ump up L $U.S. teen birth rates fall to historic lo&s$. 40S 1e&s. April (2, *2(*. Aetrie=ed ?uly <, *2(+. ?ump up L Strauss, -ilo /., et al. (1o=ember *<, *22B). $Abortion Sur=eillanceRUnited States, *22+$. ""WA. 4enters for 5isease 4ontrol, 1ational 4enter for 4hronic 5isease Pre=ention and @ealth Promotion, 5i=ision of Aeproducti=e @ealth. Aetrie=ed ?une (:, *22:. ?ump up L $FAS/S/A/S Q 0irths and 1atality$. 4dc.go=. *2(+ (( *(. Aetrie=ed *2(< 2( (+. ?ump up L $/he World Factbook$. 4ia.go=. Aetrie=ed *2(< 2( (+. ?ump up L ?ardine, 4assandra (.ctober +(, *22:). $Why adoption is so easy in America$. /he 5aily /elegraph (-ondon). ?ump up L $4hild Adoption# /rends and policies$. United 1ations 5epartment of ,conomic and Social Affairs. *22D. ?ump up L Williams, Pete and 4onnor, /racy (?anuary B, *2(<). $U.S. Supreme 4ourt puts gay marriage in Utah on hold$. Aetrie=ed ?anuary B, *2(<. ?ump up L Alman, Ashley (*2(+ 2D 2+). $.hio "ust AecogniCe Same SeO "arriage, Federal 4ourt Aules$. @uffingtonpost.com. Aetrie=ed *2(< 2* (8. ?ump up L http#EE&&&.leg.state.co.usE4licsE4-%4S*2(<AEcsl.nsfEfsbillcont+E<624+B6284,4:5A(6:*8:4+22 228,2+*^.penVfileb2(D_ren.pdf ?ump up L $%llinois# /erminally %ll Allo&ed to "arry$. /he 1e& ;ork /imes. 5ecember (B, *2(+. ?ump up L 0arbara 0radley @agerty ("ay *:, *226). $Some "uslims in U.S. Yuietly ,ngage in Polygamy$. 1ational Public Aadio# All /hings 4onsidered. Aetrie=ed ?uly *+, +22D. ?ump up L Scheb, ?ohn ".M Scheb, ?ohn ". %% (*22*). An %ntroduction to the American -egal System. Florence, P;# 5elmar, p. B. %S01 2 :BB6 *:8D +. ?ump up L Pillian, ?ohnny @. $4onstitution of the United States$. /he .ffice of the Secretary of the Senate. Aetrie=ed February ((, *2(*. ?ump up L 5a=idson, Pa=itha A. ("arch *(, *2(+). $5emocracy %ndeO *2(+# !lobal 5emocracy At A Standstill, /he ,conomist %ntelligence UnitNs Annual Aeport Sho&s$. /he @uffington Post. Aetrie=ed August *+, *2(+. ?ump up L $4orruption Perceptions %ndeO *2(*$. /ransparency %nternational. Aetrie=ed February <, *2(+. ?ump up L $/he -egislati=e 0ranch$. United States 5iplomatic "ission to !ermany. Aetrie=ed August *2, *2(*. ?ump up L $/he Process for impeachment$. /hinkYuest. Aetrie=ed August *2, *2(*. ?ump up L 'htt#EE&&&.&hitehouse.go=Eour go=ernmentEeOecuti=e branch $/he ,Oecuti=e 0ranch$). /he White @ouse. Aetrie=ed August *2, *2(*. ?ump up L 0loch, "attM ,ricson, "atthe&M Yuealy, Pe=in ("ay +2, *2(+). $4ensus *2(2# !ains and -osses in 4ongress$. /he 1e& ;ork /imes. ?ump up L $What is the ,lectoral 4ollege$. 1ational Archi=es. Aetrie=ed August *(, *2(*. ?ump up L 4ossack, Aoger (?uly (*, *222). $0eyond politics# Why Supreme 4ourt 3ustices are appointed for life$. 411. Aetrie=ed August *(, *2(*.'dead link) ?ump up L $1ebraska (state, United States) # Agriculture$. 0ritannica .nline ,ncyclopedia. Aetrie=ed 1o=ember ((, *2(*. ?ump up L Feldstein, FaboCCi, *2((, p. D ?ump up L SchultC, *22D, pp. (B<, <8+, 82+ ?ump up L SchultC, *22D, p. +6 ?ump up L 0orreca, Aichard (.ctober (6, (DDD). $N/he !oal Was 5emocracy for All$. @onolulu Star 0ulletin. Aetrie=ed February ((, *2(*. ?ump up L See 6 U.S.4. ] ((2((a)(+B) and 6 U.S.4. ] ((2((a)(+6) U.S. Federal 4ode, %mmigration and 1ationality Act. 6 U.S.4. ] ((2(a ?ump up L ?enkins, William .. (*22D). American Samoa# %ssues Associated &ith Potential 4hanges to the 4urrent System for Ad3udicating "atters of Federal -a&. 5%A1, Publishing. p. 6. %S01 D:6 ( <+:D 2:2< D.

?ump up L US !eneral Accounting .ffice, U.S. %nsular Areas. Application of the U.S. 4onstitution. 1o=ember (DD:. p. D. AppendiO %, pp. *+Q+6. Aetrie=ed April *D, *2(+. ?ump up L Fonseca, Felicia (?uly (:, *2(2). $1ati=e American nations debate so=ereignty after %roFuois passport dispute$. 5eseret 1e&s (Salt -ake 4ity). Associated Press. Aetrie=ed ?uly *6, *2(*. ?ump up L ,theridge, ,ricM 5eleith, Asger (August (D, *22D). $A Aepublic or a 5emocracy^$. 1e& ;ork /imes blogs. Aetrie=ed 1o=ember :, *2(2. $/he US system seems essentially a t&o party system. ...$ ?ump up L !rigsby, ,llen (*226). AnalyCing Politics# An %ntroduction to Political Science. 4engage -earning. pp. (2BQ:. %S01 2 <D8 82((* +. ?ump up L $4ongressional Profile Aesources$. .ffice of the 4lerk of the United States @ouse of Aepresentati=es. ?ump up L $82 State !o=ernors$. netstate.com. Aetrie=ed February *:, *2(+. ?ump up L $4@AA/# 1o more WASPs in Presidential Aaces$. US 1e&s and World Aeports. Aetrie=ed August +, *2(+. ?ump up L Pnickerbocker, 0rad (August (D, *2(*). $US go=ernment and politics no longer run by WASPs. 5oes it matter^$. 54 5ecoder (blog) (0oston "A# /he 4hristian Science "onitor). Aetrie=ed 5ecember *:, *2(*. ?ump up L $For the first time, no WASPs in election$. 1PA. August (D, *2(*. Aetrie=ed August +, *2(+. ?ump up L $What is the !6^$. Uni=ersity of /oronto. Aetrie=ed February ((, *2(*. ?ump up L 5umbrell, ?ohnM Schcfer, AOel (*22D). AmericaNs NSpecial AelationshipsN# Foreign and 5omestic Aspects of the Politics of Alliance. p. <8. %S01 D:62*2+6:*:2+. ?ump up L ,k, 4arl, and %an F. Fergusson (September +, *2(2). $4anadaQU.S. Aelations$. 4ongressional Aesearch Ser=ice. Aetrie=ed August *6, *2((. ?ump up L >aughn, 0ruce (August 6, *226). $Australia# 0ackground and U.S. Aelations$. 4ongressional Aesearch Ser=ice. Aetrie=ed August *6, *2((. ?ump up L >aughn, 0ruce ("ay *:, *2((). $1e& [ealand# 0ackground and 0ilateral Aelations &ith the United States$. 4ongressional Aesearch Ser=ice. Aetrie=ed August *6, *2((. ?ump up L -um, /homas (?anuary +, *2((). $/he Aepublic of the Philippines and U.S. %nterests$. 4ongressional Aesearch Ser=ice. Aetrie=ed August +, *2((. ?ump up L 4hanlett A=ery, ,mma, et al. (?une 6, *2((). $?apan U.S. Aelations# %ssues for 4ongress$ (P5F). 4ongressional Aesearch Ser=ice. Aetrie=ed August *6, *2((. ?ump up L "anyin, "ark ,., ,mma 4hanlett A=ery, and "ary 0eth 1ikitin (?uly 6, *2((). $U.S.Q South Porea Aelations# %ssues for 4ongress$. 4ongressional Aesearch Ser=ice. Aetrie=ed August *6, *2((. ?ump up L Addis, 4asey -. (February (<, *2((). $%srael# 0ackground and U.S. Aelations$. 4ongressional Aesearch Ser=ice. Aetrie=ed August *6, *2((. ?ump up L Shah, Anup (April (+, *22D). $U.S. and Foreign Aid Assistance$. !lobal%ssues.org. Aetrie=ed .ctober ((, *22D. ?ump up L Porter, ,duardo (August (<, *2(*). $AmericaNs A=ersion to /aOes$. /he 1e& ;ork /imes. Aetrie=ed August (8, *2(*. $%n (DB8, taOes collected by federal, state and municipal go=ernments amounted to *<.: percent of the nationNs output. %n *2(2, they amounted to *<.6 percent. ,Ocluding 4hile and "eOico, the United States raises less taO re=enue, as a share of the economy, than e=ery other industrial country.$ L ?ump up to# a b $40. @istorical /ables February *2(+$. 4ongressional 0udget .ffice. February 8, *2(+. Aetrie=ed April *+, *2(+. ?ump up L Prasad, ".M 5eng, ;. (April *, *22D). $/aOation and the &orlds of &elfare$. Socio ,conomic Ae=ie& : (+)# <+(Q<8:. doi#(2.(2D+EserEm&p228. Aetrie=ed "ay 8, *2(+. L ?ump up to# a b "atthe&s, 5ylan (September (D, *2(*). $.ther countries donNt ha=e a $<:G$$. /he Washington Post. Aetrie=ed .ctober *D, *2(+. ?ump up L $@o& "uch 5o People Pay in Federal /aOes^$. Peter !. Peterson Foundation. Aetrie=ed April +, *2(+. L ?ump up to# a b c $/he 5istribution of @ousehold %ncome and Federal /aOes, *226 and *22D$. 4ongressional 0udget .ffice. ?uly *2(*. Aetrie=ed April +, *2(+. ?ump up L $/able /(* 2(:6 0aseline 5istribution of 4ash %ncome and Federal /aOes Under

4urrent -a&$. /he /aO Policy 4enter. Aetrie=ed .ctober *D, *2(+. ?ump up L @arris, 0en3amin @. (1o=ember *22D). $4orporate /aO %ncidence and %ts %mplications for Progressi=ity$. /aO Policy 4enter. Aetrie=ed .ctober D, *2(+. ?ump up L !entry, William ". (5ecember *22:). $A Ae=ie& of the ,=idence on the %ncidence of the 4orporate %ncome /aO$. ./A Paper (2(. .ffice of /aO Analysis, U.S. 5epartment of the /reasury. Aetrie=ed .ctober D, *2(+. ?ump up L Fullerton, 5onM "etcalf, !ilbert ,. (*22*). $/aO %ncidence$. %n A.?. Auerbach and ". Feldstein. @andbook of Public ,conomics. Amsterdam# ,lse=ier Science 0.>. pp. (:66Q(6+D. Aetrie=ed .ctober D, *2(+. ?ump up L "usgra=e, A.A.M 4arroll, ?.?.M 4ook, -.5.M Frane, -. ("arch (D8(). $5istribution of /aO Payments by %ncome !roups# A 4ase Study for (D<6$. 1ational /aO ?ournal < (()# (Q8+. Aetrie=ed .ctober D, *2(+. ?ump up L Agadoni, -aura. $4haracteristics of a Aegressi=e /aO$. @ouston 4hronicle Small 0usiness blog. ?ump up L $/P4 /aO /opics d Payroll /aOes$. /aOpolicycenter.org. Aetrie=ed *2(< 2( (+. ?ump up L $/he 5esign of the .riginal Social Security Act$. Social Security .nline. U.S. Social Security Administration. Aetrie=ed April +, *2(+. ?ump up L 0lahous, 4harles (February *<, *2(*). $/he 5ark Side of the Payroll /aO 4ut$. 5efining %deas. @oo=er %nstitution. Aetrie=ed April +, *2(+. ?ump up L Stephen, .hlemacher ("arch +, *2(+). $/aO bills for rich families approach +2 year high$. /he Seattle /imes. Associated Press. Aetrie=ed April +, *2(+. ?ump up L $Who &ill pay &hat in *2(+ taOes^$. /he Seattle /imes. Associated Press. "arch +, *2(+. Aetrie=ed April +, *2(+. ?ump up L "alm, ,liCabeth (February *2, *2(+). $4omments on Who Pays^ A 5istributional Analysis of the /aO Systems in All 82 States$. /aO Foundation. Aetrie=ed April +, *2(+. ?ump up L $5ebt to the Penny (5aily @istory Search Application)$. /reasury5irect. Aetrie=ed April *+, *2(+. ?ump up L $US national debt surpasses H(B trillion$. 0oston 0usiness ?ournal blog. September 8, *2(*. Aetrie=ed April *+, *2(+. ?ump up L /hornton, 5aniel -. (1o=Q5ec *2(*). $/he U.S. 5eficitE5ebt Problem# A -ongerQAun Perspecti=e$. Federal Aeser=e 0ank of St. -ouis Ae=ie&. Aetrie=ed "ay :, *2(+. ?ump up L -opeC, -uciana (?anuary *6, *2(+). $Fitch backs a&ay from do&ngrade of U.S. credit rating$. Aeuters. Aetrie=ed "arch *B, *2(+. ?ump up L $Federal 5ebt# Ans&ers to FreFuently Asked Yuestions$. !o=ernment Accountability .ffice. Aetrie=ed April (B, *2(*. ?ump up L -ynch, 5a=id ?. ("arch *(, *2(+). $,conomists See 1o 4risis With U.S. 5ebt as ,conomy !ains$. 0loomberg (1e& ;ork). Aetrie=ed "arch *8, *2(+. ?ump up L $/he Air Force in Facts and Figures (Armed Forces "anpo&er /rends, ,nd Strength in /housands)$. Air Force "agaCine. "ay *22D. Aetrie=ed .ctober D, *22D. ?ump up L $What does Selecti=e Ser=ice pro=ide for America^$. Selecti=e Ser=ice System. Aetrie=ed February ((, *2(*. ?ump up L $0ase Structure Aeport, Fiscal ;ear *226 0aseline$. 5epartment of 5efense. Aetrie=ed .ctober D, *22D. ?ump up L $Acti=e 5uty "ilitary Personnel Strengths by Aegional Area and by 4ountry (+2DA)$. 5epartment of 5efense. "arch +(, *2(2. Aetrie=ed .ctober :, *2(2. ?ump up L %kenberry, !. ?ohn ("archQApril *22<). $%llusions of ,mpire# 5efining the 1e& American .rder$. Foreign Affairs. Archi=ed from the original on "ay *8, *2(*. Preisler, @arry, and 4halmers ?ohnson (?anuary *D, *22<). $4on=ersations &ith @istory$. Uni=ersity of 4alifornia at 0erkeley. Aetrie=ed ?une *(, *22:. ?ump up L $/he (8 4ountries &ith the @ighest "ilitary ,Openditure in *2(($. Stockholm %nternational Peace Aesearch %nstitute. Aetrie=ed February <, *2(+. ?ump up L $4ompare$. 4%A World Factbook. Aeal4learWorld. Aetrie=ed February <, *2(+. ?ump up L $Fiscal ;ear *2(+ @istorical /ables$. 0udget of the U.S. !o=ernment. White @ouse ."0. Aetrie=ed 1o=ember *<, *2(*. ?ump up L $Fiscal ;ear *2(* 0udget AeFuest .=er=ie&$. 5epartment of 5efense. February *2((. Aetrie=ed ?uly *8, *2((.'dead link)

?ump up L 0asu, "oni (5ecember (6, *2((). $5eadly %raF War ,nds &ith ,Oit of -ast U.S. /roops$. 411. Aetrie=ed February 8, *2(*. ?ump up L $.peration %raFi Freedom$. %raF 4oalition 4asualty 4ount. February 8, *2(*. Aetrie=ed February 8, *2(*. ?ump up L 4herian, ?ohn (April :, *2(*). $/urning Point$. Frontline (/he @indu !roup). Archi=ed from the original on 5ecember *, *2(*. Aetrie=ed 5ecember *, *2(*. $/here are currently D2,222 U.S. troops deployed in the country.$ ?ump up L $5epartment of 5efence 5efence 4asualty Analysis System$. 5epartment of 5efense. 1o=ember *2(+. Aetrie=ed 1o=ember ((, *2(+. ?ump up L $-ocal Police 5epartments, *22+$. U.S. 5ept. of ?ustice, 0ureau of ?ustice Statistics. "ay *22B. Aetrie=ed 5ecember :, *2((. ?ump up L $U.S. Federal -A& ,nforcement Agencies, Who !o=erns V What /hey 5o$. chiff.com. Aetrie=ed August *(, *2(*. ?ump up L Plea 0argains Findla&.com ?ump up L %nter=ie& &ith ?udge "ichael "cSpadden P0S inter=ie&, 5ecember (B, *22+ ?ump up L $Uniform 4rime Aeporting Statistics$. U.S 5epartment of ?ustice Federal 0ureau of %n=estigation. Aetrie=ed 1o=ember (B, *2(+. ?ump up L $4rime in the United States, *2(($. F0% N(Uniform 4rime StatisticsR"urder)N. Aetrie=ed ?anuary *+, *2(+. ?ump up L $U1.54 @omicide Statistics$. United 1ations .ffice on 5rugs and 4rime (U1.54). Aetrie=ed ?anuary *+, *2(+. ?ump up L $,ighth United 1ations Sur=ey of 4rime /rends and .perations of 4riminal ?ustice Systems (*22(Q*22*)$. United 1ations .ffice on 5rugs and 4rime (U1.54). "arch +(, *228. Aetrie=ed "ay (6, *226. ?ump up L $@omicide, Suicide, and Unintentional Firearm Fatality# 4ompa ... # ?ournal of /rauma and Acute 4are Surgery$. ?ournals.l&&.com. doi#(2.(2D:E/A.2b2(+e+(6(dbaddf. Aetrie=ed *2(< 2( (+. ?ump up L Simpson, %an ("ay *, *2(+). $"aryland becomes latest U.S. state to abolish death penalty$. ;ahooe 1e&s. Aeuters. Archi=ed from the original on ?une *<, *2(+. Aetrie=ed ?uly <, *2(+. ?ump up L $Searchable ,Oecution 5atabase$. 5eath Penalty %nformation 4enter. Aetrie=ed .ctober (2, *2(*. ?ump up L $,Oecutions Around the World$. 5eath Penalty %nformation 4enter. *2(2. Aetrie=ed ?uly *+, *2((. ?ump up L Schmidt, Steffen W.M Shelley, "ack 4.M 0ardes, 0arbara A. (*226). American !o=ernment V Politics /oday. 4engage -earning. p. 8D(. %S01 D:6 2 <D8 82**6 D. ?ump up L Walmsley, Aoy (*228). $World Prison Population -ist$. PingNs 4ollege -ondon, %nternational 4entre for Prison Studies. Archi=ed from the original on ?une *6, *22:. For the latest data, see $Prison 0rief for United States of America$. PingNs 4ollege -ondon, %nternational 4entre for Prison Studies. ?une *(, *22B. Archi=ed from the original on August <, *22:. For other estimates of the incarceration rate in 4hina and 1orth Porea see Adams, 4ecil (February B, *22<). $5oes the United States -ead the World in Prison Population^$. /he Straight 5ope. Aetrie=ed .ctober ((, *22:. ?ump up L 0arkan, Ste=en ,.M 0ry3ak, !eorge ?. (*2((). Fundamentals of 4riminal ?ustice# A Sociological >ie&. ?ones V 0artlett. p. *+. %S01 D:6 ( <<DB 8<+D D. ?ump up L %adicola, PeterM Shupe, Anson (.ctober *B, *2(*). >iolence, %neFuality, and @uman Freedom. Ao&man V -ittlefield. p. <8B. %S01 D:6 ( <<** 2D<D :. ?ump up L 5e-isi, "attM 4onis, Peter ?ohn (*2((). American 4orrections# /heory, Aesearch, Policy, and Practice. ?ones V 0artlett. p. *(. %S01 D:6 ( <<DB <8<2 +. ?ump up L 4lear, /odd A.M 4ole, !eorge F.M Aeisig, "ichael 5ean (*226). American 4orrections. 4engage -earning. p. <68. %S01 D:6 2 <D8 88+*+ B. ?ump up L "ears, 5aniel P. (*2(2). American 4riminal ?ustice Policy# An ,=aluation Approach to %ncreasing Accountability and ,ffecti=eness. 4ambridge Uni=ersity Press. p. :*. %S01 D:6 2 8*( :B*<B 8. ?ump up L Fuchs, ,rin (.ctober (, *2(+). $Why -ouisiana %s /he "urder 4apital .f America$. 0usiness %nsider.

?ump up L $!ross 5omestic Product, ( 5ecimal (!5P)$. Federal Aeser=e 0ank of St. -ouis. 5ecember *2, *2(+. Aetrie=ed ?anuary (2, *2(<. ?ump up L $1ational %ncome and Product Accounts !ross 5omestic Product, *nd Yuarter *2(+ (ad=ance estimate)$ (Press release). 0ureau of ,conomic Analysis. ?uly +(, *2(+. Aetrie=ed August *+, *2(+. 4hange is based on chained *228 dollars. Yuarterly gro&th is eOpressed as an annualiCed rate. ?ump up L $4onsumer Price %ndeO for All Urban 4onsumers# All %tems (4P%AU4S-)$. Federal Aeser=e 0ank of St. -ouis. April 8, *2(+. Aetrie=ed April 8, *2(+. ?ump up L $4i=ilian ,mployment Population Aatio (,"AA/%.)$. Federal Aeser=e 0ank of St. -ouis. April 8, *2(+. Aetrie=ed April 8, *2(+. ?ump up L $,mployment Situation Summary$ (Press release). United States 5epartment of -abor. ?anuary (2, *2(<. Aetrie=ed ?anuary (2, *2(<. ?ump up L $-abor Force Statistics from the 4urrent Population Sur=ey$. 0ureau of -abor Statistics. United States 5epartment of -abor. April :, *2(+. Aetrie=ed April :, *2(+. ?ump up L $%ncome, Po=erty, and @ealth %nsurance 4o=erage in the United States# *2(2$. U.S. 4ensus 0ureau. September (<, *2(2. Aetrie=ed September (B, *2((. ?ump up L $Federal 5ebt# /otal Public 5ebt (!F5,0/1)$. Federal Aeser=e 0ank of St. -ouis. April 8, *2(+. Aetrie=ed April 8, *2(+. ?ump up L $Flo& of Funds Accounts of the United States# Flo&s and .utstandings Fourth Yuarter *2(($ (Press release). U.S. Federal Aeser=e. "arch 6, *2(*. Aetrie=ed April (:, *2(*. ?ump up L Wright, !a=inM 4Celusta, ?esse (*22:). $Aesource 0ased !ro&th Past and Present$, in 1atural Aesources# 1either 4urse 1or 5estiny, ed. 5aniel -ederman and William "aloney. World 0ank. p. (68. %S01 2 6*(+ B8<8 *. ?ump up L $,U*: Population 82*.8 "illion at ( ?anuary *2(($ (Press release). ,urostat Press .ffice. ?uly *6, *2((. Aetrie=ed ?une (D, *2(*. L ?ump up to# a b @agopian, PipM .hanian, -ee (August (, *2(*). $/he "ismeasure of %neFuality$. Policy Ae=ie& (@oo=er %nstitution Stanford Uni=ersity). Aetrie=ed August **, *2(+. ?ump up L $4urrency 4omposition of .fficial Foreign ,Ochange Aeser=es$. %nternational "onetary Fund. Aetrie=ed April D, *2(*. L ?ump up to# a b $/rade Statistics$. !reyhill Ad=isors. Aetrie=ed .ctober B, *2((. ?ump up L $/op /en 4ountries &ith &hich the U.S. /rades$. U.S. 4ensus 0ureau. August *22D. Aetrie=ed .ctober (*, *22D. ?ump up L $1ational debt# Whom does the US o&e^$. /he 4hristian Science "onitor (0oston "A). February <, *2((. Aetrie=ed ?uly (<, *2((. ?ump up L $!5P by %ndustry$. !reyhill Ad=isors. Aetrie=ed .ctober (+, *2((. L ?ump up to# a b $USA ,conomy in 0rief$. U.S. 5ept. of State, %nternational %nformation Programs. Archi=ed from the original on "arch (*, *226. ?ump up L $/able :*<R1umber of /aO Aeturns, Aeceipts, and 1et %ncome by /ype of 0usiness and %ndustry# *228$ (Z-S). U.S. 4ensus 0ureau. Aetrie=ed .ctober (*, *22D. ?ump up L $/able DB<R!ross 5omestic Product in 4urrent and Aeal (*222) 5ollars by %ndustry# *22B$. U.S. 4ensus 0ureau. "ay *226. Aetrie=ed .ctober (*, *22D. ?ump up L $Aank .rderR.il (Production)$. /he World Factbook. 4%A. Aetrie=ed .ctober (*, *22D.'dead link)$Aank .rderR.il (4onsumption)$. /he World Factbook. 4%A. Aetrie=ed .ctober (*, *22D.'dead link)$4rude .il and /otal Petroleum %mports /op (8 4ountries$. U.S. ,nergy %nformation Administration. September *D, *22D. Aetrie=ed .ctober (*, *22D. ?ump up L $4orn$. U.S. !rains 4ouncil. Archi=ed from the original on ?anuary (*, *226. Aetrie=ed "arch (+, *226. ?ump up L $Soybean 5emand 4ontinues to 5ri=e Production$. World&atch %nstitute. 1o=ember B, *22:. Aetrie=ed "arch (+, *226. ?ump up L $4oal Statistics$. 1ma.org. Aetrie=ed *2(< 2( (+. ?ump up L $"inerals Production$. 1ma.org. Aetrie=ed *2(< 2( (+. ?ump up L $Sony, -!, Wal "art among "ost ,Otendible 0rands$. 4heskin. ?une B, *228. Aetrie=ed ?une (D, *22:. ?ump up L $Personal 4onsumption ,Openditures (P4,)E!ross 5omestic Product (!5P)$ FA,5 !raph, Federal Aeser=e 0ank of St. -ouis ?ump up L Fuller, /homas (?une (8, *228). $%n the ,ast, "any ,U Work Aules 5onNt Apply$.

%nternational @erald /ribune (Paris). Aetrie=ed ?une *6, *22:.'dead link) ?ump up L $5oing 0usiness in the United States$. World 0ank. *22B. Aetrie=ed ?une *6, *22:. ?ump up L Aay, AebeccaM Sanes, "illaM Schmitt, ?ohn ("ay *2(+). 1o >acation 1ation Ae=isited. 4enter for ,conomic and Policy Aesearch. Aetrie=ed September 6, *2(+. ?ump up L 0ernard. /ara Siegel (February **, *2(+). $%n Paid Family -ea=e, U.S. /rails "ost of the !lobe$. /he 1e& ;ork /imes. Aetrie=ed August *:, *2(+. ?ump up L $/otal ,conomy 5atabase, Summary Statistics, (DD8Q*2(2$. /otal ,conomy 5atabase. /he 4onference 0oard. September *2(2. Aetrie=ed September *2, *22D. ?ump up L $4hart 0ook# /he -egacy of the !reat Aecession R 4enter on 0udget and Policy Priorities$. 4bpp.org. "arch (*, *2(+. Aetrie=ed "arch *:, *2(+. ?ump up L Sch&artC, 1elson ("arch +, *2(+). $Aeco=ery in U.S. %s -ifting Profits, but 1ot Adding ?obs$. /he 1e& ;ork /imes. Aetrie=ed "arch (6, *2(+. ?ump up L "cPinnon, ?ohn 5. (?anuary (, *2(+). $Analysis# ::G of @ouseholds to See /aO %ncrease$. /he Wall Street ?ournal (blog) (1e& ;ork). Aetrie=ed April 6, *2(+. ?ump up L !ongloff, "ark (September (:, *2(+). $"edian %ncome Falls For 8th ;ear, %neFuality At Aecord @igh$. /he @uffington Post. Aetrie=ed .ctober <, *2(+. ?ump up L $"ost Americans say U.S. in recession despite data# poll$. Aeuters. April *6, *2((. ?ump up L $.,45 0etter -ife %ndeO$. .,45. Aetrie=ed 1o=ember *8, *2(*. ?ump up L $@ousehold %ncome for States# *2(2 and *2(($ United States 4ensus, American 4ommunity Sur=ey 0riefs, September *2(*, AppendiO /able (, p. 8 ?ump up L $!lobal Food Security %ndeO$. -ondon# /he ,conomist %ntelligence Unit. "arch 8, *2(+. Aetrie=ed April 6, *2(+. ?ump up L Aector, AobertM Sheffield, Aachel (September (+, *2((). $Understanding Po=erty in the United States# Surprising Facts About AmericaNs Poor$. @eritage Foundation. Aetrie=ed April 6, *2(+. ?ump up L Piketty, /homas (*2(<). 4apital in the /&enty First 4entury. 0elknap Press. %S01 2B:<<+222Z p. *8: ?ump up L 5omhoff, !. William (5ecember *22B). $/able <# Percentage of Wealth @eld by the /op (2G of the Adult Population in >arious Western 4ountries$. Po&er in America. Uni=ersity of 4alifornia at Santa 4ruC, Sociology 5ept. Aetrie=ed August *(, *22B. ?ump up L $*2(+ @uman 5e=elopment Aeport$. United 1ations 5e=elopment Programme. Aetrie=ed ?uly *6, *2(+. ?ump up L "ishel, -a&rence (April *B, *2(*). /he &edges bet&een producti=ity and median compensation gro&th. ,conomic Policy %nstitute. Aetrie=ed .ctober (6, *2(+. ?ump up L $/he "ost %mportant 4hart in American Politics$. /ime (1e& ;ork). February <, *2(+. ?ump up L Al=aredo, FacundoM Atkinson, Anthony 0.M Piketty, /homasM SaeC, ,mmanuel (*2(+). $/he /op ( Percent in %nternational and @istorical Perspecti=e$. ?ournal of ,conomic Perspecti=es. Aetrie=ed August (B, *2(+. ?ump up L Smeeding, /.". (*228). $Public Policy# ,conomic %neFuality and Po=erty# /he United States in 4omparati=e Perspecti=e$. Social Science Yuarterly 6B# D88QD6+. doi#(2.((((E3.22+6 <D<(.*228.22++(.O. ?ump up L SaeC, ,. (.ctober *22:). $/able A(# /op Fractiles %ncome Shares (,Ocluding 4apital !ains) in the U.S., (D(+Q*228$. U4 0erkeley. Aetrie=ed ?uly *<, *226.$Field -istingR5istribution of Family %ncomeR!ini %ndeO$. /he World Factbook. 4%A. ?une (<, *22:. Aetrie=ed ?une (:, *22:. ?ump up L Focus on /op %ncomes and /aOation in .,45 4ountries# Was the crisis a game changer^ .,45, "ay *2(<. Aetrie=ed ( "ay *2(<. ?ump up L SaeC, ,mmanuel (September +, *2(+). $Striking it Aicher# /he ,=olution of /op %ncomes in the United States$. U4 0erkley. Aetrie=ed September ((, *2(+. ?ump up L Altman, Aoger 4. $/he !reat 4rash, *226$. Foreign Affairs. Aetrie=ed February *:, *22D. ?ump up L $AmericansN &ealth drops H(.+ trillion$. 411 "oney. ?une ((, *22D. ?ump up L $U.S. household &ealth falls H((.* trillion in *226$. Aeuters. "arch (*, *22D. ?ump up L $@ousehold Food Security in the United States in *2(($. US5A. September *2(*. Aetrie=ed April 6, *2(+. ?ump up L $%nterstate FAY (Yuestion \+)$. Federal @igh&ay Administration. *22B. Aetrie=ed

"arch <, *22D. ?ump up L $4hina ,Opress&ay System to ,Oceed US %nterstates$. 1e& !eography (!rand Forks, 15). ?anuary **, *2((. Aetrie=ed September (B, *2((. ?ump up L $4hina o=ertakes US in car sales$. /he !uardian (-ondon). ?anuary 6, *2(2. Aetrie=ed ?uly (2, *2((. ?ump up L $"otor =ehicles statistics Q countries compared &orld&ide$. 1ation"aster. Aetrie=ed ?uly (2, *2((. ?ump up L $@ousehold, %ndi=idual, and >ehicle 4haracteristics$. *22( 1ational @ousehold /ra=el Sur=ey. U.S. 5ept. of /ransportation, 0ureau of /ransportation Statistics. Aetrie=ed August (8, *22:. ?ump up L $5aily Passenger /ra=el$. *22( 1ational @ousehold /ra=el Sur=ey. U.S. 5ept. of /ransportation, 0ureau of /ransportation Statistics. Aetrie=ed August (8, *22:. ?ump up L Aenne, ?ohn -.M Wells, ?an S. (*22+). $,merging ,uropean Style Planning in the United States# /ransit .riented 5e=elopment$. Autgers Uni=ersity. p. *. Aetrie=ed ?une ((, *22:. ?ump up L $1at!eo sur=eys countriesN transit use# guess &ho comes in last$. S&itchboard.nrdc.org. "ay (6, *22D. Aetrie=ed ?uly (2, *2((. ?ump up L $%ntercity Passenger Aail# 1ational Policy and Strategies 1eeded to "aOimiCe Public 0enefits from Federal ,Openditures$. U.S. !o=ernment Accountability .ffice. 1o=ember (+, *22B. Aetrie=ed ?une *2, *22:. ?ump up L $Amtrak Aidership Aecords$. Amtrak. ?une 6, *2((. Aetrie=ed February *D, *2(*. ?ump up L "c!ill, /racy (?anuary (, *2((). $+ Aeasons -ight Aail %s an ,fficient /ransportation .ption for U.S. 4ities$. "eta,fficient. Aetrie=ed ?une (<, *2(+. ?ump up L $0icycling to Work$. 1et&ork of ,mployers for /raffic Safety. Aetrie=ed ?uly (2, *2((. 'dead link) ?ump up L $Scheduled Passengers 4arried$. %nternational Air /ransport Association (%A/A). *2((. Aetrie=ed February (:, *2(*. ?ump up L $Passenger /raffic *22B Final$. Airports 4ouncil %nternational. ?uly (6, *22:. Aetrie=ed August (8, *22:.'dead link) ?ump up L $5iagram (# ,nergy Flo&, *22:$. ,%A Annual ,nergy Ae=ie&. U.S. 5ept. of ,nergy, ,nergy %nformation Administration. *22:. Aetrie=ed ?une *8, *226. ?ump up L $Aank .rderR.il (4onsumption)$. /he World Factbook. 4%A. September B, *22:. Aetrie=ed September (<, *22:.'dead link) ?ump up L $Atomic Aenaissance$. /he ,conomist (-ondon). September B, *22:. Aetrie=ed September B, *22:. ?ump up L $0P Statistical Ae=ie& of World ,nergy$ (Z-S). 0ritish Petroleum. ?une *22:. Aetrie=ed February **, *2(2. ?ump up L Ames, Paul ("ay +2, *2(+). $4ould fracking make the Persian !ulf irrele=ant^$. Salon. Aetrie=ed "ay +2, *2(*. $Since 1o=ember, the United States has replaced Saudi Arabia as the &orldNs biggest producer of crude oil. %t had already o=ertaken Aussia as the leading producer of natural gas.$ ?ump up L $,disonNs Story$. -emelson 4enter. Aetrie=ed August *(, *2(*. ?ump up L 0enedetti, Franfois (5ecember (:, *22+). $(22 ;ears Ago, the 5ream of %carus 0ecame Aeality$. FXdXration AXronautiFue %nternationale (FA%). Archi=ed from the original on September (*, *22:. Aetrie=ed August (8, *22:. ?ump up L $Aesearch and 5e=elopment (AV5) ,Openditures by Source and .b3ecti=e# (D:2 to *22<$. U.S. 4ensus 0ureau. Aetrie=ed ?une (D, *22:. ?ump up L "ac-eod, 5onald ("arch *(, *22B). $0ritain Second in World Aesearch Aankings$. /he !uardian (-ondon). Aetrie=ed "ay (<, *22B. ?ump up L $,Oploring the 5igital 1ationR4omputer and %nternet Use at @ome$. U.S. 5ept. of 4ommerce, ,conomics and Statistics Administration. 1o=ember 6, *2((. Aetrie=ed April ((, *2(*. ?ump up L $Aeport# D2G of Americans o&n a computeriCed gadget$. 411. February +, *2((. Aetrie=ed 5ecember *:, *2(*. ?ump up L $%SAAA 0rief +D *226# ,Oecuti=e SummaryR!lobal Status of 4ommercialiCed 0iotechE!" 4rops# *226$. %nternational Ser=ice for the AcFuisition of Agri 0iotech Applications. p. (8. Aetrie=ed ?uly (B, *2(2.

?ump up L $Ages for 4ompulsory School Attendance ...$. U.S. 5ept. of ,ducation, 1ational 4enter for ,ducation Statistics. Aetrie=ed ?une (2, *22:. ?ump up L $Statistics About 1on Public ,ducation in the United States$. U.S. 5ept. of ,ducation, .ffice of 1on Public ,ducation. Aetrie=ed ?une 8, *22:. L ?ump up to# a b AP (?une *8, *2(+). $U.S. education spending tops global list, study sho&s$. 40S. Aetrie=ed .ctober 8, *2(+. ?ump up L Aosenstone, Ste=en ?. (5ecember (:, *22D). $Public ,ducation for the 4ommon !ood$. Uni=ersity of "innesota. Aetrie=ed "arch B, *22D. ?ump up L $YS World Uni=ersity Aankings$. /opuni=ersities. Aetrie=ed ?uly (2, *2((. ?ump up L $/op *22 Q /he /imes @igher ,ducation World Uni=ersity Aankings *2(2Q*2(($. /imeshighereducation.co.uk. Aetrie=ed ?uly (2, *2((. ?ump up L $,ducational Attainment in the United States# *22+$. U.S. 4ensus 0ureau. Aetrie=ed August (, *22B. ?ump up L For more detail on U.S. literacy, see A First -ook at the -iteracy of AmericaNs Adults in the *(st century, U.S. 5epartment of ,ducation (*22+). ?ump up L $@uman 5e=elopment %ndicators$. United 1ations 5e=elopment Programme, @uman 5e=elopment Aeports. *228. Archi=ed from the original on ?une *2, *22:. Aetrie=ed ?anuary (<, *226. ?ump up L $,ducation at a !lance *2(+$. .,45. Aetrie=ed .ctober 8, *2(+. ?ump up L Student -oan 5ebt ,Oceeds .ne /rillion 5ollars. 1PA, April <, *2(*. Aetrie=ed September 6, *2(+. ?ump up L $4ountry 4omparison# -ife ,Opectancy at 0irth$. /he World Factbook. 4%A. Aetrie=ed .ctober *8, *2((. L ?ump up to# a b "urray, 4hristopher ?.-. (?uly (2, *2(+). $/he State of US @ealth, (DD2Q*2(2# 0urden of 5iseases, %n3uries, and Aisk Factors$. ?ournal of the American "edical Association +(2 (B)# 8D(QB26. doi#(2.(22(E3ama.*2(+.(+628. P"%5 *+6<*8::. Aetrie=ed ?uly ((, *2(+.'dead link) ?ump up L "acAskill, ,&en (August (+, *22:). $US /umbles 5o&n the World Aatings -ist for -ife ,Opectancy$. /he !uardian (-ondon). Aetrie=ed August (8, *22:. ?ump up L $Slidesho&# "ost obese countries$. Aeuters. Aetrie=ed 1o=ember **, *2(*. ?ump up L $Pre=alence of .=er&eight and .besity Among Adults# United States, *22+Q*22<$. 4enters for 5isease 4ontrol and Pre=ention, 1ational 4enter for @ealth Statistics. Aetrie=ed ?une 8, *22:. ?ump up L Schlosser, ,ric (*22*). Fast Food 1ation. 1e& ;ork# Perennial. p. *<2. %S01 2 2B 2D+6<8 8. ?ump up L $Fast Food, 4entral 1er=ous System %nsulin Aesistance, and .besity$. Arteriosclerosis, /hrombosis, and >ascular 0iology. American @eart Association. *228. Aetrie=ed ?une (:, *22:. ?ump up L $4ountry 4omparison# %nfant "ortality Aate$. /he World Factbook. 4%A. Aetrie=ed .ctober *8, *2((.'dead link) ?ump up L 4o&en, /yler (.ctober 8, *22B). $Poor U.S. Scores in @ealth 4are 5onNt "easure 1obels and %nno=ation$. /he 1e& ;ork /imes. Aetrie=ed .ctober D, *2(*. ?ump up L Whitman, !lenM Aaad, Aaymond. $0ending the Producti=ity 4ur=e# Why America -eads the World in "edical %nno=ation$. /he 4ato %nstitute. Aetrie=ed .ctober D, *2(*. ?ump up L .,45 @ealth 5ata *222# A 4omparati=e Analysis of *D 4ountries '45 A.") (.,45# Paris, *222). See also $/he U.S. @ealthcare System# /he 0est in the World or ?ust the "ost ,Opensi=e^$. Uni=ersity of "aine. *22(. Aetrie=ed 1o=ember *D, *22B. ?ump up L Abelson, Aeed (?une (2, *226). $Aanks of Underinsured Are Aising, Study Finds$. /he 1e& ;ork /imes. Aetrie=ed .ctober *8, *226. ?ump up L 0le&ett, -ynn A. et al. (5ecember *22B). $@o& "uch @ealth %nsurance %s ,nough^ Ae=isiting the 4oncept of Underinsurance$. "edical 4are Aesearch and Ae=ie& B+ (B)# BB+Q:22. doi#(2.((::E(2::886:2B*D+B+<. %SS1 (2:: 886:. P"%5 (:2DD(*(. ?ump up L Fahrenthold, 5a=id A. (April 8, *22B). $"ass. 0ill AeFuires @ealth 4o=erage$. /he Washington Post. Aetrie=ed ?une (D, *22:. ?ump up L $@ealth 4are -a& 8<G Fa=or Aepeal of @ealth 4are -a&$. Aasmussen Aeports. Aetrie=ed .ctober (+, *2(*. ?ump up L $5ebate on .bama4are to intensify in the &ake of landmark Supreme 4ourt ruling$.

FoO 1e&s. ?une *D, *2(*. Aetrie=ed .ctober (<, *2(*. ?ump up L $Statue of -iberty$. World @eritage. U1,S4.. Aetrie=ed .ctober *2, *2((. ?ump up L /hompson, WilliamM @ickey, ?oseph (*228). Society in Focus. 0oston# Pearson. %S01 2 *28 <(+B8 Z. ?ump up L Fiorina, "orris P.M Peterson, Paul ,. (*222). /he 1e& American 5emocracy. -ondon# -ongman, p. D:. %S01 2 +*( 2:286 8. ?ump up L @ollo&ay, ?oseph ,. (*228). Africanisms in American 4ulture, *d ed. 0loomington# %ndiana Uni=ersity Press, pp. (6Q+6. %S01 2 *8+ +<<:D <. ?ohnson, Fern -. ((DDD). Speaking 4ulturally# -anguage 5i=ersity in the United States. /housand .aks, 4alif., -ondon, and 1e& 5elhi# Sage, p. ((B. %S01 2 62+D 8D(* 8. ?ump up L @untington, Samuel P. (*22<). $4hapters *Q<$. Who are We^# /he 4hallenges to AmericaNs 1ational %dentity. Simon and Schuster. %S01 2B6<6:28++.# also see AmericanNs 4reed, &ritten by William /yler Page and adopted by 4ongress in (D(6. ?ump up L AP (?une *8, *22:). $Americans gi=e record H*D80 to charity$. USA /oday. Aetrie=ed .ctober <, *2(+. ?ump up L $%nternational comparisons of charitable gi=ing$. 4harities Aid Foundation. 1o=ember *22B. Aetrie=ed .ctober <, *2(+. ?ump up L 4lifton, ?ohn ("arch *(, *2(+). $"ore /han (22 "illion World&ide 5ream of a -ife in the U.S. "ore than *8G in -iberia, Sierra -eone, 5ominican Aepublic &ant to mo=e to the U.S.$. !allup. Aetrie=ed (2 ?anuary *2(<. ?ump up L $A Family Affair# %ntergenerational Social "obility across .,45 4ountries$. ,conomic Policy Aeforms# !oing for !ro&th. .,45. *2(2. Aetrie=ed September *2, *2(2. 0landen, ?oM !regg, PaulM "alchin, Stephen (April *228). $%ntergenerational "obility in ,urope and 1orth America$. 4entre for ,conomic Performance. Archi=ed from the original on ?une *+, *22B. ?ump up L !ould, ,lise (.ctober (2, *2(*). $U.S. lags behind peer countries in mobility.$ ,conomic Policy %nstitute. Aetrie=ed ?uly (8, *2(+. ?ump up L 4AP# Understanding "obility in America. April *B, *22B ?ump up L Schneider, 5onald (?uly *D, *2(+). $A !uide to Understanding %nternational 4omparisons of ,conomic "obility$. /he @eritage Foundation. Aetrie=ed August **, *2(+. ?ump up L Winship, Scott (Spring *2(+). $.=erstating the 4osts of %neFuality$. 1ational Affairs. Aetrie=ed (2 ?anuary *2(<. ?ump up L !utfield, Amon (*22*). American ,Oceptionalism# /he ,ffects of Plenty on the American ,Operience. 0righton and Portland# SusseO Academic Press. p. B8. %S01 ( D2+D22 26 8. ?ump up L [&eig, "ichael (*22<). WhatNs 4lass !ot /o 5o With %t, American Society in the /&enty First 4entury. %thaca, 1;# 4ornell Uni=ersity Press. %S01 2 62(< 66DD 2. $,ffects of Social 4lass and %nteracti=e Setting on "aternal Speech$. ,ducation Aesource %nformation 4enter. Aetrie=ed ?anuary *:, *22:. ?ump up L ,ichar, 5ouglas ((D6D). .ccupation and 4lass 4onsciousness in America. Westport, 4/# !reen&ood Press. %S01 2 +(+ *B((( +. ?ump up L .NPeefe, Pe=in (*228). /he A=erage American. 1e& ;ork# PublicAffairs. %S01 ( 86B<6 *:2 Z. ?ump up L >illage >oice# (22 0est Films of the *2th century (*22(). Filmsite. ?ump up L $Sight and Sound /op /en Poll *22*$. Archi=ed from the original on "ay *8, *2(*.. 'dead link). 0ritish Film %nstitute. Aetrie=ed ?une (D, *22:. ?ump up L $1igeria surpasses @olly&ood as &orldNs second largest film producer$ (Press release). United 1ations. "ay 8, *22D. Aetrie=ed February (:, *2(+. ?ump up L 5aniels, -es ((DD6). Superman# /he 4omplete @istory ((st ed.). /itan 0ooks. p. ((. %S01 ( 68*6B D66 :. ?ump up L $"edia Statistics g /ele=ision >ie&ing by 4ountry$. 1ation"aster. Aetrie=ed ?une +, *22:. ?ump up L $0roadband and "edia 4onsumption$. e"arketer. ?une :, *22:. Aetrie=ed ?une (2, *22:. ?ump up L $/> Fans Spill into Web Sites$. e"arketer. ?une :, *22:. Aetrie=ed ?une (2, *22:. ?ump up L $/op Sites in United States$. AleOa. *2(2. Aetrie=ed "arch *:, *2(2. L ?ump up to# a b 0iddle, ?ulian (*22(). What Was @ote# Fi=e 5ecades of Pop 4ulture in America.

1e& ;ork# 4itadel, p. iO. %S01 2 62B8 *+(( 8. ?ump up L 0loom, @arold. (DDD. ,mily 5ickinson. 0roomall, PA# 4helsea @ouse. p. D. %S01 2 :D(2 8(2B <. ?ump up L 0uell, -a&rence (SpringQSummer *226). $/he Unkillable 5ream of the !reat American 1o=el# "oby 5ick as /est 4ase$. American -iterary @istory *2 ((Q*)# (+*Q(88. doi#(2.(2D+EalhEa3n228. %SS1 26DB :(<6. ?ump up L Yuinn, ,d&ard (*22B). A 5ictionary of -iterary and /hematic /erms. %nfobase, p. +B(. %S01 2 6(B2 B*<+ D. Seed, 5a=id (*22D). A 4ompanion to /&entieth 4entury United States Fiction. 4hichester, West SusseO# ?ohn Wiley and Sons, p. :B. %S01 ( <28( <BD( 8. "eyers, ?effrey ((DDD). @eming&ay# A 0iography. 1e& ;ork# 5a 4apo, p. (+D. %S01 2 +2B 626D2 2. ?ump up L Summers, -a&rence @. (1o=ember (D, *22B). $/he !reat -iberator$. /he 1e& ;ork /imes. Aetrie=ed "ay (:, *2(+. ?ump up L "cFadden, Aobert 5. (?anuary D, *2(+). $?ames ". 0uchanan, ,conomic Scholar and 1obel -aureate, 5ies at D+$. /he 1e& ;ork /imes. Aetrie=ed "ay (:, *2(+. ?ump up L 0ro&n, "ilton W. ((D66 (DB+). /he Story of the Armory Sho&. 1e& ;ork# Abbe=ille. %S01 2 6DB8D :D8 <. L ?ump up to# a b Plapthor, ?ames 1. (August *+, *22+). $What, When, and Where Americans ,at in *22+$. 1e&s&iseE%nstitute of Food /echnologists. Aetrie=ed ?une (D, *22:. ?ump up L Smith, *22<, pp. (+(Q(+* ?ump up L -e=enstein, *22+, pp. (8<Q88 ?ump up L 0oslaugh, Sarah (*2(2). $.besity ,pidemic$, in 4ulture Wars# An ,ncyclopedia of %ssues, >ie&points, and >oices, ed. Aoger 4hapman. Armonk, 1.;.# ". ,. Sharpe, pp. <(+Q(<. %S01 D:6 2 :B8B (:B( +. ?ump up L $Fast Food, 4entral 1er=ous System %nsulin Aesistance, and .besity$. Arteriosclerosis, /hrombosis, and >ascular 0iology. American @eart Association. *228. Aetrie=ed ?une D, *22:. $-etNs ,at .ut# Americans Weigh /aste, 4on=enience, and 1utrition$. U.S. 5ept. of Agriculture. Aetrie=ed ?une D, *22:. ?ump up L !lobal sports market to hit ,( billion in *2(*. Aeuters. Aetrie=ed on ?uly *<, *2(+. ?ump up L Prane, 5a=id P. (.ctober +2, *22*). $Professional Football Widens %ts -ead .=er 0aseball as 1ationNs Fa=orite Sport$. @arris %nteracti=e. Aetrie=ed September (<, *22:. "accambridge, "ichael (*22<). AmericaNs !ame# /he ,pic Story of @o& Pro Football 4aptured a 1ation. 1e& ;ork# Aandom @ouse. %S01 2 +:8 82<8< 2. ?ump up L $Passion for 4ollege Football Aemains Aobust$. 1ational Football Foundation. "arch (D, *2(+. Aetrie=ed April (, *2(<. ?ump up L 4o&en, /ylerM !rier, Pe=in (February D, *2(*). $What Would the ,nd of Football -ook -ike^$. !rantlandE,SP1. Aetrie=ed February (*, *2(*. ?ump up L "ccauley, Adam. $"iOed "artial Arts 1e&s$. /opics.nytimes.com. Aetrie=ed "arch *:, *2(+. ?ump up L .akes, Palle (April *6, *2(+). $"iOed "artial Arts# %ts popularity is no contest$. Sun ?ournal. Aetrie=ed .ctober (, *2(+. $Pay per =ie& cards play out to capti=e audiences in millions of American homes, attracting more consumers than professional &restling and boOing at the same price. An adrenaline sports tele=ision net&ork, Fuel, de=otes more than half its *< hour broadcast day to a single sport. .ther, more popular cable or satellite stops furnish daily or &eekly sho&s de=oted to it.$ ?ump up L -iss, @o&ard. -acrosse (Funk V Wagnalls, (D:2) pg (+. ?ump up L 4hase, 4hris (February :, *2(<). $/he (2 most fascinating facts about the all time Winter .lympics medal standings$. USA /oday. Aetrie=ed February *6, *2(<. -oumena, 5an (February B, *2(<). $With Sochi .lympics approaching, a history of Winter .lympic medals$. -os Angeles /imes. Aetrie=ed February *6, *2(<. 0ibliography Acharya, >iral >.M 4ooley, /homas F.M Aichardson, "atthe& P.M Walter, %ngo (*2(2). Aegulating Wall Street# /he 5odd Frank Act and the 1e& Architecture of !lobal Finance. Wiley. p. 8D*. %S01 D:6 2 <:2 :B6:: 6. 0arth, ?amesM ?ahera, ?ohn (*2(2). $US ,nacts S&eeping Financial Aeform -egislation$. ?ournal of Financial ,conomic Policy * (+)# (D*Q(D8. doi#(2.((26E(:8:B+6(2((268<(*. 0erkin, 4arolM "iller, 4hristopher -.M 4herny, Aobert W.M !ormly, ?ames -. (*22:). "aking

America# A @istory of the United States, >olume %# /o (6::. 4engage -earning. p. :8., 0ook 0ianchine, Peter ?.M Ausso, /homas A. ((DD*). $/he Aole of ,pidemic %nfectious 5iseases in the 5isco=ery of America,(Allergy and Asthma Proceedings)$. Allergy and Asthma Proceedings (.ceanSide Publications, %nc.) (+ (8)# **8Q*+*. doi#(2.*822E(2668<(D*::66(:2<2. P"%5 (<6+8:2. Aetrie=ed September D, *2(*. 0oyer, Paul S., @ar=ardM 4lark, 4liffoed ,. ?r.M Pett, ?oseph F.M Salisbury, 1ealM SitkoffM Woloch, 1ancy (*22:). /he ,nduring >ision# A @istory of the American People. 4engage -earning. p. 866. %S01 D:6 2 B(6 62(B( D., 0ook 4lingan, ,dmund. An %ntroduction to "odern Western 4i=iliCation. iUni=erse. %S01 D:6 ( <B*2 8<+D 6., 0ook 4allo&ay, 4olin !. 1e& Worlds for All# %ndians, ,uropeans, and the Aemaking of ,arly America. ?@U Press. p. **D. %S01 D:6 2 62(6 8D8D 8., 0ook 5a=is, Penneth 4. ((DDB). 5onNt kno& much about the 4i=il War. 1e& ;ork# William "arro& and 4o. p. 8(6. %S01 2 B66 ((6(< +., 0ook 5aynes, 0yron W.M Sussman, !len (eds.) (*2(2). White @ouse Politics and the ,n=ironment# Franklin 5. Aoose=elt to !eorge W. 0ush. /eOas AV" Uni=ersity Press. p. +*2. %S01 D:6 ( B2+<< *8< (. $Presidential en=ironmental policies, (D++Q*22D$, 0ook Feldstein, Syl=an !.M FaboCCi, 4FA, Frank ?. /he @andbook of "unicipal 0onds. ?ohn Wiley V Sons, ?an (+, *2((. p. (+:B. %S01 D:6 ( ((6 2<<D< 2., 0ook !old, Susan 5udley (*22B). United States >. Amistad# Sla=e Ship "utiny. "arshall 4a=endish. p. (<<. %S01 D:6 2 :B(< *(<+ B., 0ook Ferguson, /homasM Aogers, ?oel ((D6B). $/he "yth of AmericaNs /urn to the Aight$. /he Atlantic *8: (8)# <+Q8+. Aetrie=ed "arch ((, *2(+. Fraser, Se=eM !erstle, !ary ((D6D). /he Aise and Fall of the 1e& 5eal .rder# (D+2Q(D62. American @istory# Political science. Princeton Uni=ersity Press. p. +((. %S01 D:6 2 BD( 22B2: D. !ordon, ?ohn Steele (*22<). An ,mpire of Wealth# /he ,pic @istory of American ,conomic Po&er. @arper4ollins., 0ook !raebner, 1orman A.M 0urns, Aichard 5eanM Siracusa, ?oseph ". (*226). Aeagan, 0ush, !orbache=# Ae=isiting the ,nd of the 4old War. Praeger Security %nternational Series. !reen&ood Publishing !roup. p. (62. %S01 D:6 2 +(+ +8*<( B. @ughes, 5a=id (*22:). /he 0ritish 4hronicles (. Westminister, "aryland# @eritage 0ooks. p. +<:. ?acobs, -a&rence A. (*2(2). @ealth 4are Aeform and American Politics# What ,=eryone 1eeds to Pno&# What ,=eryone 1eeds to Pno&. .Oford Uni=ersity Press. %S01 D:6 2 (D D:6(<* +. ?ohnson, Paul ((DD:). A @istory of the American People. @arper4ollins. pp. *BQ+2., e0ook =ersion ?uergens, /om (*2((). Wicked Puritans of ,sseO 4ounty. /he @istory Press. p. ((*. %S01 D:6 ( 8DB*D 8BB :., 0ook Pessel, William 0.M Wooster, Aobert (*228). ,ncyclopedia of 1ati=e American Wars and Warfare. Facts on File library of American @istory. %nfobase Publishing. p. +D6. %S01 D:6 2 6(B2 +++: D., 0ook Polko, !abriel ((D66). 4onfronting the /hird World# United States Foreign Policy, (D<8Q(D62. 1e& ;ork, 1;# Pantheon. -eckie, Aobert ((DD2). 1one died in =ain# /he Saga of the American 4i=il War. 1e& ;ork# @arper 4ollins. p. B6*. %S01 2 2B 2(B*62 8., 0ook -effler, "el=yn P. (*2(2). $/he emergence of an American grand strategy, (D<8Q(D8*$. %n "el=yn P. -effler and .dd Arne Westad, eds.,/he 4ambridge @istory of the 4old War, >olume (# .rigins (pp. B:Q6D). 4ambridge# 4ambridge Uni=ersity Press. %S01 D:6 2 8*( 6+:(D <. -emon, ?ames /. ((D6:). $4olonial America in the (6th 4entury$. %n Aobert 5. "itchellM Paul A. !ro=es. 1orth America# the historical geography of a changing continent. Ao&man V -ittlefield., P5F -ien, Ph.5, Arnold ?ohnson ((D(+). Studies in @istory, ,conomics, and Public -a&, >olume 8<. -ongmans, !reen V 4o., Agents, -ondonM 4olumbia Uni=ersity, 1e& ;ork. p. B2<. Paren Wood Weierman (*228). .ne 1ation, .ne 0lood# %nterracial "arriage %n American Fiction, Scandal, And -a&, (6*2Q(6:2. Uni=ersity of "assachusetts Press. p. *(<. %S01 D:6 ( 886<D <6+ (., 0ook -e=enstein, @ar=ey (*22+). Ae=olution at the /able# /he /ransformation of the American 5iet.

Uni=ersity of 4alifornia Press, 0erkeley, -os Angeles. %S01 2 8*2 *+<+D (. "ann, Paarin (*22:). $%nterracial "arriage %n ,arly America# "oti=ation and the 4olonial Pro3ect$. "ichigan ?ournal of @istory (Uni=ersity of "ichigan) (Fall). Aetrie=ed September 6, *2(*.'dead link) Price, 5a=id A. (*22+). -o=e and @ate in ?amesto&n# ?ohn Smith, Pocahontas, and the Start of a 1e& 1ation. Aandom @ouse. e0ook =ersion Yuirk, ?oel (*2((). /he Anti Sla=ery Pro3ect# From the Sla=e /rade to @uman /rafficking. Uni=ersity of Pennsyl=ania Press. p. +<<. %S01 D:6 2 6(** <+++ 6., 0ook Aanlet, Philip ((DDD). Alden /. >aughan, ed. 1e& ,ngland ,ncounters# %ndians and ,uroamericans 4a. (B22Q(682. 1orth ,astern Uni=ersity Press. Aausch, 5a=id A. ((DD<). 1ati=e American >oices. 0aker 0ooks, !rand Aapids. p. (62., 0ook Aemini, Aobert >. (*22:). /he @ouse# /he @istory of the @ouse of Aepresentati=es. @arper4ollins. pp. *Q+., 0ook Aipper, ?ason (*226). American Stories# /o (6::. ".,. Sharpe. p. *DD. %S01 D:6 2 :B8B *D2+ B., 0ook Aussell, ?ohn @enderson ((D(+). /he Free 1egro in >irginia, (B(DQ(6B8. ?ohns @opkins Uni=ersity. p. (DB., ,N0ook Schneider, 5orothyM Schneider, 4arl ?. (*22:). Sla=ery in America. %nfobase Publishing. p. 88<. %S01 D:6 ( <+6( 26(+ (., 0ook SchultC, 5a=id Andre& (*22D). ,ncyclopedia of the United States 4onstitution. %nfobase Publishing. p. D2<. %S01 D:6 ( <+6( *B:: :., 0ook Simonson, Peter (*2(2). Aefiguring "ass 4ommunication# A @istory. Urbana# Uni=ersity of %llinois Press. %S01 D:6 2 *8* 2::28 2. $@e held high the 5eclaration of %ndependence, the 4onstitution, and the nationNs unofficial motto, e pluribus unum, e=en as he &as recoiling from the party system in &hich he had long participated.$, 0ook Smith, Andre& F. (*22<). /he .Oford ,ncyclopedia of Food and 5rink in America. 1e& ;ork# .Oford Uni=ersity Press, pp. (+(Q+*. %S01 2 (D 8(8<+: (. Soss, ?oe (*2(2). @acker, ?acob S.M "ettler, SuCanne, eds. Aemaking America# 5emocracy and Public Policy in an Age of %neFuality. Aussell Sage Foundation. %S01 D:6 ( B(2<< BD< 8., 0ook /adman, "ichael (*222). $/he 5emographic 4ost of Sugar# 5ebates on Sla=e Societies and 1atural %ncrease in the Americas$. American @istorical Ae=ie& (28 (8) (.Oford Uni=ersity Press)., Article /aylor, Alan (*22*). ,ric Foner, ed. American 4olonies# /he Settling of 1orth America. Penguin 0ooks, 1e& ;ork. %S01 2 B:2 6:*6* *., 0ook /hornton, Aussell ((D6:). American %ndian @olocaust and Sur=i=al# A Population @istory Since (<D*. >olume (6B of 4i=iliCation of the American %ndian Series. Uni=ersity of .klahoma Press. p. <D. %S01 D:6 2 62B( ***2 8., 0ook /ooCe, Adam (*22B). /he Wages of 5estruction# /he "aking and 0reaking of the 1aCi ,conomy. -ondon# Allen -ane. %S01 D:6 2 :(+D D8BB <. >aughan, Alden /. ((DDD). 1e& ,ngland ,ncounters# %ndians and ,uroamericans 4a. (B22Q(682. 1orth ,astern Uni=ersity Press. Walton, !ary ".M Aockoff, @ugh (*22D). @istory of the American ,conomy. 4engage -earning., 0ook Williams, 5aniel P. (*2(*). Yuestioning 4onser=atismNs Ascendancy# A AeeOamination of the Aight&ard Shift in "odern American PoliticsM hAe=ie&s in American @istoryi <2 (*). /he ?ohns @opkins Uni=ersity Press. pp. +*8Q++(. doi#(2.(+8+Erah.*2(*.22<+. Aetrie=ed "arch ((, *2(+. Winchester, Simon (*2(+). /he men &ho United the States. @arper 4ollins. pp. (D6, *(B, *8(, *8+. %S01 D:6 2 2B *2:DB2 *. [inn, @o&ard (*228). A PeopleNs @istory of the United States. @arper4ollins. %S01 2 2B 26+6B8 8. Website sources $4ountry Profile# United States of America$. 004 1e&s (-ondon). April **, *226. Aetrie=ed "ay (6, *226. 4ohen, ,liot A. (?ulyQAugust *22<). $@istory and the @yperpo&er$. Foreign Affairs. Washington 5.4. Aetrie=ed ?uly (<, *22B. $Sla=ery and the Sla=e /rade in Ahode %sland$.

$Peopling of Americas$. Smithsonian %nstitution, 1ational "useum of 1atural @istory. ?une *22<. Archi=ed from the original on 1o=ember *6, *22:. Aetrie=ed ?une (D, *22:. $@istory of $%n !od We /rust$$. U.S. 5epartment of the /reasury. "arch 6, *2((. Aetrie=ed February *+, *2(+. $,arly @istory, 1ati=e Americans, and ,arly Settlers in "ercer 4ounty$. "ercer 4ounty @istorical Society. <*:. Archi=ed from the original on April (8, *2(+., 0ook 1ick @ayes (1o=ember B, *22D). $-ooking back *2 years# Who deser=es credit for ending the 4old War^$. "innPost. Aetrie=ed "arch ((, *2(+. $8De. /he ,nd of the 4old War$. U.S. @istory.org. %ndependence @all Association. Aetrie=ed "arch (2, *2(+. -e=y, Peter 0. ((DDB). ,ncyclopedia of the Aeagan 0ush ;ears. A04 4-%.. p. <<*. %S01 D:6 2 +(+ *D2(6 +. Wallander, 4eleste A. (*22+). $Western Policy and the 5emise of the So=iet Union$. ?ournal of 4old War Studies (President and Fello&s of @ar=ard 4ollege and the "assachusetts %nstitute of /echnology) 8 (<)# (+:Q(::. doi#(2.((B*E(8*2+D:2++**<6+::<. Aetrie=ed "arch ((, *2(+. ,Oternal links Find more about United States at WikipediaNs sister pro3ects 5efinitions and translations from Wiktionary "edia from 4ommons Yuotations from WikiFuote Source teOts from Wikisource /eOtbooks from Wikibooks /ra=el guide from Wiki=oyage -earning resources from Wiki=ersity United States entry at /he World Factbook United States, from the 004 1e&s Pey 5e=elopment Forecasts for the United States from %nternational Futures !o=ernment .fficial U.S. !o=ernment Web Portal !ate&ay to go=ernment sites @ouse .fficial site of the United States @ouse of Aepresentati=es Senate .fficial site of the United States Senate White @ouse .fficial site of the President of the United States Supreme 4ourt .fficial site of the Supreme 4ourt of the United States @istory @istorical 5ocuments 4ollected by the 1ational 4enter for Public Policy Aesearch U.S. 1ational "ottos# @istory and 4onstitutionality Analysis by the .ntario 4onsultants on Aeligious /olerance USA 4ollected links to historical data "aps 1ational Atlas of the United States .fficial maps from the U.S. 5epartment of the %nterior Wikimedia Atlas of the United States "easure of America A =ariety of mapped information relating to health, education, income, and demographics for the U.S. 'sho&) = t e United States topics 4ategories# United States(::B establishments in the United States,nglish speaking countries and territoriesFederal constitutional republicsFormer 0ritish coloniesFormer confederations!6 nations!*2 nations-iberal democracies"ember states of 1A/."ember states of the United 1ationsAepublics