United States

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United States of America

Flag

#reat Seal

Motto: "$n #od %e trust" (official!&'(&)(&*( "+ pluri us unum" (,atin! (traditional!
"-ut of many, one"

Anthem: ".he Star/Spangled 0anner"

1enu 2:22

Washington, 3"4" Capital Largest city Official languages National language

*567*89 ::62'8W ; *5"55*69 ::"2':6W

9e% <ork 4ity 9one at federal level&a( +nglish& (

American Federal presidential constitutional Government repu lic / =resident 0arack - ama (3! / >ice =resident Joe 0iden (3! / Speaker of the ?ouse John 0oehner (@! / 4hief Justice John @o erts Legislature 4ongress / Upper house Senate / ,o%er house ?ouse of @epresentatives ndependence from #reat 0ritain / 3eclared July A, '::B / @ecogniCed Septem er *, ':5* / 4onstitution June )', ':55 Area D,5)B,B:7 km)&A(&c( (*rd;Ath! / .otal *,:DA,'2' sE mi / Water (F! B":B !opulation / )2'* estimate *':,'55,222&7( (*rd! *A");km) (':Dth! / 3ensity 55"B;sE mi GD! (===! )2'* estimate / .otal G'B":)A trillion&B( ('st! / =er capita G7),5*D&B( (Bth! GD! (nominal! )2'* estimate / .otal G'B":)A trillion&B( ('st! / =er capita G7),5*D&B( (Dth! A:":&:( Gini ()2''! high " *Dth ()22D! 2"D*:&5( #D ()2'*! very high " *rd United States dollar (G! (USD! Currency $ime %one (U.4H7 to H'2! / Summer (3S.! (U.4HA to H'2&e(! Drives on the right&g( Calling code I' SO &'(( code US nternet $LD "us "gov "mil "edu
) +nglish is the official language of at least )5 statesJ some sources give higher figures, ased on differing definitions of "official""&D( +nglish and ?a%aiian are oth official languages in the state of ?a%aii" ) +nglish is the de facto language of American government and the sole language " spoken at home y 52 percent of Americans aged five and older" Spanish is the second most commonly spoken language" ) Whether the United States or 4hina is larger has een disputed" .he figure c" given is from the U"S" 4entral $ntelligence AgencyKs The World Factbook" -ther sources give smaller figures" All authoritative calculations of the countryKs siCe include only the 72 states and the 3istrict of 4olum ia, not the territories" ) .he population estimate is of people %hose usual residence is %ithin the 72 d" states and the 3istrict of 4olum ia, regardless of nationality" $t does not include those living in the territories (over A million people, mostly in =uerto @ico!" e" ) See .ime in the United States for details a out la%s governing time Cones in the United States" f" ) 3oes not include insular areas and United States 1inor -utlying $slands, %hich have their o%n $S- *'BB codes" g" ) +Lcept U"S" >irgin $slands"
a"

Demonym

.he United States of America (USA!, commonly referred to as the United States (US!, America, or simply the States, is a federal repu lic&'2(&''( consisting of 72 states, 'B territories, and a federal district" .he A5 contiguous states and the federal district of Washington, 3"4", are in central 9orth America et%een 4anada and 1eLico" .he state of Alaska is the north%estern part of 9orth America and the state of ?a%aii is an archipelago in the mid/ =acific" .he country also has five populated and nine unpopulated territories in the =acific and the 4ari ean" .he largest of these territories are =uerto @ico and the American >irgin $slands %hich are an official part of the United States" At *":D million sEuare miles (D"5* million km)! in total and %ith around *'B million people, the United States is the fourth/ largest country y total area and third largest y population" $t is one of the %orldKs most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations, the product of large/scale immigration from many countries"&')( .he geography and climate of the United States is also eLtremely diverse, and it is home to a %ide variety of %ildlife" =aleo/indians migrated from Asia to %hat is no% the U"S" mainland around '7,222 years ago, &'*( %ith +uropean coloniCation eginning in the 'Bth century" .he United States emerged from '* 0ritish colonies located along the Atlantic sea oard" 3isputes et%een #reat 0ritain and these colonies led to the American @evolution" -n July A, '::B, delegates from the '* colonies unanimously issued the 3eclaration of $ndependence" .he ensuing %ar ended in ':5* %ith the recognition of independence of the United States from the Mingdom of #reat 0ritain, and %as the first successful %ar of independence against a +uropean colonial empire" &'A(&'7( .he current 4onstitution %as adopted on Septem er ':, ':5:" .he first '2 amendments, collectively named the 0ill of @ights, %ere ratified in ':D' and guarantee many fundamental civil rights and freedoms" 3riven y the doctrine of manifest destiny, the United States em arked on a vigorous eLpansion across 9orth America throughout the 'Dth century"&'B( .his involved displacing native tri es, acEuiring ne% territories, and gradually admitting ne% states"&'B( .he American 4ivil War ended legal slavery in the country"&':( 0y the end of the 'Dth century, the United States eLtended into the =acific -cean,&'5( and its economy %as the %orldKs largest"&'D( .he SpanishNAmerican War and World War $ confirmed the countryKs status as a glo al military po%er" .he United States emerged from World War $$ as a glo al superpo%er, the first country %ith nuclear %eapons, and a permanent mem er of the United 9ations Security 4ouncil" .he end of the 4old War and the dissolution of the Soviet Union left the United States as the sole superpo%er" .he United States is a developed country and has the %orldKs largest national economy, %ith an estimated #3= in )2'* of G'B": trillion N )*F of glo al nominal #3= and 'DF at purchasing/po%er parity"&B(&)2( .he per capita #3= of the U"S" %as the %orldKs siLth/highest in )2'2&B( and the U"S" has the highest mean and second/highest median household income in the -+43 as %ell as the highest average %age"&)'(&))( .he U"S" has the fourth most uneEual income distri ution among -+43 nations&)*(&)A( %ith roughly 'BF of the population living in poverty" &)7( .he economy is fueled y an a undance of natural resources, a %ell/developed infrastructure,&)B( and the %orldKs highest %orker productivityJ&):( and %hile its economy is considered post/industrial, the U"S" continues to e one of the %orldKs largest manufacturers" &)5( .he country accounts for *DF of glo al military spending,&)D( eing the foremost economic and military po%er, a prominent political and cultural force in the %orld, and a leader in scientific research and technological innovation"&*2(&*'(

Contents

&hide(

' +tymology ) ?istory o )"' 9ative American and +uropean contact o )") Settlements o )"* $ndependence and eLpansion o )"A 4ivil War and @econstruction +ra o )"7 $ndustrialiCation o )"B World War $, #reat 3epression, and World War $$ o )": 4old War and 4ivil @ights era o )"5 4ontemporary era * #eography, climate, and environment o *"' +nvironmental issues A 3emographics o A"' =opulation o A") ,anguage o A"* @eligion o A"A Family structure 7 #overnment and politics o 7"' =olitical divisions o 7") =arties and elections o 7"* Foreign relations o 7"A #overnment finance 7"A"' =u lic de t B 1ilitary : 4rime and la% enforcement 5 +conomy o 5"' $ncome, poverty, and %ealth D $nfrastructure o D"' .ransportation o D") +nergy '2 Science and technology '' +ducation ') ?ealth '* 4ulture o '*"' =opular media o '*") ,iterature, philosophy, and the arts o '*"* Food o '*"A Sports 'A See also '7 @eferences 'B 0i liography o 'B"' We site sources ': +Lternal links

*tymology
See also: 9ames for United States citiCens

$n '72:, the #erman cartographer 1artin WaldseemOller produced a %orld map on %hich he named the lands of the Western ?emisphere "America" after the $talian eLplorer and cartographer Amerigo >espucci"&*)( .he first documentary evidence of the phrase "United States of America" is from a letter dated January ), '::B, %ritten y Stephen 1oylan, +sE", #eorge WashingonKs aide/de/camp and 1uster/1aster #eneral of the 4ontinental Army" Addressed to ,t" 4ol" Joseph @eed, 1oylan eLpressed his %ish to carry the "full and ample po%ers of the United States of America" to Spain to assist in the revolutionary %ar effort"&**( .he first pu licly pu lished evidence of the phrase "United States of America" %as in an anonymously %ritten essay in The Virginia Gazette ne%spaper in Williams urg, >irginia, on April B, '::B"&*A(&*7( $n June '::B, .homas Jefferson included the phrase "U9$.+3 S.A.+S -F A1+@$4A" in all capitaliCed letters in the headline of his "original @ough draught" of the 3eclaration of $ndependence"&*B(&*:( $n the final Fourth of July version of the 3eclaration, the pertinent section of the title %as changed to read, ".he unanimous 3eclaration of the thirteen united States of America""&*5( $n '::: the Articles of 4onfederation announced, ".he Stile of this 4onfederacy shall e K.he United States of AmericaK""&*D( .he short form "United States" is also standard" -ther common forms include the "U"S"", the "USA", and "America"" 4olloEuial names include the "U"S" of A"" and, internationally, the "States"" "4olum ia", a name popular in poetry and songs of the late ':22s,&A2( derives its origin from 4hristopher 4olum usJ it appears in the name "3istrict of 4olum ia"" .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 adPectivally ("American values", "U"S" forces"!" "American" is rarely used in +nglish to refer to su Pects not connected %ith the United States"&A'( .he phrase "United States" %as originally treated as plural, a description of a collection of independent statesQe"g", "the United States are"Qincluding in the .hirteenth Amendment to the United States 4onstitution, ratified in '5B7" $t ecame common to treat it as singular, a single unitQe"g", "the United States is"Qafter the end of the 4ivil War" .he singular form is no% standardJ the plural form is retained in the idiom "these United States""&A)( .he difference has een descri ed as more significant than one of usage, ut reflecting the difference et%een a collection of states and a unit"&A*( $n non/+nglish languages, the name is freEuently translated as the translation of either the "United States" or "United States of America", and colloEuially as "America"" $n addition, an initialism is sometimes used"&AA(

#istory
1ain articles: ?istory of the United States and .imeline of United States history

':BB engraving of a meeting et%een 9ative Americans and +uropeans

Native American and *uropean contact

=eople from Asia migrated to the 9orth American continent approLimately '7,222 or more years ago"&A7(&AB( Some, such as the pre/4olum ian 1ississippian culture, developed advanced agriculture, grand architecture, and state/level societies" After +uropean eLplorers and traders made the first contacts, it is estimated that their population declined due to various reasons, including diseases such as smallpoL and measles to %hich indigenous Americans had no natural immunities,&A:(&A5( intermarriage,&AD( and violence"&72(&7'(&7)( $n the early days of coloniCation many settlers %ere su Pect to shortages of food, disease and attacks from native $ndians" $ndians %ere also often at %ar %ith neigh oring tri es and %ould often enslave their defeated enemy, a practice that %as also soon used y various colonists %ho captured $ndians in attle" 3uring the various colonial %ars, many colonists %ere also captured y $ndians as slaves and taken north to 4anada and sold to the French"&7*( At the same time ho%ever many natives and settlers got along and came to depend on each other, especially settlers during the %inter months" 9atives also came to depend on settlers for guns, ammunition, po%der and other modern devices" 0ecause many tri es %ere freEuently at %ar %ith one another it ecame imperative to esta lish and secure good relationships %ith at least one group of colonists" As colonists egan to spread out into the interior their contact %ith native $ndians increased, sometimes resulting in good relations, oftentimes resulting in conflict" $n the process "9ative American influenced colonist, and colonist influenced 9ative American""&7A( 9atives taught many settlers %here, %hen and ho% to hunt and fish in the vast frontier that lay efore them %hose elements %ere generally unkno%n to the +uropeans" $n order to survive settlers often depended on native $ndians %ho taught them ho% to adopt to the $ndianKs "hunting culture" and learned the use of animal skins as camouflage, decoys along %ith various %histles and calls used to attract prey" +uropean ministries and others felt it %as

important to "civiliCe" the $ndians and urged them to concentrate on farming and ranching and not depend primarily on hunting and gathering" At the same time $ndians offered the enefit of their eLperience in gro%ing corn, an unkno%n crop in +urope, and in the use of dead fish and other methods as fertiliCer" $t %as not long efore many $ndians egan to gro% ne% crops and raise livestock and poultry in their communities and made use of the various living utilities settlers had to offer"&77(&7B( $nitially the =uritan and Wampanoag %ere peaceful, ut the Ming =hilipKs War roke out follo%ing cultural and religious differences et%een the colonists and the WampanoagJ&7:(&75( y the %arKs end, the +uropean colonists had defeated the 9ative Americans and %ere a le to eLpand and control 9e% +ngland"&7D( $n 4arolina, 9ative Americans %ere captured and sold into slavery to oth 9e% +ngland and the West $ndies" $n 'B:B, the >irginia colony legally sanctioned the enslavement of 9ative Americans"&B2( 4onversely, the Five 4iviliCed .ri es %ere involved in the institution of African slavery as planters"&B'(

Settlements

.he signing of the 1ayflo%er 4ompact, 'B)2" Further information: +uropean coloniCation of the Americas and '* colonies After 4olum usK discovery of the 9e% World in 'AD) other eLplorers follo%ed"&B)( .he first Spanish eLplorers landed in ",a Florida" in '7'*" 4onEuistadors eLplored much of the continentKs interior and Spain later set up some settlements in parts of Florida and the American south%est that %ere eventually merged into the United States"&B*( .here %ere also some French attempts to coloniCe the east coast, and later more successful settlements along the 1ississippi @iver" 1any early +uropean colonies failed due to starvation, disease, harsh %eather, 9ative American attacks, or %arfare %ith +uropean rivals" .he fate of the "lost" +nglish colony of @oanoke in the '752s is an enduring mystery" James $ on April '2, 'B2B, chartered .he >irginia 4ompany %ith the purpose of esta lishing +nglish settlements on the eastern coast of 9orth America" .he >irginia 4olony %as planted in 'B2: %ith Jamesto%n and the =ilgrimsK =lymouth 4olony in 'B)2" 0oth colonies suffered initial hardships and great loss of life, ut eventually sta iliCed and ecame the first successful +nglish settlements in America" 0oth also sa% efficiency greatly improve %hen personal property replaced the early communal operations"&BA( .he continentKs first elected legislative assem ly, >irginiaKs ?ouse of 0urgesses created in 'B'D, and the 1ayflo%er 4ompact, signed y the =ilgrims efore disem arking, esta lished precedents for the pattern of representative self/government and constitutionalism that %ould develop throughout the American colonies"&B7(&BB( .ens of thousands of =uritans later settled 9e% +ngland"

-ther 9e% +ngland colonies %ere esta lished" 1uch of the territory et%een them and >irginia %as controlled y the 3utch until +ngland seiCed it in the late ':th century during the Anglo/3utch Wars, leading to the creation of the 1iddle 4olonies"&B:( .rade %ith and 4hristian evangelism to local tri es of native peoples %ere esta lished in the coloniesK early days, though relations %ould alternate from friendly to tense, and %ere characteriCed y periodic outs of %arfare, often %ith some tri es allying themselves %ith the +nglish against common foes" $ncidents like the massacre of 'B)), the =eEuot War, and Ming =hilipKs War caused great destruction and threatened the eListence of entire colonies, ut resulted in reprisals that ultimately sa% the po%er of enemy tri es reduced or roken, facilitating the eLpansion of +nglish settlements"&B5(&BD( 1ost settlers in every colony %ere small farmers, ut other industries developed" .o acco %as popular in +urope and ecame a maPor early cash crop" Furs, fishing, lum er, rum, rice, indigo, construction, %heat, ranching, and eventually ship uilding contri uted to economic gro%th" 0y the late colonial period Americans %ere producing one/seventh of the %orldKs iron supply"&:2( 4ities eventually dotted the coast to support local economies and serve as trade hu s" +nglish colonists %ere supplemented y %aves of Scotch/$rish and other groups" As coastal land gre% more eLpensive people pushed %est into the hills and ack%oods, seeking to carve an eListence out of virgin %ilderness"&:'(

=ennKs .reaty et%een the Ruaker settlers and 9ative Americans %as never violated during William =ennKs lifetime" Settlers %ere a diverse miL of adventurers, profit seekers, people %anting religious freedom, and those %ho simply sa% an opportunity for a etter life"&:)( 1any came as indentured servants, either convicts or people %ho other%ise could not afford passage voluntarily signing contracts, and %ere set free after completing their specified term of service" .%o/thirds of all >irginia settlers et%een 'B*2 and 'B52 arrived indentured"&:*( .he first African slaves %ere rought to the Americas y Spanish conEuistadors in the '722s shortly after 4olum usK voyages" 1ost slaves %ere shipped to sugar colonies in the 4ari ean and to 0raCil, %here life eLpectancy %as a out seven years"&:A( ,ife eLpectancy %as much higher in 9orth America ecause of less disease and etter food and treatment, so the num ers of slaves gre% rapidly into the millions y eLcesses of irths over deaths"&:7(&:B( 4olonial society %as largely divided over the religious and moral implications of slavery and many colonies passed acts for and against the practice"&::(&:5( 0y the turn of the '5th century, African slaves %ere ecoming the primary source of onded la or in many regions"&:D( Some colonists participated in the lucrative, slave oriented "#olden .riangle", involving planters,

merchants of various types, shippers, and the African tri al chiefs %ho provided them %ith slaves"&B2(&52( With the ':)D division of the 4arolinas and the ':*) coloniCation of #eorgia, the '* colonies that %ould ecome the United States of America %ere esta lished"&5'( All had local governments %ith elections open to most free men, %ith a gro%ing devotion to the ancient rights of +nglishmen and a sense of self/government stimulating support for repu licanism"&5)( With eLtremely high irth rates, lo% death rates, and steady settlement, the colonial population gre% rapidly" @elatively small 9ative American populations %ere eclipsed"&5*( .he 4hristian revivalist movement of the ':*2s and ':A2s kno%n as the #reat A%akening fueled interest in oth religion and religious li erty" $n the French and $ndian War, 0ritish forces seiCed 4anada from the French, ut the francophone population remained politically isolated from the southern colonies" +Lcluding the 9ative Americans, %ho %ere eing conEuered and displaced, those '* colonies had a population of over )"' million in '::2, a out one/third that of 0ritain" 3espite continuing ne% arrivals, the rate of natural increase %as such that y the '::2s only a small minority of Americans had een orn overseas"&5A( .he coloniesK distance from 0ritain had allo%ed the development of self/government, ut their success motivated monarchs to periodically seek to reassert @oyal authority"

ndependence and e+pansion

Further information: American @evolutionary War, 3eclaration of $ndependence, and American @evolution

.he Declaration of Independence: the 4ommittee of Five presenting their draft to the Second 4ontinental 4ongress in '::B" .he American @evolution %as the first successful colonial %ar of independence against a +uropean po%er" Americans had developed a democratic system of local government and an ideology of "repu licanism" that held government rested on the %ill of the people (not the king!, %hich strongly opposed corruption and demanded civic virtue" .hey demanded their rights as +nglishmen and rePected 0ritish efforts to impose taLes %ithout the approval of colonial legislatures" .he 0ritish insisted and the conflict escalated to full/scale %ar in '::7, the American @evolutionary War"&57( -n June 'A, '::7, the 4ontinental 4ongress, convening in =hiladelphia, esta lished a 4ontinental Army under the command of #eorge Washington" &5B( =roclaiming that "all men are created eEual" and endo%ed %ith "certain unaliena le @ights", the 4ongress adopted the 3eclaration of $ndependence, drafted largely y .homas Jefferson, on July A, '::B" .hat date is no% cele rated annually as AmericaKs $ndependence

3ay" $n ':::, the Articles of 4onfederation esta lished a %eak government that operated until ':5D"&5:( After a naval victory follo%ed y the 0ritish defeat at <orkto%n y American forces assisted y the French,&55( the United States %as independent" $n the peace treaty of ':5* 0ritain recogniCed American sovereignty over most territory east of the 1ississippi @iver" 9ationalists calling for a much stronger federal government %ith po%ers of taLation led the constitutional convention in ':5:" After intense de ate in state conventions the United States 4onstitution %as ratified in ':55" .he first Senate, ?ouse of @epresentatives, and presidentQ #eorge WashingtonQtook office in ':5D" .he 0ill of @ights, for idding federal restriction of personal freedoms and guaranteeing a range of legal protections, %as adopted in ':D'"&5D( Attitudes to%ard slavery %ere shiftingJ nearly all states officially outla%ed the international slave trade efore the federal government criminaliCed it in '525"&D2( Slavery had ecome more pronounced in the south than the north ecause the land there %as etter suited for large scale cash crop cultivation than the rocky ground and cooler climate of 9e% +ngland"&D'(&D)( All the 9orthern states a olished slavery et%een ':52 and '52A, leaving the slave states of the South as defenders of the "peculiar institution"" With cotton a highly profita le plantation crop after '5)2, slave interests in the Southern states maintained that slavery %as a positive good for everyone, including the slaves"&D*( .he Second #reat A%akening, eginning a out '522, converted millions to evangelical =rotestantism" $n the 9orth it energiCed multiple social reform movements, including a olitionism"&DA(

U"S" territorial acEuisitionsNportions of each territory %ere granted statehood over time AmericansK eagerness to eLpand %est%ard prompted a long series of $ndian Wars"&D7( .he ,ouisiana =urchase of French/claimed territory under =resident .homas Jefferson in '52* almost dou led the nationKs siCe"&DB( .he War of '5'), declared against 0ritain over various grievances and fought to a dra%, strengthened U"S" nationalism"&D:( A series of U"S" military incursions into Florida led Spain to cede it and other #ulf 4oast territory in '5'D"&D5( =resident Andre% Jackson took office in '5)D, and egan a set of reforms %hich led to the era of Jacksonian democracy, %hich is considered to have lasted from '5*2 to '572" .his included many reforms, such as %ider male suffrage, and various adPustments to the po%er of the Federal government" .his also led to the rise of the Second =arty System, %hich refers to the dominant parties %hich eListed from '5)5 to '57A" .he .rail of .ears in the '5*2s eLemplified the $ndian removal policy that moved $ndians to their o%n reservations, sometimes y force, %ith small annual government su sidies" .he United States anneLed the @epu lic of .eLas in '5A7, amid a period %hen the concept of

1anifest 3estiny %as ecoming popular"&DD( .he '5AB -regon .reaty %ith 0ritain led to U"S" control of the present/day American 9orth%est"&'22( .he U"S" victory in the 1eLican/ American War resulted in the '5A5 cession of 4alifornia and much of the present/day American South%est"&'2'( .he 4alifornia #old @ush of '5A5NAD further spurred %estern migration"&'2)( 9e% rail%ays made relocation easier for settlers and increased conflicts %ith 9ative Americans"&'2*( -ver a half/century, up to A2 million American ison, or uffalo, %ere slaughtered for skins and meat and to ease the rail%aysK spread"&'2A( .he loss of the uffalo, a primary resource for the plains $ndians, %as an eListential lo% to many native cultures"&'2A( $n '5BD, =resident Ulysses S" #rantKs =eace policy reversed the previous costly policy of "%ars of eLtermination" in order to civiliCe and give $ndians eventual United State citiCenship having incorporated $ndians as %ards of the state, led y a philanthropic 0oard of $ndian 4ommissioners"&'27(

Civil ,ar and -econstruction *ra

0attle of #ettys urg, =ennsylvania" .he 4ivil War cemented the Union and spurred the steel industry and intercontinental railroad construction" Further information: American 4ivil War and @econstruction +ra Starting in the ':52s inherent divisions et%een the 9orth and the South in American society over slavery ultimately led to the American 4ivil War"&'2B( $nitially, the Founders of the nation had een a le to keep the Union solvent y compromises %orked out at the 4onstitutional 4onvention and to remain a single nation"&'2B( 3uring the years leading up to the American 4ivil War tensions et%een slave and free states mounted %ith arguments a out the relationship et%een the state and federal governments, as %ell as violent conflicts over the spread of slavery into ne% states"&'2:( A raham ,incoln, candidate of the largely antislavery @epu lican =arty, %as elected president in '5B2"&'25( 0efore he took office, seven slave states declared their secessionQ%hich the federal government maintained %as illegalQand formed the 4onfederate States of America"&'2D( With the 4onfederate attack upon Fort Sumter, the 4ivil War egan and four more slave states Poined the 4onfederacy"&'2D( ,incolnKs +mancipation =roclamation in '5B* declared slaves in the 4onfederacy to e free, though not those in Union slave states" Follo%ing the Union victory in '5B7, three amendments to the U"S" 4onstitution ensured freedom for the nearly four million African Americans %ho had een slaves,&''2( made them citiCens, and gave them voting rights" .he %ar and its resolution led to a su stantial increase in federal po%er" &'''( .he %ar remains the deadliest conflict in American history, resulting in the deaths of B)2,222 soldiers"&'')(

.he assassination of A raham ,incoln radicaliCed @epu lican @econstruction policies aimed at reintegrating and re uilding the Southern states %hile ensuring the rights of the ne%ly freed slaves"&''*( =resident Ulysses S" #rant implemented the 3epartment of Justice and used the U"S" 1ilitary to enforce suffrage and civil rights for African Americans in the South destroying the Mu MluL Mlan in '5:' under the Force Acts"&''A( .he resolution of the disputed '5:B presidential election y the 4ompromise of '5:: ended @econstructionJ Jim 4ro% la%s soon disenfranchised many African Americans"&''*(

ndustriali%ation

+llis $sland, 9e% <ork 4ity" +ast 4oast immigrants %orked in factories, railroads, and mines, and created demand for industrialiCed agriculture" $n the 9orth, ur aniCation and an unprecedented influL of immigrants from Southern and +astern +urope hastened the countryKs industrialiCation" .he %ave of immigration, lasting until 'D)A, provided la or and transformed American culture"&''7( United States immigration policies %ere +urocentric, %hich arred Asians from naturaliCation, and restricted their immigration eginning %ith the 4hinese +Lclusion Act in '55)"&''B( 9ational infrastructure development spurred economic gro%th" .he end of the 4ivil War spurred greater settlement and development of the American -ld West" .his %as due to a variety of social and technological developments, including the completion of the First .ranscontinental .elegraph in '5B' and the First .ranscontinental @ailroad in '5BD" .he '5B: Alaska =urchase from @ussia completed the countryKs mainland eLpansion" .he Wounded Mnee 1assacre in '5D2 %as the last maPor armed conflict of the $ndian Wars" $n '5D*, the indigenous monarchy of the =acific Mingdom of ?a%aii %as overthro%n in a coup led y American residentsJ the United States anneLed the archipelago in '5D5" >ictory in the SpanishNAmerican War the same year demonstrated that the United States %as a %orld po%er and led to the anneLation of =uerto @ico, #uam, and the =hilippines"&'':( .he =hilippines gained independence a half/century laterJ =uerto @ico and #uam remain U"S" territories" .he emergence of many prominent industrialists at the end of the 'Dth century gave rise to the #ilded Age, a period of gro%ing affluence and po%er among the usiness class" .he hardships the %orking classes eLperienced during this period led to the rise of anarchist and socialist movements in the U"S"&''5( $n 'D'A alone, *7,222 %orkers died in industrial accidents and :22,222 %ere inPured"&''D( .his period eventually ended %ith the eginning of the =rogressive +ra, a period of significant reforms in many societal areas, including regulatory protection for the pu lic, greater antitrust measures, and attention to living conditions for the %orking classes" =resident .heodore @oosevelt %as one leading proponent of progressive reforms"

,orld ,ar . Great Depression. and ,orld ,ar

Further information: World War $, #reat 3epression, and World War $$ At the out reak of World War $ in 'D'A, the United States remained neutral" 1ost Americans sympathiCed %ith the 0ritish and French, although many opposed intervention"&')2( $n 'D':, the United States Poined the Allies, and the American +Lpeditionary Forces helped to turn the tide against the 4entral =o%ers" =resident Woodro% Wilson took a leading diplomatic role at the =aris =eace 4onference of 'D'D %hich helped to shape the post/%ar %orld" Wilson advocated strongly for the U"S" to Poin the ,eague of 9ations" ?o%ever, the Senate refused to approve this, and did not ratify the .reaty of >ersailles, %hich esta lished the ,eague of 9ations"&')'(

.he 3ust 0o%l rought agricultural depression, impacted industrial markets, and led to large relocation out of the #reat =lains"

WW$$ invasion of +urope reEuired %ar industry, accelerating migration to ig cities and large scale manufacturing .he country pursued a policy of unilateralism, verging on isolationism"&')'( $n 'D)2, the %omenKs rights movement, led y 4arrie 4hapman 4att, %on passage of a constitutional amendment granting %omenKs suffrage"&'))( .he prosperity of the @oaring .%enties ended %ith the Wall Street 4rash of 'D)D that triggered the #reat 3epression" After his election as president in 'D*), Franklin 3" @oosevelt responded %ith the 9e% 3eal, a range of policies increasing government intervention in the economy, including the esta lishment of the Social Security system"&')*( .he 3ust 0o%l of the mid/'D*2s impoverished many farming communities and spurred a ne% %ave of %estern migration" .he United States, effectively neutral during World War $$Ks early stages after 9aCi #ermanyKs invasion of =oland in Septem er 'D*D, egan supplying material to the Allies in 1arch 'DA' through the ,end/,ease program" -n 3ecem er :, 'DA', the +mpire of Japan launched a surprise attack on =earl ?ar or, prompting the United States to Poin the Allies against the

ALis po%ers as %ell as the internment of Japanese Americans y the thousands"&')A( =articipation in the %ar spurred capital investment and industrial capacity, and the production figures after the Americans started to unfold the a%esome productive capacity of their economy ecame the stuff of legend"&')7( .hough the nation lost more than A22,222 soldiers, &')B( among the maPor com atants, the United States %as the only nation to ecome richer ecause of the %ar"&'):( Allied conferences at 0retton Woods and <alta outlined a ne% system of international organiCations that placed the United States and Soviet Union at the center of %orld affairs" As victory %as %on in +urope, a 'DA7 international conference held in San Francisco produced the United 9ations 4harter, %hich ecame active after the %ar"&')5( .he United States, having developed the first nuclear %eapons, used them on the Japanese cities of ?iroshima and 9agasaki in August" Japan surrendered on Septem er ), ending the %ar"&')D(

Cold ,ar and Civil -ights era

4ivil @ights leaders, including @alph A ernathy and 1artin ,uther Ming, Jr", lead one of the Selma to 1ontgomery marches

A vehicle enters West 0erlin through the Western AlliesK 4heckpoint 4harlie after the fall of the 0erlin Wall, marking the eginning of the end of the 4old War .he United States and the Soviet Union Pockeyed for po%er after World War $$ during the 4old War, dominating the military affairs of +urope through 9A.- and the Warsa% =act, respectively" While they engaged in proLy %ars and developed po%erful nuclear arsenals, the t%o countries avoided direct military conflict" .he U"S" often opposed .hird World left/%ing movements that it vie%ed as Soviet/sponsored" American troops fought 4ommunist 4hinese and 9orth Morean forces in the Morean War of 'D72N7*" .he ?ouse Un/American Activities 4ommittee pursued a series of investigations into suspected leftist su version, %hile Senator Joseph 1c4arthy ecame the figurehead of anticommunist sentiment"&'*2( .he 'DB' Soviet launch of the first manned spaceflight prompted =resident John F" MennedyKs call for the United States to e first to land "a man on the moon", achieved in 'DBD"&'*'( Mennedy also faced a tense nuclear sho%do%n %ith Soviet forces in 4u a"&'*)( 1ean%hile, the United States eLperienced sustained economic eLpansion" Amidst the presence of various %hite nationalist groups, particularly the Mu MluL Mlan, a gro%ing civil rights movement used nonviolence to confront segregation and discrimination" .his %as sym oliCed and led y lack Americans such as @osa =arks and 1artin ,uther Ming, Jr" -n the other hand, some lack nationalist groups such as the 0lack =anther =arty and 1alcolm S had a more militant scope"

Follo%ing MennedyKs assassination in 'DB*, the 4ivil @ights Act of 'DBA, >oting @ights Act of 'DB7, and $mmigration and 9ationality Act of 'DB7 %ere passed under =resident ,yndon 0" Johnson"&'**( ?e also signed into la% the 1edicare and 1edicaid programs"&'*A( Johnson also eLpanded a proLy %ar in Southeast Asia into the ultimately unsuccessful >ietnam War" A %idespread countercultural movement gre%, fueled y opposition to the %ar, lack nationalism, and the seLual revolution" 0etty Friedan, #loria Steinem, and others led a ne% %ave of feminism that sought political, social, and economic eEuality for %omen" $n the 'D:2s, the American economy %as hurt y t%o maPor energy shocks" .he 9iLon Administration restored normal relations %ith 4hina and oversa% the eginning of a period of generally eased relations %ith the Soviet Union" As a result of the Watergate scandal, in 'D:A 9iLon ecame the first U"S" president to resign, to avoid eing impeached on charges including o struction of Pustice and a use of po%er" .he 4arter Administration of the late 'D:2s %as marked y the $ran hostage crisis, stagflation, and an increase of tensions %ith the Soviet Union follo%ing the Soviet intervention in Afghanistan" .he election of @onald @eagan as president in 'D52 heralded a right%ard shift in American politics,&'*7(&'*B(&'*:(&'*5( reflected in maPor changes in taLation and spending priorities"&'*D( ?is second term in office rought oth the $ranN4ontra scandal and significant diplomatic progress %ith the Soviet Union"&'A2( .he su seEuent Soviet collapse ended the 4old War"&'A'(&'A)(&'A*( &'AA(&'A7(

Contemporary era

Septem er '', )22' attacks on the World .rade 4enter in 9e% <ork 4ity" Under =resident #eorge ?" W" 0ush, the United States took a lead role in the U9Nsanctioned #ulf War"&'AB( .he longest economic eLpansion in modern U"S" historyQfrom 1arch 'DD' to 1arch )22'Qencompassed the 0ill 4linton administration and the dot/com u le"&'A:( -n Septem er '', )22', al/Raeda terrorists under the leadership of -sama in ,aden struck the World .rade 4enter in 9e% <ork 4ity and .he =entagon near Washington, 3"4", killing nearly *,222 people"&'A5( $n response, the #eorge W" 0ush administration launched the glo al War on .error, invading Afghanistan and removing the .ali an government and al/Raeda training camps"&'AD( ?o%ever, .ali an insurgents %ere never completely defeated and continue to fight a guerrilla %ar against U"S" forces"&'72( $n )22*, the United States and several allied forces launched an invasion of $raE to engineer regime change there, eginning the $raE War" American com at troops fought in the country for eight years"&'7'(&'7)(&'7*(

$n )225, amid a glo al economic recession and t%o %ars, the first African/American president, 0arack - ama, %as elected"&'7A( $n )2'', -sama 0in ,aden %as killed during an American 9avy S+A, raid on his compound in A otta ad, =akistan"&'77(

Geography. climate. and environment

1ain articles: #eography of the United States, 4limate of the United States, and +nvironment of the United States

A composite satellite image of the contiguous United States .he land area of the contiguous United States is ),D7D,2BA sEuare miles (:,BB*,DA' km)!" Alaska, separated from the contiguous United States y 4anada, is the largest state at BB*,)B5 sEuare miles (',:':,57B km)!" ?a%aii, occupying an archipelago in the central =acific, south%est of 9orth America, is '2,D*' sEuare miles ()5,*'' km)! in area"&'7B( .he United States is the %orldKs third or fourth largest nation y total area (land and %ater!, ranking ehind @ussia and 4anada and Pust a ove or elo% 4hina" .he ranking varies depending on ho% t%o territories disputed y 4hina and $ndia are counted and ho% the total siCe of the United States is measured: calculations range from *,B:B,A5B sEuare miles (D,7)),277 km)!&'7:( to *,:':,5'* sEuare miles (D,B)D,2D' km)!&'75( to *,:DA,'2' sEuare miles (D,5)B,B:B km)!"&A( 1easured y only land area, the United States is third in siCe ehind @ussia and 4hina, Pust ahead of 4anada"&'7D( .he coastal plain of the Atlantic sea oard gives %ay further inland to deciduous forests and the rolling hills of the =iedmont" .he Appalachian 1ountains divide the eastern sea oard from the #reat ,akes and the grasslands of the 1id%est" .he 1ississippiN1issouri @iver, the %orldKs fourth longest river system, runs mainly northNsouth through the heart of the country" .he flat, fertile prairie of the #reat =lains stretches to the %est, interrupted y a highland region in the southeast"

A 0ald +agle, the national ird of the United States since ':5)" .he @ocky 1ountains, at the %estern edge of the #reat =lains, eLtend north to south across the country, reaching altitudes higher than 'A,222 feet (A,*22 m! in 4olorado" Farther %est are the rocky #reat 0asin and deserts such as the 4hihuahua and 1oPave" .he Sierra 9evada and 4ascade mountain ranges run close to the =acific coast, oth ranges reaching altitudes higher than 'A,222 feet (A,*22 m!" .he lo%est and highest points in the continental United States are in the state of 4alifornia, and only a out 52 miles ('*2 km! apart" At )2,*)2 feet (B,'DA m!, AlaskaKs 1ount 1cMinley is the tallest peak in the country and in 9orth America" Active volcanoes are common throughout AlaskaKs AleLander and Aleutian $slands, and ?a%aii consists of volcanic islands" .he supervolcano underlying <ello%stone 9ational =ark in the @ockies is the continentKs largest volcanic feature"&'B2( .he United States, %ith its large siCe and geographic variety, includes most climate types" .o the east of the '22th meridian, the climate ranges from humid continental in the north to humid su tropical in the south" .he southern tip of Florida is tropical, as is ?a%aii" .he #reat =lains %est of the '22th meridian are semi/arid" 1uch of the Western mountains are alpine" .he climate is arid in the #reat 0asin, desert in the South%est, 1editerranean in coastal 4alifornia, and oceanic in coastal -regon and Washington and southern Alaska" 1ost of Alaska is su arctic or polar" +Ltreme %eather is not uncommonQthe states ordering the #ulf of 1eLico are prone to hurricanes, and most of the %orldKs tornadoes occur %ithin the country, mainly in the 1id%estKs .ornado Alley"&'B'( .he U"S" ecology is considered "megadiverse": a out ':,222 species of vascular plants occur in the contiguous United States and Alaska, and over ',522 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 A22 mammal, :72 ird, and 722 reptile and amphi ian species"&'B*( A out D',222 insect species have een descri ed"&'BA( .here are 75 national parks and hundreds of other federally managed parks, forests, and %ilderness areas"&'B7( Altogether, the government o%ns )5"5F of the countryKs land area"&'BB(&dead link( 1ost of this is protected, though some is leased for oil and gas drilling, mining, logging, or cattle ranchingJ )"AF is used for military purposes"&'BB(&dead link(&'B:(&'B5(

*nvironmental issues
1ain articles: +nvironmental issues in the United States and 4onservation movementTUnited States +nvironmental issues have een on the national agenda since 'D:2" +nvironmental controversies include de ates on oil and nuclear energy, dealing %ith air and %ater pollution, the economic costs of protecting %ildlife, logging and deforestation,&'BD(&':2( and international responses to glo al %arming"&':'(&':)( 1any federal and state agencies are involved" .he most prominent is the +nvironmental =rotection Agency (+=A!, created y presidential order in 'D:2"&':*( .he idea of %ilderness has shaped the management of pu lic lands since 'DBA, %ith the Wilderness Act"&':A( .he +ndangered Species Act of 'D:* is intended to protect threatened and endangered species and their ha itats, %hich are monitored y the United States Fish and Wildlife Service"

Demographics
1ain articles: 3emographics of the United States, Americans, and ,ist of United States cities y population

!opulation

,argest ancestry groups y county, )222

-ace/*thnicity
(as given y the )2'2 4ensus! 0y race:
&':7(

White African American Asian American $ndian and Alaska 9ative

:)"AF ')"BF A"5F 2"DF

9ative ?a%aiian and =acific $slander -ther 1ultiracial () or more!

0y ethnicity:
1'2(3

2")F B")F )"DF 'B"*F 5*":F

?ispanic;,atino (of any race! 9on/?ispanic;,atino (of any race!

.he U"S" 4ensus 0ureau estimates the countryKs population no% to e *':,'55,222,&7( including an approLimate ''") million illegal aliens"&'::( .he U"S" population almost Euadrupled during the )2th century, from a out :B million in 'D22"&':5( .he third most populous nation in the %orld, after 4hina and $ndia, the United States is the only maPor industrialiCed nation in %hich large population increases are proPected"&':D( With a irth rate of '* per ',222, *7F elo% the %orld average, its population gro%th rate is positive at 2"DF, significantly higher than those of many developed nations"&'52( $n fiscal year )2'), over one million immigrants (most of %hom entered through family r eunification! %ere granted legal residence"&'5'( 1eLico has een the leading source of ne% residents for over t%o decadesJ since 'DD5, 4hina, $ndia, and the =hilippines have een in the top four sending countries every year"&'5)(&'5*( 9ine million Americans identify as homoseLual, iseLual or transgender, making up less than four percent of the population"&'5A( A )2'2 survey found that seven percent of men and eight percent of %omen identified as gay, les ian or iseLual"&'57( .he United States has a very diverse populationQ*' ancestry groups have more than one million mem ers"&'5B( White Americans are the largest racial groupJ #erman Americans, $rish Americans, and +nglish Americans constitute three of the countryKs four largest ancestry groups"&'5B( 0lack Americans are the nationKs largest racial minority and third largest ancestry group"&'5B( Asian Americans are the countryKs second largest racial minorityJ the three largest Asian American ethnic groups are 4hinese Americans, Filipino Americans, and $ndian Americans"&'5B( $n )2'2, the U"S" population included an estimated 7") million people %ith some American $ndian or Alaska 9ative ancestry ()"D million eLclusively of such ancestry! and '") million %ith some native ?a%aiian or =acific island ancestry (2"7 million eLclusively!"&'5:( .he census counted more than 'D million people of "Some -ther @ace" %ho %ere "una le to identify %ith any" of its five official race categories in )2'2"&'5:( .he population gro%th of ?ispanic and ,atino Americans (the terms are officially interchangea le! is a maPor demographic trend" .he 72"7 million Americans of ?ispanic descent&'5:( are identified as sharing a distinct "ethnicity" y the 4ensus 0ureauJ BAF of ?ispanic Americans are of 1eLican descent"&'55( 0et%een )222 and )2'2, the countryKs ?ispanic population increased A*F %hile the non/?ispanic population rose Pust A"DF"&':7( 1uch of this gro%th is from immigrationJ in )22:, ')"BF of the U"S" population %as foreign/ orn, %ith 7AF of that figure orn in ,atin America"&'5D( Fertility is also a factorJ in )2'2 the average ?ispanic (of any race! %oman gave irth to )"*7 children in her lifetime, compared to '"D: for non/?ispanic lack %omen and '":D for non/ ?ispanic %hite %omen ( oth elo% the replacement rate of )"'!"&'D2( 1inorities (as defined y the 4ensus 0ureau as all those eside non/?ispanic, non/multiracial %hites! constituted

*B"*F of the population in )2'2,&'D'( and over 72F of children under age one,&'D)( and are proPected to constitute the maPority y )2A)"&'D*( .his contradicts the report y the 9ational >ital Statistics @eports, ased on the U"S" census data, %hich concludes that, 7AF (),'B),A2B out of *,DDD,*5B in )2'2! of irths %ere non/?ispanic %hite"&'D2( A out 5)F of Americans live in ur an areas (including su ur s!J&A( a out half of those reside in cities %ith populations over 72,222"&'DA( $n )225, ):* incorporated places had populations over '22,222, nine cities had more than one million residents, and four glo al cities had over t%o million (9e% <ork 4ity, ,os Angeles, 4hicago, and ?ouston!"&'D7( .here are 7) metropolitan areas %ith populations greater than one million"&'DB( -f the 72 fastest/gro%ing metro areas, A: are in the West or South"&'D:( .he metro areas of 3allas, ?ouston, Atlanta, and =hoeniL all gre% y more than a million people et%een )222 and )225"&'DB(

Leading population centers 4see complete list5 Metro area population Metropolitan Statistical Area 9e% <orkN9e% JerseyN4onnecticutN 'D,2'7,D22 =ennsylvania, 9<N9JN 4.N=A 1SA ,os AngelesN,ong '),DAA,52' 0eachNSanta Ana, 4A 1SA 4hicagoNJolietN D,72A,:7* 9aperville, $,N$9NW$ 1SA 3allasNFort WorthN B,7)B,7A5 Arlington, .S 1SA ?oustonN.he B,25B,7*5 Woodlands/Sugar ,and 1SA =hiladelphiaN4amdenN 7,DD),A'A Wilmington, =AN9JN 3+N13 1SA Washington, 34N>AN 7,:2*,DA5 13NW> 1SA 1iamiNFort 7,B:2,')7 ,auderdaleN=ompano 0each, F, 1SA AtlantaNSandy 7,*7D,)27 SpringsN1arietta, #A 1SA 0ostonN4am ridgeN A,7D','') Ruincy, 1AN9? 1SA San FranciscoN A,*D',2*: -aklandNFremont, 4A

vie6 tal7 edit

-an7 Core city 4cities5 ' Ne6 :or7 City

-egion1'893 9ortheast

) * A 7 B : 5 D '2 ''

Los Angeles Chicago Dallas;<ort ,orth #ouston !hiladelphia ,ashington. D=C= Miami Atlanta 0oston San <rancisco

West 1id%est 9e% <ork 4ity South South 9ortheast 9ortheast South South 9ortheast West 4hicago

,os Angeles

') '* 'A '7 'B ': '5 'D )2

1SA San San 0ernandinoN 0ernardino> A,*2A,DD: @iversideN-ntario, 4A West -iverside 1SA 3etroitNWarrenN Detroit A,)57,5*) 1id%est ,ivonia, 1$ 1SA =hoeniLN1esaN !hoeni+ A,)B*,)*B West #lendale, AU 1SA SeattleN.acomaN Seattle *,722,2)B West 0ellevue, WA 1SA 1inneapolisNSt" =aulN Minneapolis; *,*'5,A5B 0loomington, 19NW$ 1id%est St= !aul 1SA San 3iegoN4arls adN San Diego *,'A2,2BD West San 1arcos, 4A 1SA $ampa;St= .ampaNSt" =eters urgN ),5)A,:)A South !eters?urg 4lear%ater, F, 1SA St" ,ouisNSt" 4harlesN St= Louis ),5':,*77 Farmington, 1-N$, 1id%est 1SA 0altimoreN.o%son, 0altimore ),:)D,''2 9ortheast 13 1SA ased upon )2'' population estimates from the U"S" 4ensus 0ureau&'DD(

Language
1ain article: ,anguages of the United States See also: ,anguage Spoken at ?ome and ,ist of endangered languages in the United States Languages spo7en ?y more than @AA.AAA in the United States&)22( !ercentage of Num?er of Language 4as of BA'A5 population spea7ers +nglish 52"*5F )**,:52,**5 Combined total of all languages other than 1 !"#$ %&'()*'"1& English Spanish (eLcluding =uerto @icoKs total and ')"'DF *7,A*:,D57 Spanish 4reole! 4hinese (including 4antonese and 1andarin! 2"5DF ),7B:,::D .agalog 2"7*F ',7A),''5 >ietnamese 2"AAF ',)D),AA5 French 2"AAF ',)55,5** Morean 2"*5F ','25,A25 #erman 2"*5F ','2:,5BD @ussian 2")DF 5*B,':' Ara ic 2")BF :BA,:7* $talian 2")BF :BA,*)B =ortuguese (eLcluding =ortuguese 4reole! 2")AF B5A,AD*

Languages spo7en ?y more than @AA.AAA in the United States&)22( !ercentage of Num?er of Language 4as of BA'A5 population spea7ers French 4reole (including ?aitian 4reole, 2")*F BB*,5)5 ,ouisiana 4reole, etc"! =olish 2")'F B2A,)*A ?indi 2")2F 75B,':* +nglish (American +nglish! is the de facto national language" Although there is no official language at the federal level, some la%sQsuch as U"S" naturaliCation reEuirementsQ standardiCe +nglish" $n )2'2, a out )*2 million, or 52F of the population aged five years and older, spoke only +nglish at home" Spanish, spoken y ')F of the population at home, is the second most common language and the most %idely taught second language"&)2'(&)2)( Some Americans advocate making +nglish the countryKs official language, as it is in at least )5 states"&D( 0oth ?a%aiian and +nglish are official languages in ?a%aii, y state la%"&)2*( While neither has an official language, 9e% 1eLico has la%s providing for the use of oth +nglish and Spanish, as ,ouisiana does for +nglish and French"&)2A( -ther states, such as 4alifornia, mandate the pu lication of Spanish versions of certain government documents including court forms"&)27( 1any Purisdictions %ith large num ers of non/+nglish speakers produce government materials, especially voting information, in the most commonly spoken languages in those Purisdictions" Several insular territories grant official recognition to their native languages, along %ith +nglish: Samoan and 4hamorro are recogniCed y American Samoa and #uam, respectivelyJ 4arolinian and 4hamorro are recogniCed y the 9orthern 1ariana $slandsJ Spanish is an official language of =uerto @ico and is more %idely spoken than +nglish there"&citation needed(

-eligion
.his sectionKs factual accuracy may ?e compromised due to out>of>date information" @elevant discussion may e found on the talk page" =lease update this article to reflect recent events or ne%ly availa le information" +,arch #(1-. 1ain article: @eligion 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 movements that egan in the United States

A pie chart of religious groups in the U"S" ()22:!

.he area roughly considered to constitute the 0i le 0elt .he First Amendment of the U"S" 4onstitution guarantees the free eLercise of religion and for ids 4ongress from passing la%s respecting its esta lishment" 4hristianity is y far the most common religion practiced in the U"S", ut other religions are follo%ed, too" $n a )22) study, 7DF of Americans said that religion played a "very important role in their lives", a far higher figure than that of any other %ealthy nation"&)2B( $n a )22D #allup poll, A)F of Americans said that they attended church %eekly or almost %eeklyJ the figures ranged from a lo% of )*F in >ermont to a high of B*F in 1ississippi"&)2:( According to a )22: survey, :5"AF of adults identified themselves as 4hristian,&)25( do%n from 5B"AF in 'DD2"&)2D( =rotestant denominations accounted for 7'"*F, %hile @oman 4atholicism, at )*"DF, %as the largest individual denomination"&)25( .he total reporting non/ 4hristian religions in )22: %as A":F, up from *"*F in 'DD2"&)2D( -ther religions include Judaism ('":F!, 0uddhism (2":F!, $slam (2"BF!, ?induism (2"AF!, and Unitarian Universalism (2"*F!"&)25( .he survey also reported that 'B"'F of Americans descri ed themselves as agnostic, atheist, or simply having no religion, up from 5")F in 'DD2"&)25(&)2D(&)'2( .here are also 0ahaKi, Sikh, Jain, Shinto, 4onfucian, .aoist, 3ruid, 9ative American, Wiccan, humanist and deist communities"&)''( =rotestantism is the largest group of religions in the United States, %ith 0aptists eing the largest =rotestant sect, and the Southern 0aptist 4onvention eing the largest =rotestant denomination in the U"S" @oman 4atholicism in the U"S" has its origin in the Spanish and French coloniCation of the Americas, and later gre% due to $rish, $talian, =olish, #erman and ?ispanic immigration" @hode $sland is the only state %here the maPority of the population is 4atholic" ,utheranism in the U"S" has its origin in immigration from 9orthern +urope" 9orth and South 3akota are the only states in %hich a plurality of the population is ,utheran" Utah is the only state %here 1ormonism is the religion of the maPority of the population" 1ormonism is also relatively common in parts of $daho, 9evada and Wyoming" .he 0i le 0elt is an informal term for a region in the Southern United States in %hich socially conservative evangelical =rotestantism is a significant part of the culture and 4hristian church attendance across the denominations is generally higher than the nationKs average" 0y contrast, religion plays the least important role in 9e% +ngland and in the Western United States"&)2:( As %ith other Western countries, the U"S" is ecoming less religious" $rreligion is gro%ing rapidly among Americans under *2"&)')( =olls sho% that overall American confidence in

organiCed religion is declining,&)'*( and that younger Americans in particular are ecoming increasingly irreligious"&)'A(

<amily structure
1ain article: Family structure in the United States $n )22:, 75F of Americans age '5 and over %ere married, BF %ere %ido%ed, '2F %ere divorced, and )7F had never een married"&)'7( Women no% %ork mostly outside the home and receive a maPority of achelorKs degrees"&)'B( .he U"S" teenage pregnancy rate, :D"5 per ',222 %omen, is the highest among -+43 nations" &)':( 0et%een )22: and )2'2, the highest teenage irth rate %as in 1ississippi, and the lo%est in 9e% ?ampshire"&)'5( A ortion is legal throughout the U"S", o%ing to /oe 0! Wade, a 'D:* landmark decision y the United States Supreme 4ourt" While the a ortion rate is falling, the a ortion ratio of )A' per ',222 live irths and a ortion rate of '7 per ',222 %omen aged '7N AA remain higher than those of most Western nations"&)'D( $n )2'', the average age at first irth %as )7"B and A2":F of irths %ere to unmarried %omen"&))2( .he total fertility rate (.F@! %as estimated for )2'* at )"2B irths per %oman"&))'( Adoption in the United States is common and relatively easy from a legal point of vie% (compared to other Western countries!"&)))( $n )22', %ith over '):,222 adoptions, the U"S" accounted for nearly half of the total num er of adoptions %orld%ide"&))*( Same/seL marriage is legally recogniCed in 'A U"S" states and the 3istrict of 4olum ia"&))A(

Government and politics

1ain articles: Federal government of the United States, state governments of the United States, and elections in the United States

U"S" 4apitol seats the 4ongress: the Senate, leftJ the ?ouse, right

.he White ?ouse used y the U"S" =resident

Supreme 4ourt and offices for nine Justices

=olitical system of the United States .he United States is the %orldKs oldest surviving federation" $t is a constitutional repu lic and representative democracy, "in %hich maPority rule is tempered y minority rights protected y la%""&))7( .he government is regulated y a system of checks and alances defined y the U"S" 4onstitution, %hich serves as the countryKs supreme legal document"&))B( For )2'), the US ranked )'st on the 3emocracy $ndeL&)):( and 'Dth on the 4orruption =erceptions $ndeL"&))5( $n the American federalist system, citiCens are usually su Pect to three levels of government: federal, state, and local" .he local governmentKs duties are commonly split et%een county and municipal governments" $n almost all cases, eLecutive and legislative officials are elected y a plurality vote of citiCens y district" .here is no proportional representation at the federal level, and it is very rare at lo%er levels" .he federal government is composed of three ranches:

,egislative: .he icameral 4ongress, made up of the Senate and the ?ouse of @epresentatives, makes federal la%, declares %ar, approves treaties, has the po%er of the purse,&))D( and has the po%er of impeachment, y %hich it can remove sitting mem ers of the government"&)*2( +Lecutive: .he president is the commander/in/chief of the military, can veto legislative ills efore they ecome la% (su Pect to 4ongressional override!, and appoints the mem ers of the 4a inet (su Pect to Senate approval! and other officers, %ho administer and enforce federal la%s and policies"&)*'( Judicial: .he Supreme 4ourt and lo%er federal courts, %hose Pudges are appointed y the president %ith Senate approval, interpret la%s and overturn those they find unconstitutional"

.he ?ouse of @epresentatives has A*7 voting mem ers, each representing a congressional district for a t%o/year term" ?ouse seats are apportioned among the states y population every tenth year" At the )2'2 census, seven states had the minimum of one representative, %hile 4alifornia, the most populous state, had 7*"&)*)( .he Senate has '22 mem ers %ith each state having t%o senators, elected at/large to siL/year termsJ one third of Senate seats are up for election every other year" .he president serves a four/year term and may e elected to the office no more than t%ice" .he president is not

elected y direct vote, ut y an indirect electoral college system in %hich the determining votes are apportioned to the states and the 3istrict of 4olum ia"&)**( .he Supreme 4ourt, led y the 4hief Justice of the United States, has nine mem ers, %ho serve for life"&)*A( .he state governments are structured in roughly similar fashionJ 9e raska uniEuely has a unicameral legislature"&)*7( .he governor (chief eLecutive! of each state is directly elected" Some state Pudges and ca inet officers are appointed y the governors of the respective states, %hile others are elected y popular vote" .he original teLt of the 4onstitution esta lishes the structure and responsi ilities of the federal government and its relationship %ith the individual states" Article -ne protects the right to the "great %rit" of ha eas corpus, .he 4onstitution has een amended ): timesJ&)*B( the first '2 amendments, %hich make up the 0ill of @ights, and the Fourteenth Amendment form the central asis of AmericansK individual rights" All la%s and governmental procedures are su Pect to Pudicial revie% and any la% ruled y the courts to e in violation of the 4onstitution is voided" .he principle of Pudicial revie%, not eLplicitly mentioned in the 4onstitution, %as esta lished y the Supreme 4ourt in ,arbur1 0! ,adison ('52*!&)*:( in a decision handed do%n y 4hief Justice John 1arshall"&)*5(

!olitical divisions
1ain articles: =olitical divisions 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 evolution of the United States and United States territorial acEuisitions .he United States is a federal union of 72 states" .he original '* states %ere the successors of the '* colonies that re elled against 0ritish rule" +arly in the countryKs history, three ne% states %ere organiCed on territory separated from the claims of the eListing states: Mentucky from >irginiaJ .ennessee from 9orth 4arolinaJ and 1aine from 1assachusetts" 1ost of the other states have een carved from territories o tained through %ar or purchase y the U"S" government" -ne set of eLceptions includes >ermont, .eLas, and ?a%aii: each %as an independent repu lic efore Poining the union" 3uring the American 4ivil War, West >irginia roke a%ay from >irginia" .he most recent stateQ?a%aiiQachieved statehood on August )', 'D7D"&)*D( .he states do not have the right to unilaterally secede from the union" .he states compose the vast ulk of the U"S" land massJ the t%o other areas considered integral parts of the country are the 3istrict of 4olum ia, the federal district %here the capital, Washington, is locatedJ and =almyra Atoll, an uninha ited ut incorporated territory in the =acific -cean" .he United States also possesses five maPor overseas territories: =uerto @ico and the United States >irgin $slands in the 4ari eanJ and American Samoa, #uam, and the 9orthern 1ariana $slands in the =acific"&)A2( .hose orn in the maPor territories are irthright U"S" citiCens eLcept Samoans" Samoans orn in American Samoa are orn U"S" nationals, and may ecome naturaliCed citiCens"&)A'( American citiCens residing in the territories have fundamental constitutional protections and elective self/government, %ith a territorial 1em er of 4ongress, ut they do not vote for president as states" .erritories have personal and usiness taL regimes different from that of states"&)A)(

.he United States also o serves tri al sovereignty of the 9ative 9ations" .hough reservations are %ithin state orders, the reservation is a sovereign" While the United States recogniCes this sovereignty, other countries may not"&)A*(

!arties and elections

1ain articles: =olitics of the United States and =olitical ideologies in the United States

(from left to right! ?ouse 1aPority ,eader +ric 4antor, ?ouse 1inority ,eader 9ancy =elosi, ?ouse Speaker John 0oehner, =resident 0arack - ama, Senate 1aPority ,eader ?arry @eid, Senate 1inority ,eader 1itch 1c4onnell at the White ?ouse in )2'' .he United States has operated under a t%o/party system for most of its history"&)AA( For elective offices at most levels, state/administered primary elections choose the maPor party nominees for su seEuent general elections" Since the general election of '57B, the maPor parties have een the 3emocratic =arty, founded in '5)A, and the @epu lican =arty, founded in '57A" Since the 4ivil War, only one third/party presidential candidateQformer president .heodore @oosevelt, running as a =rogressive in 'D')Qhas %on as much as )2F of the popular vote" .he third/largest political party is the ,i ertarian =arty"

Within American political culture, the @epu lican =arty is considered center/right or conservative and the 3emocratic =arty is considered center/left or li eral"&)A7( .he states of the 9ortheast and West 4oast and some of the #reat ,akes states, kno%n as " lue states", are relatively li eral" .he "red states" of the South and parts of the #reat =lains and @ocky 1ountains are relatively conservative" .he %inner of the )225 presidential election and the )2') presidential election, 3emocrat 0arack - ama, is the AAth U"S" president" $n the ''*th United States 4ongress, the ?ouse of @epresentatives is controlled y the @epu lican =arty, %hile the 3emocratic =arty has control of the Senate" .he Senate currently consists of 7) 3emocrats, t%o independents %ho caucus %ith the 3emocrats, and AB @epu licansJ the ?ouse consists of )*A @epu licans and )2' 3emocrats"&)AB( .here are *2 @epu lican and )2 3emocratic state governors"&)A:( Since the founding of the United States until )222s, the countryKs governance has een primarily dominated y White Anglo/SaLon =rotestants (WAS=s!" ?o%ever, the situation has changed recently and of the top ': positions (four national candidates of the t%o maPor party in the )2') U"S" presidential election, four leaders in '')th United States 4ongress, and nine Supreme 4ourt Justices! there is only one WAS="&)A5(&)AD(&)72(

<oreign relations
1ain articles: Foreign relations of the United States and Foreign policy of the United States See also: 4overt United States foreign regime change actions

.he 0ritish Foreign Secretary, William ?ague, and the U"S" Secretary of State, John Merry, June )2'* .he United States has esta lished foreign relations" $t is a permanent mem er of the United 9ations Security 4ouncil, and 9e% <ork 4ity hosts the United 9ations ?eadEuarters" $t is a mem er of the #5,&)7'( #)2, and -rganisation for +conomic 4o/operation and 3evelopment" Almost all countries have em assies in Washington, 3"4", and many have consulates around the country" ,ike%ise, nearly all nations host American diplomatic missions" ?o%ever, 4u a, $ran, 9orth Morea, 0hutan, and the @epu lic of 4hina (.ai%an! do not have formal diplomatic relations %ith the United States (although the U"S" still supplies .ai%an %ith military eEuipment!" .he United States has a "special relationship" %ith the United Mingdom&)7)( and strong ties %ith 4anada,&)7*( Australia,&)7A( 9e% Uealand,&)77( the =hilippines,&)7B( Japan,&)7:( South Morea,&)75( $srael,&)7D( and several +uropean countries such as France and #ermany" $t %orks closely %ith fello% 9A.- mem ers on military and security issues and %ith its neigh ors through the

-rganiCation of American States and free trade agreements such as the trilateral 9orth American Free .rade Agreement %ith 4anada and 1eLico" $n )225, the United States spent a net G)7"A illion on official development assistance, the most in the %orld" As a share of AmericaKs large gross national income (#9$!, ho%ever, the U"S" contri ution of 2"'5F ranked last among )) donor states" 0y contrast, private overseas giving y Americans is relatively generous"&)B2( .he U"S" eLercises full international defense authority and responsi ility for three sovereign nations through 4ompact of Free Association %ith 1icronesia, the 1arshall $slands and =alau, all of %hich are =acific island nations %hich %ere part of the U"S"/administered .rust .erritory of the =acific $slands eginning after World War $$, and gained independence in su seEuent years"

Government finance
See also: .aLation in the United States and United States federal udget .aLes are levied in the United States at the federal, state and local government level" .hese include taLes on income, payroll, property, sales, imports, estates and gifts, as %ell as various fees" $n )2'2 taLes collected y federal, state and municipal governments amounted to )A"5F of #3="&)B'( 3uring F<)2'), the federal government collected approLimately G)"A7 trillion in taL revenue, up G'A: illion or BF versus F<)2'' revenues of G)"*2 trillion" =rimary receipt categories included individual income taLes (G','*)0 or A:F!, Social Security;Social $nsurance taLes (G5A70 or *7F!, and corporate taLes (G)A)0 or '2F!"&)B)( U"S" taLation is generally progressive, especially the federal income taLes, and is among the most progressive in the developed %orld,&)B*(&)BA(&)B7(&)BB(&)B:(&)B5( ut the incidence of corporate income taL has een a matter of considera le ongoing controversy for decades"&)BD(&):2(&):'(&):)( $n )22D the top '2F of earners, %ith *BF of the nationKs income, paid :5")F of the federal personal income taL urden, %hile the ottom A2F had a negative lia ility"&)B:( ?o%ever, payroll taLes for Social Security are a flat regressive taL, %ith no taL charged on income a ove G''*,:22 and no taL at all paid on unearned income from things such as stocks and capital gains"&):*(&):A( .he historic reasoning for the regressive nature of the payroll taL is that entitlement programs have not een vie%ed as %elfare transfers"&):7(&):B( .he top '2F paid 7'"5F of total federal taLes in )22D, and the top 'F, %ith '*"AF of pre/taL national income, paid ))"*F of federal taLes"&)B:( $n )2'* the .aL =olicy 4enter proPected total federal effective taL rates of *7"7F for the top 'F, ):")F for the top Euintile, '*"5F for the middle Euintile, and H)":F for the ottom Euintile"&)::(&):5( State and local taLes vary %idely, ut are generally less progressive than federal taLes as they rely heavily on roadly orne regressive sales and property taLes that yield less volatile revenue streams, though their consideration does not eliminate the progressive nature of overall taLation"&)B7(&):D( 3uring F< )2'), the federal government spent G*"7A trillion on a udget or cash asis, do%n GB2 illion or '":F vs" F< )2'' spending of G*"B2 trillion" 1aPor categories of F< )2') spending included: 1edicare V 1edicaid (G52)0 or )*F of spending!, Social Security (G:B50 or ))F!, 3efense 3epartment (GB:20 or 'DF!, non/defense discretionary (GB'70 or ':F!, other mandatory (GAB'0 or '*F! and interest (G))*0 or BF!"&)B)( !u?lic de?t

US federal de t held y the pu lic as a percentage of #3=, from ':D2 to )2'* 1ain article: 9ational de t of the United States $n 1arch )2'*, U"S" federal government de t held y the pu lic %as approLimately G''"555 trillion, or a out :7F of U"S" #3=" $ntra/governmental holdings stood at GA"5B' trillion, giving a com ined total de t of G'B":AD trillion"&)52(&)5'( 0y )2'), total federal de t had surpassed '22F of U"S" #3="&)5)( .he U"S" has a credit rating of AAI from Standard V =oorKs, AAA from Fitch, and Aaa from 1oodyKs"&)5*( ?istorically, the U"S" pu lic de t as a share of #3= increased during %ars and recessions, and su seEuently declined" For eLample, de t held y the pu lic as a share of #3= peaked Pust after World War $$ (''*F of #3= in 'DA7!, ut then fell over the follo%ing *2 years" $n recent decades, large udget deficits and the resulting increases in de t have led to concern a out the long/term sustaina ility of the federal governmentKs fiscal policies"&)5A( ?o%ever, these concerns are not universally shared"&)57(

Military
1ain article: United States Armed Forces .he president holds the title of commander/in/chief of the nationKs armed forces and appoints its leaders, the Secretary of 3efense and the Joint 4hiefs of Staff" .he United States 3epartment of 3efense administers the armed forces, including the Army, 9avy, 1arine 4orps, and Air Force" .he 4oast #uard is run y the 3epartment of ?omeland Security in peacetime and the 3epartment of the 9avy in time of %ar" $n )225, the armed forces had '"A million personnel on active duty" .he @eserves and 9ational #uard rought the total num er of troops to )"* million" .he 3epartment of 3efense also employed a out :22,222 civilians, not including contractors"&)5B(

.he carrier strike groups of the 2itt1 3a4k, /onald /eagan, and 5braham 6incoln %ith aircraft from the 1arine 4orps, 9avy, and Air Force" 1ilitary service is voluntary, though conscription may occur in %artime through the Selective Service System"&)5:( American forces can e rapidly deployed y the Air ForceKs large fleet of transport aircraft, the 9avyKs '' active aircraft carriers, and 1arine +Lpeditionary Units at sea %ith the 9avyKs Atlantic and =acific fleets" .he military operates 5B7 ases and facilities a road,&)55( and maintains deployments greater than '22 active duty personnel in )7 foreign countries"&)5D( .he eLtent of this glo al military presence has prompted some scholars to descri e the United States as maintaining an "empire of ases""&)D2(

.otal U"S" military spending in )2'', more than G:22 illion, %as A'F of glo al military spending and eEual to the neLt 'A largest national military eLpenditures com ined" At A":F of #3=, the rate %as the second/highest among the top '7 military spenders, after Saudi Ara ia" &)D'( U"S" defense spending as a percentage of #3= ranked )*rd glo ally in )2') according to the 4$A"&)D)( 3efenseKs share of U"S" spending has generally declined in recent decades, from 4old War peaks of 'A")F of #3= in 'D7* and BD"7F of federal outlays in 'D7A to A":F of #3= and '5"5F of federal outlays in )2''"&)D*( .he proposed ase 3epartment of 3efense udget for )2'), G77* illion, %as a A")F increase over )2''J an additional G''5 illion %as proposed for the military campaigns in $raE and Afghanistan"&)DA( .he last American troops serving in $raE departed in 3ecem er )2''J&)D7( A,A5A servicemen %ere killed during the $raE War"&)DB( ApproLimately D2,222 U"S" troops %ere serving in Afghanistan in April )2')J&)D:( y 9ovem er 5th )2'* ),)57 had een killed during the War in Afghanistan"&)D5(

Crime and la6 enforcement

1ain 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 y local police departments" .he 9e% <ork 4ity =olice 3epartment (9<=3! is the largest in the country"&)DD( ,a% enforcement in the United States is primarily the responsi ility of local police and sheriffKs departments, %ith state police providing roader services" Federal agencies such as the Federal 0ureau of $nvestigation (F0$! and the U"S" 1arshals Service have specialiCed duties"&*22( At the federal level and in almost every state, Purisprudence operates on a common la% system" State courts conduct most criminal trialsJ federal courts handle certain designated crimes as %ell as certain appeals from the state criminal courts" =lea argaining in the United States is very commonJ the vast maPority of criminal cases in the country are settled y plea argain rather than Pury trial"&*2'(&*2)( Federal la% prohi its a variety of drugs, although states sometimes pass la%s in conflict %ith federal regulations"&citation needed( $n )2') there %ere A": murders per '22,222 persons in the United States, a 7AF decline from the modern peak of '2") in 'D52"&*2*(&*2A(&*27( Among developed nations, the United States has a ove/average levels of violent crime and particularly high levels of gun violence and homicide"&*2B( A cross/sectional analysis of the World ?ealth -rganiCation 1ortality 3ata ase from )22* sho%ed that United States "homicide rates %ere B"D times higher than rates in the other high/income countries, driven y firearm homicide rates that %ere 'D"7 times higher""&*2:( #un o%nership rights continue to e the su Pect of contentious political de ate"

4apital punishment is sanctioned in the United States for certain federal and military crimes, and used in *) states"&*25( While there are *) states %hich include capital punishment %ithin their sentencing statutes, some states (such as 9e% ?ampshire and Mansas! have yet to eLecute anyone since 'D:B, as demonstrated y the lack of any eLecutions y these states out of the ',*': total eLecutions %hich had taken place y 3ecem er 7, )2')"&*2D( 9o eLecutions took place from 'DB: to 'D::, o%ing in part to a U"S" Supreme 4ourt ruling striking do%n ar itrary imposition of the death penalty" $n 'D:B, that 4ourt ruled that, under appropriate circumstances, capital punishment may constitutionally e imposedJ since the decision there have een more than ',*22 eLecutions, a maPority of these taking place in three states: .eLas, >irginia, and -klahoma"&*'2( Five state legislatures in the modern era have a olished the death penalty, though t%o of those la%s (in 9e% 1eLico and 4onnecticut! %ere not retroactive" Additionally, state courts in 1assachusetts and 9e% <ork struck do%n death penalty statutes and their legislatures took no action in response" $n )2'2, the country had the fifth highest num er of eLecutions in the %orld, follo%ing 4hina, $ran, 9orth Morea, and <emen"&*''( .he United States has the highest documented incarceration rate and total prison population in the %orld"&*')(&*'*( At the start of )225, more than )"* million people %ere incarcerated, more than one in every '22 adults"&*'A( .he prison population has Euadrupled since 'D52,&*'7( and is over three times the figure in =oland, the -rganisation for +conomic 4o/operation and 3evelopment (-+43! country %ith the neLt highest rate"&*'B( African/American males are Pailed at a out siL times the rate of %hite males and three times the rate of ?ispanic males"&*':( .he countryKs high rate of incarceration is largely due to changes in sentencing guidelines and drug policies"&*'5( $n )225, ,ouisiana had the highest incarceration rate, and 1aine the lo%est" &*'D( 3espite ,ouisana having the highest num er of its citiCens imprisoned, the F0$Ks crime report for )2') listed the state as having the highest rate of murders and nonnegligent manslaughters in the United States"&*)2(

*conomy
1ain article: +conomy of the United States
*conomic indicators 9ominal #3= '7"D5A trillion (R' )2'*! @eal #3= gro%th '":F (R) )2'*, annualiCed! )")F ()2')! )"2F (Fe ruary )2') N 4=$ inflation
Fe ruary )2'*!
&*)'(

&*))( &*)*(

+mployment/to/population ratio Unemployment ,a or force participation rate =overty =u lic de t ?ousehold net %orth

75"7F (1arch )2'*! :"AF (July )2'*! B*"*F (1arch )2'*! '7"'F ()2'2! G'B"A** trillion (RA
)2')!

&*)A( &*)7( &*)B( &*):( &*)5( &*)D(

G75"7 trillion (RA )2''!

.he United States has a capitalist miLed economy, %hich is fueled y a undant natural resources, a %ell/developed infrastructure, and high productivity"&**2( According to the $nternational 1onetary Fund, the U"S" #3= of G'7"' trillion constitutes ))F of the gross %orld product at market eLchange rates and over 'DF of the gross %orld product at

purchasing po%er parity (===!"&B( .hough larger than any other nationKs, its national #3= %as a out 7F smaller at === in )2'' than the +uropean UnionKs, %hose population is around B)F higher"&**'( .he country ranks ninth in the %orld in nominal #3= per capita and siLth in #3= per capita at ==="&B( .he U"S" dollar is the %orldKs primary reserve currency"&**)( .he United States is the largest importer of goods and second largest eLporter, though eLports per capita are relatively lo%" $n )2'2, the total U"S" trade deficit %as GB*7 illion"&***( 4anada, 4hina, 1eLico, Japan, and #ermany are its top trading partners"&**A( $n )2'2, oil %as the largest import commodity, %hile transportation eEuipment %as the countryKs largest eLport"&***( 4hina is the largest foreign holder of U"S" pu lic de t"&**7(

.he 9e% <ork Stock +Lchange on Wall Street, the %orldKs largest stock eLchange per total market capitaliCation of its listed companies"&**B( $n )22D, the private sector %as estimated to constitute 5B"AF of the economy, %ith federal government activity accounting for A"*F and state and local government activity (including federal transfers! the remaining D"*F"&**:( While its economy has reached a postindustrial level of development and its service sector constitutes B:"5F of #3=, the United States remains an industrial po%er"&**5( .he leading usiness field y gross usiness receipts is %holesale and retail tradeJ y net income it is manufacturing"&**D( 4hemical products are the leading manufacturing field"&*A2( .he United States is the third largest producer of oil in the %orld, as %ell as its largest importer"&*A'( $t is the %orldKs num er one producer of electrical and nuclear energy, as %ell as liEuid natural gas, sulfur, phosphates, and salt" While agriculture accounts for Pust under 'F of #3=,&**5( the United States is the %orldKs top producer of corn&*A)( and soy eans"&*A*( .he 9ational Agricultural Statistics Service maintains agricultural statistics for products that includeJ peanuts, -ats, @ye, Wheat, @ice, 4otton, corn, arley, hay, sunflo%ers, and oilseeds" $n addition, the United States 3epartment of Agriculture (US3A! provides livestock statistics regarding eef, poultry, pork, along %ith dairy products" .he 9ational 1ining Association provides data pertaining to coal and minerals that includeJ eryllium, copper, lead, magnesium, Cinc, titanium and others"&*AA(&*A7( $n the franchising usiness model, 1c3onaldKs and Su %ay are the t%o most recogniCed rands in the %orld" 4oca/4ola is the most recogniCed soft drink company in the %orld"&*AB( 4onsumer spending comprises :'F of the U"S" economy in )2'*"&*A:( $n August )2'2, the American la or force consisted of '7A"' million people" With )'") million people, government is the leading field of employment" .he largest private employment sector is health care and social assistance, %ith 'B"A million people" A out ')F of %orkers are unioniCed, compared to *2F in Western +urope"&*A5( .he World 0ank ranks the United States first in the ease of hiring and firing %orkers"&*AD( .he United States is the only advanced

economy that that does not guarantee its %orkers paid vacation&*72( and is one of Pust a fe% countries in the %orld %ithout paid family leave as a legal right, %ith the others eing =apua 9e% #uinea, Suriname and ,i eria"&*7'( $n )22D, the United States had the third highest la or productivity per person in the %orld, ehind ,uLem ourg and 9or%ay" $t %as fourth in productivity per hour, ehind those t%o countries and the 9etherlands"&*7)( .he )225/)2') glo al recession had a significant impact on the United States" For eLample, persistent high unemployment remains, along %ith lo% consumer confidence, the continuing decline in home values and increase in foreclosures and personal ankruptcies, an escalating federal de t crisis, inflation, and rising petroleum and food prices" $n fact, a )2'' poll found that more than half of all Americans think the U"S" is still in recession or even depression, despite official data that sho%s a historically modest recovery"&*7*(

ncome. poverty. and 6ealth

1ain articles: $ncome in the United States, =overty in the United States, and Wealth in the United States See also: $ncome ineEuality in the United States and Affluence in the United States Americans have the highest average household and employee income among -+43 nations, and in )22: had the second highest median household income"&))(&*7A( According to the 4ensus 0ureau real median household income %as G72,72) in )2'', do%n from G7','AA in )2'2"&*77( .he #lo al Food Security $ndeL ranked the U"S" num er one for food afforda ility and overall food security in 1arch )2'*"&*7B( Americans on average have over t%ice as much living space per d%elling and per person as +uropean Union residents, and more than every +U nation"&*7:(

=roductivity and @eal 1edian Family $ncome #ro%th 'DA:N)22D" .he U"S" economy is currently em roiled in the economic do%nturn %hich follo%ed the financial crisis of )22:N)225, %ith output still elo% potential according to the 40-&*75( and unemployment still a ove historic trends"&*7D( From 'D5* to )225, U"S" real compounded annual #3= gro%th %as *"*F, compared to a )"*F %eighted average for the rest of the #:" &*B2( $n )2'* the United 9ations 3evelopment =rogramme ranked the United States 'Bth among '*) countries on its ineEuality/adPusted human development indeL ($?3$!, '* places lo%er than in the standard ?3$"&*B'( $n Fe ruary )2'*, the unemployment rate %as :":F, or ')"2 million people, %hile the governmentKs roader U/B unemployment rate, %hich includes the part/time underemployed, %as 'A"*F, or ))") million" With a record proportion of long/term unemployed, continued decreasing household income, taL rises, and ne% federal udget cuts, the U"S" economy

remained in a Po less recovery"&*B)(&*B*( 9early half of U"S" households are considered "lo%/ income" y the U"S" census (earning GA7,222 or less per year for a family of four!"&*BA( .he rise in the share of total annual income received y the top ' percent, %hich has more than dou led from D percent in 'D:B to )2 percent in )2'', has had a significant impact on income ineEuality,&*B7( leaving the United States %ith one of the %idest income distri utions among -+43 nations"&*BB(&*B:( .he post/recession income gains have een very uneven, %ith the top ' percent capturing D7 percent of the income gains from )22D to )2')"&*B5(

A tract housing development in San Jose, 4alifornia .here has een a %idening gap et%een productivity and median incomes since the 'D:2s"&*BD( While inflation/adPusted ("real"! household income had een increasing almost every year from 'DA: to 'DDD, it has since een flat and even decreased recently"&*:2( =overty in the U"S" has een increasing as median incomes have declined, having no% fallen for five consecutive years"&*:'( .here %ere a out BA*,222 sheltered and unsheltered homeless persons in the U"S" in January )22D" Almost t%o/thirds stayed in an emergency shelter or transitional housing program and the other third %ere living on the street, in an a andoned uilding, or another place not meant for human ha itation" $n )2'' 'B": million children lived in food/insecure households, a out *7F more than )22: levels, though only '"'F of U"S" children, or 5A7,222, sa% reduced food intake or disrupted eating patterns at some point during the year, and most cases %erenKt chronic"&*:)( Wealth, like income and taLes, is highly concentrated: .he richest '2F of the adult population possesses BD"5F of the countryKs household %ealth, the second/highest share among developed nations"&*:*( 0et%een June )22: and 9ovem er )225 the glo al recession led to falling asset prices around the %orld" Assets o%ned y Americans lost a out a Euarter of their value"&*:A( Since peaking in the second Euarter of )22:, household %ealth is do%n G'A trillion"&*:7( At the end of )225, household de t amounted to G'*"5 trillion"&*:B( $n )2'2, the median household retirement account alance for %orkers aged 77 to BA %as G')2,222, and a out a third of households had no retirement savings at all"&*::( :7F of Americans nearing retirement age have less than G*2,222 in their retirement accounts"&*:5(

nfrastructure
$ransportation
1ain article: .ransportation in the United States

.he $nterstate ?igh%ay System, %hich eLtends AB,5:B miles (:7,AA2 km!&*:D( =ersonal transportation is dominated y automo iles, %hich operate on a net%ork of '* million roads, including one of the %orldKs longest high%ay systems"&*52( .he %orldKs second largest automo ile market,&*5'( the United States has the highest rate of per/capita vehicle o%nership in the %orld, %ith :B7 vehicles per ',222 Americans"&*5)( A out A2F of personal vehicles are vans, SU>s, or light trucks"&*5*( .he average American adult (accounting for all drivers and non/drivers! spends 77 minutes driving every day, traveling )D miles (A: km!"&*5A( 1ass transit accounts for DF of total U"S" %ork trips"&*57(&*5B( While transport of goods y rail is eLtensive, relatively fe% people use rail to travel,&*5:( though ridership on Amtrak, the national intercity passenger rail system, gre% y almost *:F et%een )222 and )2'2"&*55( Also, light rail development has increased in recent years"&*5D( 0icycle usage for %ork commutes is minimal"&*D2( .he civil airline industry is entirely privately o%ned and has een largely deregulated since 'D:5, %hile most maPor airports are pu licly o%ned" .he three largest airlines in the %orld y passengers carried are U"S"/ asedJ American Airlines is num er one after its )2'* acEuisition of US Air%ays"&*D'( -f the %orldKs *2 usiest passenger airports, 'B are in the United States, including the usiest, ?artsfield/Jackson Atlanta $nternational Airport"&*D)( Further information: ,ist of airlines of the United States

*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 :"5 tons of oil eEuivalent per year, the '2th highest rate in the %orld" $n )227, A2F of this energy came from petroleum, )*F from coal, and ))F from natural gas" .he remainder %as supplied y nuclear po%er and rene%a le energy sources"&*D*( .he United States is the %orldKs largest consumer of petroleum"&*DA( For decades, nuclear po%er has played a limited role relative to many other developed countries, in part ecause of pu lic perception in the %ake of a 'D:D accident" $n )22:, several applications for ne% nuclear plants %ere filed"&*D7( .he United States has ):F of glo al coal reserves"&*DB( $t is the %orldKs largest producer of natural gas and crude oil"&*D:(

Science and technology

1ain article: Science and technology in the United States See also: .echnological and industrial history of the United States

9eil Armstrong %as the first person to %alk on the 1oon" .he United States has een a leader in scientific research and technological innovation since the late 'Dth century" $n '5:B, AleLander #raham 0ell %as a%arded the first U"S" patent for the telephone" .homas +disonKs la oratory developed the phonograph, the first long/lasting light ul , and the first via le movie camera"&*D5( $n the early )2th century, the automo ile companies of @ansom +" -lds and ?enry Ford populariCed the assem ly line" .he Wright rothers, in 'D2*, made the first sustained and controlled heavier/than/air po%ered flight"&*DD( .he rise of 9aCism in the 'D*2s led many +uropean scientists, including Al ert +instein, +nrico Fermi, and John von 9eumann, to immigrate to the United States" 3uring World War $$, the 1anhattan =roPect developed nuclear %eapons, ushering in the Atomic Age" .he Space @ace produced rapid advances in rocketry, materials science, and computers" Advancements y American microprocessor companies such as Advanced 1icro 3evices (A13!, and $ntel along %ith oth computer soft%are and hard%are companies that includeJ Sun 1icrosystems, $01, #9U/,inuL, Apple 4omputer, and 1icrosoft refined and populariCed the personal computer" .he United States government largely developed the 3efense 3epartmentKs A@=A9+. and its successor, the $nternet" .oday, BAF of research and development funding comes from the private sector"&A22( .he United States leads the %orld in scientific research papers and impact factor"&A2'( As of April )2'2, ::F of American households o%ned at least one computer, and B5F had road and $nternet service"&A2)( 57F of Americans also o%n a mo ile phone as of )2''"&A2*( .he country is the primary developer and gro%er of genetically modified food, representing half of the %orldKs iotech crops"&A2A(

*ducation
1ain article: +ducation in the United States See also: +ducational attainment in the United States and ?igher education in the United States

Some 52F of U"S" college students attend pu lic universities such as the University of >irginia, founded y .homas Jefferson&A27( American pu lic education is operated y state and local governments, regulated y the United States 3epartment of +ducation through restrictions on federal grants" $n most states, children are reEuired to attend school from the age of siL or seven (generally, kindergarten or first grade! until they turn '5 (generally ringing them through t%elfth grade, the end of high school!J some states allo% students to leave school at 'B or ':"&A2B( A out ')F of children are enrolled in parochial or nonsectarian private schools" Just over )F of children are homeschooled"&A2:( .he US spends more on education per student than any nation in the %orld"
&A25(

.he United States has many competitive private and pu lic institutions of higher education" According to prominent international rankings, '* or '7 American colleges and universities are ranked among the top )2 in the %orld"&A2D(&A'2( .here are also local community colleges %ith generally more open admission policies, shorter academic programs, and lo%er tuition" -f Americans )7 and older, 5A"BF graduated from high school, 7)"BF attended some college, ):")F earned a achelorKs degree, and D"BF earned graduate degrees"&A''( .he asic literacy rate is approLimately DDF"&A(&A')( .he United 9ations assigns the United States an +ducation $ndeL of 2"D:, tying it for ')th in the %orld"&A'*( As for pu lic eLpenditures on higher education, the U"S" trails some other -+43 nations ut spends more per student than the -+43 average, and more than all nations in com ined pu lic and private spending"&A25(&A'A( As of )2'), student loan de t eLceeded one trillion dollars, more than Americans o%e on credit cards"&A'7(

#ealth
See also: ?ealth care in the United States, ?ealth care reform in the United States, and ?ealth insurance in the United States

.he .eLas 1edical 4enter in ?ouston is the %orldKs largest medical center"

.he United States has life eLpectancy of :5"A years at irth, up from :7") years in 'DD2, ranks it 72th among ))' nations, and ):th out of the *A industrialiCed -+43 countries, do%n from )2th in 'DD2"&A'B(&A':( $ncreasing o esity in the United States and health improvements else%here have contri uted to lo%ering the countryKs rank in life eLpectancy from 'D5:, %hen it %as ''th in the %orld"&A'5( - esity rates in the United States are among the highest in the %orld"&A'D( ApproLimately one/third of the adult population is o ese and an additional third is over%eightJ&A)2( the o esity rate, the highest in the industrialiCed %orld, has more than dou led in the last Euarter/century"&A)'( - esity/related type ) dia etes is considered epidemic y health care professionals"&A))( .he infant mortality rate of B"2B per thousand places the United States ':Bth highest out of ))) countries"&A)*( $n )2'2, coronary artery disease, lung cancer, stroke, chronic o structive pulmonary diseases, and traffic accidents caused the most years of life lost in the U"S" ,o% ack pain, depression, musculoskeletal disorders, neck pain, and anLiety caused the most years lost to disa ility" .he most deleterious risk factors %ere poor diet, to acco smoking, o esity, high lood pressure, high lood sugar, physical inactivity, and alcohol use" AlCheimerKs disease, drug a use, kidney disease and cancer, and falls caused the most additional years of life lost over their age/adPusted 'DD2 per/capita rates"&A':( U"S" teenage pregnancy and a ortion rates are su stantially higher than in other Western nations" .he U"S" is a glo al leader in medical innovation" America solely developed or contri uted significantly to D of the top '2 most important medical innovations since 'D:7 as ranked y a )22' poll of physicians, %hile the +U and S%itCerland together contri uted to five" Since 'DBB, Americans have received more 9o el =riCes in 1edicine than the rest of the %orld com ined" From 'D5D to )22), four times more money %as invested in private iotechnology companies in America than in +urope"&A)A(&A)7( .he U"S" health/care system far outspends any other nation, measured in oth per capita spending and percentage of #3="&A)B( ?ealth/care coverage in the United States is a com ination of pu lic and private efforts and is not universal" $n )2'2, AD"D million residents or 'B"*F of the population did not carry health insurance" .he su Pect of uninsured and underinsured Americans is a maPor political issue"&A):( &A)5( $n )22B, 1assachusetts ecame the first state to mandate universal health insurance"&A)D( Federal legislation passed in early )2'2 %ould ostensi ly create a near/universal health insurance system around the country y )2'A, though the ill and its ultimate impact are issues of controversy"&A*2(&A*'(

Culture
1ain article: 4ulture of the United States See also: Social class in the United States, =u lic holidays in the United States, and .ourism in the United States

.he Statue of ,i erty in 9e% <ork 4ity is a sym ol of oth the U"S" and ideals of freedom, democracy, and opportunity"&A*)( .he United States is home to many cultures and a %ide variety of ethnic groups, traditions, and values"&')(&A**( Aside from the relatively small 9ative American and 9ative ?a%aiian populations, nearly all Americans or their ancestors settled or immigrated %ithin the past five centuries"&A*A( 1ainstream American culture is a Western culture largely derived from the traditions of +uropean immigrants %ith influences from many other sources, such as traditions rought y slaves from Africa"&')(&A*7( 1ore recent immigration from Asia and especially ,atin America has added to a cultural miL that has een descri ed as oth a homogeniCing melting pot, and a heterogeneous salad o%l in %hich immigrants and their descendants retain distinctive cultural characteristics"&')( 4ore American culture %as esta lished y =rotestant 0ritish colonists and shaped y the frontier settlement process, %ith the traits derived passed do%n to descendants and transmitted to immigrants through assimilation" Americans have traditionally een characteriCed y a strong %ork ethic, competitiveness, and individualism, as %ell as a unifying elief in an "American 4reed" emphasiCing li erty, eEuality, private property, democracy, rule of la%, and a preference for limited government"&A*B( Americans are eLtremely charita le y glo al standards" According to a )22B 0ritish study, Americans gave '"B:F of #3= to charity, more than any other nation studied, more than t%ice the second place 0ritish figure of 2":*F, and around t%elve times the French figure of 2"'AF"&A*:(&A*5( American culture is considered the most individualistic in the %orld"&A*D( .he American 3ream, or the perception that Americans enPoy high social mo ility, plays a key role in attracting immigrants"&AA2( Social mo ility is actually lo%er than other high/income countries, %ith the -+43 ranking the U"S" '2th ehind France, #ermany, 4anada, Australia, and the 9ordic countries,&AA2(&AA'(&AA)(&AA*( .his has een partly attri uted to the depth of American poverty, %hich leaves poor children starting especially far ehind"&AAA( Such studies are ased on relative comparisons %ithin each nation rather than a solute %ealth earned throughout oneKs life, the U"S" having oth a more stretched/out income distri ution and a higher median income than those nations"&AA7( While the mainstream culture holds that the United States is a classless society,&AAB( scholars identify significant differences et%een the countryKs social classes, affecting socialiCation, language, and values"&AA:( AmericansK self/images, social vie%points, and cultural eLpectations are associated %ith their occupations to an unusually close degree"&AA5( While Americans tend greatly to value socioeconomic achievement, eing ordinary or average is generally seen as a positive attri ute"&AAD(

!opular media
1ain articles: 1edia of the United States, 4inema of the United States, .elevision in the United States, and 1usic of the United States

.he ?olly%ood Sign in ,os Angeles, 4alifornia, a sym ol of the American film industry
&clarification needed(

.he %orldKs first commercial motion picture eLhi ition %as given in 9e% <ork 4ity in '5DA, using .homas +disonKs Minetoscope" .he neLt year sa% the first commercial screening of a proPected film, also in 9e% <ork, and the United States %as in the forefront of sound filmKs development in the follo%ing decades" Since the early )2th century, the U"S" film industry has largely een ased in and around ?olly%ood, 4alifornia"&citation needed( 3irector 3" W" #riffith %as central to the development of film grammar and -rson WellesKs Citizen 2ane ('DA'! is freEuently cited as the greatest film of all time"&A72(&A7'( American screen actors like John Wayne and 1arilyn 1onroe have ecome iconic figures, %hile producer;entrepreneur Walt 3isney %as a leader in oth animated film and movie merchandising" ?olly%ood is also one of the leaders in motion picture production"&A7)( $n 'D*5, Superman, the Euintessential comic ook superhero of 34 4omics, developed into an American icon"&A7*( Additional comic ook pu lishers includeJ 1arvel 4omics, created in 'D*D, $mage 4omics, created in 'DD), 3ark ?orse 4omics, created in 'D5B, and numerous small press comic ook companies" $n cele ration of the industryKs success, annual comic conventions take place at .he San 3iego 4omic/4on $nternational, %hich has an attendance of over '*2,222 visitors" Americans are the heaviest television vie%ers in the %orld,&A7A( and the average vie%ing time continues to rise, reaching five hours a day in )22B"&A77( .he four maPor roadcast television net%orks are all commercial entities" Americans listen to radio programming, also largely commercial, on average Pust over t%o/and/a/half hours a day"&A7B( Aside from %e portals and search engines, the most popular %e sites are Face ook, <ou.u e, Wikipedia, 0logger, e0ay, and 4raigslist"&A7:(&clarification needed( .he rhythmic and lyrical styles of African/American music have deeply influenced American music at large, distinguishing it from +uropean traditions" +lements from folk idioms such as the lues and %hat is no% kno%n as old/time music %ere adopted and transformed into popular genres %ith glo al audiences" JaCC %as developed y innovators such as ,ouis Armstrong and 3uke +llington early in the )2th century" 4ountry music developed in the 'D)2s, and rhythm and lues in the 'DA2s"&A75( &clarification needed( +lvis =resley and 4huck 0erry %ere among the mid/'D72s pioneers of rock and roll" $n the 'DB2s, 0o 3ylan emerged from the folk revival to ecome one of AmericaKs most cele rated song%riters and James 0ro%n led the development of funk" 1ore recent American creations include hip hop and house music" American pop stars such as =resley, 1ichael Jackson, and 1adonna have ecome glo al cele rities"&A75(

Literature. philosophy. and the arts

1ain articles: American literature, American philosophy, >isual art of the United States, and American classical music $n the '5th and early 'Dth centuries, American art and literature took most of its cues from +urope" Writers such as 9athaniel ?a%thorne, +dgar Allan =oe, and ?enry 3avid .horeau esta lished a distinctive American literary voice y the middle of the 'Dth century" 1ark .%ain and poet Walt Whitman %ere maPor figures in the centuryKs second halfJ +mily 3ickinson, virtually unkno%n during her lifetime, is no% recogniCed as an essential American poet"&A7D( A %ork seen as capturing fundamental aspects of the national eLperience and characterQsuch as ?erman 1elvilleKs ,ob17Dick ('57'!, .%ainKs The 5d0entures of 3uckleberr1 Finn ('557!, and F" Scott FitCgeraldKs The Great Gatsb1 ('D)7!Qmay e du ed the "#reat American 9ovel""&AB2(

1ark .%ain, famous American author and humorist" +leven U"S" citiCens have %on the 9o el =riCe in ,iterature, most recently .oni 1orrison in 'DD*" William Faulkner and +rnest ?eming%ay are often named among the most influential %riters of the )2th century"&AB'( =opular literary genres such as the Western and hard oiled crime fiction developed in the United States" .he 0eat #eneration %riters opened up ne% literary approaches, as have postmodernist authors such as John 0arth, .homas =ynchon, and 3on 3e,illo" .he transcendentalists, led y .horeau and @alph Waldo +merson, esta lished the first maPor American philosophical movement" After the 4ivil War, 4harles Sanders =eirce and then William James and John 3e%ey %ere leaders in the development of pragmatism" $n the )2th century, the %ork of W" >" -" Ruine and @ichard @orty, and later 9oam 4homsky, rought analytic philosophy to the fore of American philosophical academia" John @a%ls and @o ert 9oCick led a revival of political philosophy" 4ornel West and Judith 0utler have led a continental tradition in American philosophical academia" #lo ally influential 4hicago school economists like 1ilton Friedman, James 1" 0uchanan, and .homas So%ell have transcended discipline to impact various fields in social and political philosophy"&AB)(&AB*( $n the visual arts, the ?udson @iver School %as a mid/'Dth/century movement in the tradition of +uropean naturalism" .he realist paintings of .homas +akins are no% %idely cele rated" .he 'D'* Armory Sho% in 9e% <ork 4ity, an eLhi ition of +uropean modernist art, shocked

the pu lic and transformed the U"S" art scene"&ABA( #eorgia -KMeeffe, 1arsden ?artley, and others eLperimented %ith ne%, individualistic styles" 1aPor artistic movements such as the a stract eLpressionism of Jackson =ollock and Willem de Mooning and the pop art of Andy Warhol and @oy ,ichtenstein developed largely in the United States" .he tide of modernism and then postmodernism has rought fame to American architects such as Frank ,loyd Wright, =hilip Johnson, and Frank #ehry"

.imes SEuare in 9e% <ork 4ity, the hu of the 0road%ay .heater 3istrict" -ne of the first maPor promoters of American theater %as impresario =" ." 0arnum, %ho egan operating a lo%er 1anhattan entertainment compleL in '5A'" .he team of ?arrigan and ?art produced a series of popular musical comedies in 9e% <ork starting in the late '5:2s" $n the )2th century, the modern musical form emerged on 0road%ayJ the songs of musical theater composers such as $rving 0erlin, 4ole =orter, and Stephen Sondheim have ecome pop standards" =lay%right +ugene -K9eill %on the 9o el literature priCe in 'D*BJ other acclaimed U"S" dramatists include multiple =ulitCer =riCe %inners .ennessee Williams, +d%ard Al ee, and August Wilson" .hough little kno%n at the time, 4harles $vesKs %ork of the 'D'2s esta lished him as the first maPor U"S" composer in the classical tradition, %hile eLperimentalists such as ?enry 4o%ell and John 4age created a distinctive American approach to classical composition" Aaron 4opland and #eorge #ersh%in developed a ne% synthesis of popular and classical music" 4horeographers $sadora 3uncan and 1artha #raham helped create modern dance, %hile #eorge 0alanchine and Jerome @o ins %ere leaders in )2th/century allet" Americans have long een important in the modern artistic medium of photography, %ith maPor photographers including Alfred StieglitC, +d%ard Steichen, and Ansel Adams" .he ne%spaper comic strip and the comic ook are oth U"S" innovations"

<ood
1ain article: 4uisine of the United States

An apple pie, surrounded y some other icons of American culture"

1ainstream 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, venison, potatoes, s%eet potatoes, corn, sEuash, and maple syrup, %hich %ere consumed y 9ative Americans and early +uropean settlers"&citation needed( Slo%/cooked pork and eef ar ecue, cra cakes, potato chips, and chocolate chip cookies are distinctively American foods" Soul food, developed y African slaves, is popular around the South and among many African Americans else%here" Syncretic cuisines such as ,ouisiana 4reole, 4aPun, and .eL/1eL are regionally important" .he confectionery industry in the United States includes .he ?ershey 4ompany, the largest chocolate manufacturer in 9orth America" $n addition, Frito/,ay, a su sidiary of =epsi4o, is the largest glo ally distri uted snack food company in the %orld" .he United States has a vast 0reakfast cereal industry that includes rands such as MellogKs and #eneral 1ills"&citation needed( 4haracteristic dishes such as apple pie, fried chicken, piCCa, ham urgers, and hot dogs derive from the recipes of various immigrants" French fries, 1eLican dishes such as urritos and tacos, and pasta dishes freely adapted from $talian sources are %idely consumed"&AB7( Americans generally prefer coffee to tea" 1arketing y U"S" industries is largely responsi le for making orange Puice and milk u iEuitous reakfast everages"&ABB(&AB:( .he American fast food industry, the %orldKs largest, pioneered the drive/through format in the 'D*2s" Fast food consumption has sparked health concerns" 3uring the 'D52s and 'DD2s, AmericansK caloric intake rose )AFJ&AB7( freEuent dining at fast food outlets is associated %ith %hat pu lic health officials call the American "o esity epidemic""&AB5( ?ighly s%eetened soft drinks are %idely popular, and sugared everages account for nine percent of American caloric intake"&ABD(

Sports
1ain article: Sports in the United States

S%immer 1ichael =helps is the most decorated -lympic athlete of all time" .he market for professional sports in the United States is roughly GBD illion, roughly 72F larger than that of all of +urope, the 1iddle +ast, and Africa com ined"&A:2( 0ase all has een regarded as the national sport since the late 'Dth century, %hile American foot all is no% y several measures the most popular spectator sport"&A:'( 0asket all and ice hockey are the countryKs neLt t%o leading professional team sports" .hese four maPor sports, %hen played

professionally, each occupy a season at different, ut overlapping, times of the year" 4ollege foot all and asket all attract large audiences" 0oLing and horse racing %ere once the most %atched individual sports,&A:)( ut they have een eclipsed y golf and auto racing, particularly 9AS4A@" $n the )'st century, televised miLed martial arts has also gained a strong follo%ing of regular vie%ers"&A:*(&A:A( While soccer is much less popular in the United States than in many other nations, it is played %idely at the youth and amateur levelsJ even so, the menKs team has een to the past siL World 4ups and the %omen are T' in the %omenKs %orld rankings" .ennis and many outdoor sports are popular as %ell" While most maPor U"S" sports have evolved out of +uropean practices, asket all, volley all, skate oarding, sno% oarding, and cheerleading are American inventions, %hich have ecome popular in other countries" ,acrosse and surfing arose from 9ative American and 9ative ?a%aiian activities that predate Western contact" +ight -lympic #ames have taken place in the United States" .he United States has %on ),*2' medals at the Summer -lympic #ames, more than any other country,&A:7( and )7* in the Winter -lympic #ames, the second most y )22B"&A:B(

See also
United States portal

$ndeL of United States/related articles -utline of the United States ,ist of United States cities y population ,ist of metropolitan areas of the United States ,ist of official United States national sym ols United States at Wikipedia ooks

-eferences
'" )" *" A" Cump up ) *B U"S"4" W *2) 8ational motto Cump up ) Simonson, )2'2 Cump up ) 3ept" of .reasury, )2'' X Jump up to: a b c d "United States"" The World Factbook" 4$A" Septem er *2, )22D" @etrieved January 7, )2'2 (area given in sEuare kilometers!" 7" X Jump up to: a b "U"S" =-=4lock =roPection"" U"S" 4ensus 0ureau" (figure updated automatically!" B" X Jump up to: a b c d e f g h "World +conomic -utlook 3ata ase: United States"" $nternational 1onetary Fund" 9ovem er )2'*" @etrieved 9ovem er 7, )2'*" :" Cump up ) "$ncome, =overty and ?ealth $nsurance 4overage in the United States: )2''"" 8e4sroom" United States 4ensus 0ureau" Septem er '), )2')" @etrieved January )*, )2'*" 5" Cump up ) "?uman 3evelopment @eport )2'*"" United 9ations 3evelopment =rogramme" 1arch 'A, )2'*" @etrieved 1arch 'A, )2'*" D" X Jump up to: a b Feder, Jody (January )7, )22:!" "+nglish as the -fficial ,anguage of the United States: ,egal 0ackground and Analysis of ,egislation in the ''2th 4ongress"" $l%"com (4ongressional @esearch Service!" @etrieved June 'D, )22:" '2" Cump up ) The 8e4 9ork Times Guide to Essential 2no4ledge' :econd Edition; 5 Desk /eference for the Curious ,ind" St" 1artinKs =ress" )22:" p" B*)" $S09 D:5/2/*')/*:B7D/5"

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Cump up ) -nuf, =eter S" ('D5*!" The <rigins of the Federal /epublic; =urisdictional Contro0ersies in the >nited :tates' 1&&%?1&*&" =hiladelphia: University of =ennsylvania =ress" $S09 D:5/2/5'))/''B:/)" ')" X Jump up to: a b c d Adams, J"R"J Strother/Adams, =earlie ()22'!" Dealing 4ith Di0ersit1" 4hicago: Mendall;?unt" $S09 2/:5:)/5'A7/S" '*" Cump up ) http:;;articles"latimes"com;)2');Pul;');science;la/sci/sn/paisley/ caves/)2')2:') ,A .imes 'A" Cump up ) #reene, Jack ="J =ole, J"@", eds" ()225!" 5 Companion to the 5merican /e0olution" pp" *7)N*B'" '7" Cump up ) 0ender, .homas ()22B!" 5 8ation 5mong 8ations; 5merica@s Alace in World 3istor1" 9e% <ork: ?ill V Wang" p" B'" $S09 D:5/2/52D2/:)*7/A" 'B" X Jump up to: a b 4arlisle, @odney ="J #olson, J" #eoffrey ()22:!" ,anifest Destin1 and the EBpansion of 5merica" .urning =oints in ?istory Series" A04/4,$-" p" )*5" $S09 D:5/'/57'2D/5**/2" ':" Cump up ) ".he 4ivil War and emancipation '5B'N'5B7"" 5fricans in 5merica" 0oston, 1A: W#0?" 9o date" @etrieved 1arch )B, )2'*" 0ritannica +ducational =u lishing ()22D!" Wallenfeldt, Jeffrey ?", ed" The 5merican Ci0il War and /econstruction; Aeople' Aolitics' and Ao4er" America at War" @osen =u lishing #roup" p" )BA" $S09 D:5/'/B'7*2/2A7/:" '5" Cump up ) White, 3onald W" ('DDB!" "': .he Frontiers"" The 5merican Centur1" <ale University =ress" $S09 2/*22/27:)'/2" @etrieved 1arch )B, )2'*" 'D" Cump up ) 1addison, Angus ()22B!" "?istorical Statistics for the World +conomy"" .he 9etherlands: .he #roningen #ro%th and 3evelopment 4entre, +conomics 3epartment of the University of #roningen" @etrieved 9ovem er B, )225" )2" Cump up ) .he +uropean Union has a larger collective economy, ut is not a single nation" )'" Cump up ) "-+43 0etter ,ife $ndeL"" -+43 =u lishing" @etrieved 9ovem er )7, )2')" ))" X Jump up to: a b "?ousehold $ncome"" :ociet1 at a Glance #(11; <ECD :ocial Indicators" -+43 =u lishing" April '), )2''" doi:'2"':5:;socYglance/)2''/B/ en" @etrieved 9ovem er )7, )2')" )*" Cump up ) "4risis sEueeCes income and puts pressure on ineEuality and poverty"" -+43 ()2'*!" @etrieved July )B, )2'*" )A" Cump up ) $ncome distri ution and poverty N -+43" -+43 )7" Cump up ) "4ensus: U"S" =overty @ate Spikes, 9early 72 1illion Americans Affected" CC:! 9ovem er '7, )2') )B" Cump up ) &'(&dead link( ):" Cump up ) "U"S" Workers WorldKs 1ost =roductive"" 40S 9e%s" Fe ruary '', )22D" @etrieved April )*, )2'*" )5" Cump up ) "1anufacturing, Jo s and the U"S" +conomy"" Alliance for American 1anufacturing" )2'*" )D" Cump up ) ".rends in %orld military eLpenditure, )2')"" Stockholm $nternational =eace @esearch $nstitute" April )2'*" @etrieved April '7, )2'*" *2" Cump up ) 4ohen, )22A:?istory and the ?yperpo%er *'" Cump up ) 004, April )225:4ountry =rofile: United States of America *)" Cump up ) "4artographer =ut KAmericaK on the 1ap 722 years Ago"" >:5 Toda1 (Washington, 3"4"!" Associated =ress" April )A, )22:" @etrieved 9ovem er *2, )225" **" Cump up ) 3e,ear, 0yron (July A, )2'*! Who coined KUnited States of AmericaKZ 1ystery might have intriguing ans%er" "?istorians have long tried to

pinpoint eLactly %hen the name KUnited States of AmericaK %as first used and y %hom" A ne% find suggests the man might have een #eorge Washington himself"" Christian :cience ,onitor (0oston, 1A!" *A" Cump up ) DTo the inhabitants of Virginia'D b1 5 A658TE/! 3iLon and ?unterKs >irginia #aCette T')5: N April B, '::B, Williams urg, >irginia" ,etter is also included in =eter ForceKs 5merican 5rchi0es >ol" 7 *7" Cump up ) 4arter, @usty (August '5, )2')!" "<ou read it here first"&dead link(" Virginia Gazette" "?e did a search of the archives and found the letter on the front page of the April B, '::B, edition, pu lished y ?unter V 3iLon"" *B" Cump up ) 3e,ear, 0yron (August 'B, )2')!" "Who coined the name KUnited States of AmericaKZ 1ystery gets ne% t%ist"" Christian :cience ,onitor (0oston, 1A!" *:" Cump up ) JeffersonKs "original @ough draught" of the 3eclaration of $ndependence *5" Cump up ) ".he 4harters of Freedom"" 9ational Archives" @etrieved June )2, )22:" *D" Cump up ) 1ary 1ostert ()227!" The Threat of 5narch1 6eads to the Constitution of the >nited :tates" 4.@ =u lishing, $nc" p" '5" $S09 D:5/2/D:7*57'/A/ )" A2" Cump up ) "#et to Mno% 3"4""" ?istorical Society of Washington, 3"4" @etrieved July '', )2''" A'" Cump up ) Wilson, Menneth #" ('DD*!" The Columbia Guide to :tandard 5merican English" 9e% <ork: 4olum ia University =ress, pp" ):N)5" $S09 2/)*'/ 2BD5D/5" A)" Cump up ) Uimmer, 0enPamin (9ovem er )A, )227!" ",ife in .hese, Uh, .his United States"" University of =ennsylvaniaQ,anguage ,og" @etrieved January 7, )2'*" A*" Cump up ) #" ?" +merson, .he Universalist Ruarterly and #eneral @evie%, >ol" )5 (Jan" '5D'!, p" AD, Euoted in Uimmer paper a ove" AA" Cump up ) For eLample, the U"S" em assy in Spain calls itself the em assy of the "+stados Unidos", literally the %ords "states" and "united", and also uses the initials "++"UU"", the dou led letters implying plural use in Spanish &)( +lse%here on the site "+stados Unidos de Am[rica" is used &*( A7" Cump up ) "Who %as firstZ 9e% info on 9orth AmericaKs earliest residents"" 6os 5ngeles Times" July '), )2')" AB" Cump up ) Smithsonian, )22A, ?uman -rigins A:" Cump up ) "The Cambridge enc1clopedia of human paleopatholog1"" Arthur 4" Aufderheide, 4onrado @odr\gueC/1art\n, -din ,angsPoen ('DD5!" 4am ridge University =ress" p" )27" $S09 2/7)'/77)2*/B A5" Cump up ) 0ianchine, @usso, 'DD) pp" ))7N)*) AD" Cump up ) 1ann, )227 p" AA 72" Cump up ) .hornton, 'D5: p" AD 7'" Cump up ) Messel, )227 pp" 'A)N'A* 7)" Cump up ) 1ercer 4ountry ?istorical Society, )227 7*" Cump up ) Juergens, )2'', p" BD 7A" Cump up ) @ipper, )225 p" B 77" Cump up ) @ipper, )225 p" 7 7B" Cump up ) 4allo%ay, 'DD5, p" 77 7:" Cump up ) >aughan, 'DDD, p "') 75" Cump up ) @anlet, 'DDD, pp" 'A2N'A'

7D" B2" B'"

Cump up ) @anlet, 'DDD, p" '*: X Jump up to: a b @ausch, 'DDA, p" 7D Cump up ) Sturm, 4irce" "0lood =olitics, @acial 4lassification, and 4herokee 9ational $dentity: .he .rials and .ri ulations of the 4herokee Freedmen", 5merican Indian Euarterl1, >ol" )), 9o" ';)" (Winter N Spring, 'DD5!, p" )*'" B)" Cump up ) .aylor, pp" **N*A B*" Cump up ) .aylor, pp" :), :A BA" Cump up ) Walton, )22D, pp" )DN*' B7" Cump up ) @emini, )22:, pp" )N* BB" Cump up ) Johnson, 'DD:, pp" )BN*2 B:" Cump up ) 0erkin, )22:, p" :7 B5" Cump up ) =rice, )22* BD" Cump up ) >aughan, 'DDD :2" Cump up ) Walton, )22D, chapter * :'" Cump up ) ,emon, 'D5: :)" Cump up ) #ordon, )22A, intro, chapters ' and ) :*" Cump up ) @ussell, 3avid ,ee ()227!" The 5merican /e0olution in the :outhern Colonies" Jefferson, 9"4", and ,ondon: 1cFarland, p" ')" $S09 2/:5BA/ 2:5*/)" :A" Cump up ) 4lingan, )222, p" '* :7" Cump up ) .adman, )222, p" '7*A :B" Cump up ) Schneider, )22:, p" A5A ::" Cump up ) ,ien, 'D'*, p" 7)) :5" Cump up ) 3avis, 'DDB, p" : :D" Cump up ) Ruirk, )2'', p" 'D7 52" Cump up ) #old, )22B, pp" *)N*7 5'" Cump up ) 0ilhartC, .erry 3"J +lliott, Alan 4" ()22:!" Currents in 5merican 3istor1; 5 Crief 3istor1 of the >nited :tates" 1"+" Sharpe" $S09 D:5/2/:B7B/'5':/:" 5)" Cump up ) Wood, #ordon S" ('DD5!" The Creation of the 5merican /epublic' 1&&"?1&*&" U94 =ress 0ooks" p" )B*" $S09 D:5/2/52:5/A:)*/:" 5*" Cump up ) Walton, )22D, pp" *5N*D 5A" Cump up ) Walton, )22D, p" *7 57" Cump up ) ?umphrey, 4arol Sue ()22*!" The /e0olutionar1 Era; Arimar1 Documents on E0ents from 1&&" To 1*((" #reen%ood =u lishing" pp" 5N'2" $S09 D:5/2/*'*/*)25*/7" 5B" Cump up ) 0ro%n, Jerold +" ()22'!" 3istorical Dictionar1 of the >!:! 5rm1" #reen%ood =u lishing" p" ')B" $S09 D:5/2/*'*/)D*))/'" 5:" Cump up ) Fa ian <oung, AlfredJ 9ash, #ary 0"J @aphael, @ay ()2''!" /e0olutionar1 Founders; /ebels' /adicals' and /eformers in the ,aking of the 8ation" @andom ?ouse 3igital" pp" AN:" $S09 D:5/2/*2:/):''2/7" 55" Cump up ) #reene and =ole, 5 Companion to the 5merican /e0olution p *7: Jonathan @" 3ull, 5 Diplomatic 3istor1 of the 5merican /e0olution ('D5:! p" 'B' ,a%rence S" Maplan, ".he .reaty of =aris, ':5*: A ?istoriographical 4hallenge," International 3istor1 /e0ie4' Sept 'D5*, >ol" 7 $ssue *, pp A*'NAA) 5D" Cump up ) 0oyer, )22:, pp" 'D)N'D* D2" Cump up ) 4ogliano, Francis 3" ()225!" Thomas =efferson; /eputation and 6egac1" University of >irginia =ress" p" )'D" $S09 D:5/2/5'*D/):**/B" D'" Cump up ) Walton, )22D, p" A* D)" Cump up ) #ordon, )22A, pp" ):,)D

D*"

Cump up ) ?all, Mermit ()22)!" The <Bford Companion to 5merican 6a4" -Lford University =ress" p" )B" $S09 D:5/2/'D/7255:5/B" DA" Cump up ) 4lark, 1ary Ann (1ay )2')!" Then We@ll :ing a 8e4 :ong; 5frican Influences on 5merica@s /eligious 6andscape" @o%man V ,ittlefield" p" A:" $S09 D:5/'/AA))/255'/2" D7" Cump up ) 0illington, @ay AllenJ @idge, 1artin ()22'!" West4ard EBpansion; 5 3istor1 of the 5merican Frontier" U91 =ress" p" ))" $S09 D:5/2/5)B*/ 'D5'/A" DB" Cump up ) ",ouisiana =urchase"" 9ational =arks Services" @etrieved 1arch ', )2''" D:" Cump up ) Wait, +ugene 1" ('DDD!" 5merica and the War of 1*1#" 9ova =u lishers" p" :5" $S09 D:5/'/7B2:)/BAA/D" D5" Cump up ) Mlose, 9elsonJ Jones, @o ert F" ('DDA!" >nited :tates 3istor1 to 1*&&" 0arronKs +ducational Series" p" '72" $S09 D:5/2/5')2/'5*A/D" DD" Cump up ) 1orrison, 1ichael A" ('DDD!" :la0er1 and the 5merican West; The Eclipse of ,anifest Destin1 and the Coming of the Ci0il War" University of 9orth 4arolina =ress" pp" '*N)'" $S09 D:5/2/52:5/A:DB/'" '22" Cump up ) Memp, @oger ," ()2'2!" Documents of 5merican Democrac1; 5 Collection of Essential Works" 1cFarland" p" '52" $S09 D:5/2/:5BA/A)'2/)" '2'" Cump up ) 1c$l%raith, .homas F"J 1uller, +d%ard M" ()22'!" 8orth 5merica; The 3istorical Geograph1 of a Changing Continent" @o%man V ,ittlefield" p" B'" $S09 D:5/2/:A)7/22'D/5" '2)" Cump up ) Smith/0aranCini, 1arlene ('DDD!" 5 Golden :tate; ,ining and Economic De0elopment in Gold /ush California" University of 4alifornia =ress" p" )2" $S09 D:5/2/7)2/)'::'/*" '2*" Cump up ) 0lack, Jeremy ()2''!" Fighting for 5merica; The :truggle for ,aster1 in 8orth 5merica' 1%1 ?1*&1" $ndiana University =ress" p" ):7" $S09 D:5/2/ )7*/*7BB2/A" '2A" X Jump up to: a b Wishart, 3avid J" ()22A!" Enc1clopedia of the Great Alains" University of 9e raska =ress" p" *:" $S09 D:5/2/52*)/A:5:/'" '27" Cump up ) Smith ()22'!, Grant, pp" 7)7N7)B '2B" X Jump up to: a b 4arlisle ()225!, The Ci0il War and /econstruction, p" ' '2:" Cump up ) Stuart 1urray ()22A!" 5tlas of 5merican ,ilitar1 3istor1" $nfo ase =u lishing" p" :B" $S09 D:5/'/A*5'/*2)7/7" '25" Cump up ) .homas F" 1c$l%raithJ +d%ard M" 1uller ()22'!" 8orth 5merica; The 3istorical Geograph1 of a Changing Continent" @o%man V ,ittlefield" p" '5B" $S09 D:5/2/:A)7/22'D/5" '2D" X Jump up to: a b =atrick Marl -K0rien ()22)!" 5tlas of World 3istor1" -Lford University =ress" p" '5A" $S09 D:5/2/'D/7)'D)'/2" ''2" Cump up ) "'5B2 4ensus"" U"S" 4ensus 0ureau" @etrieved June '2, )22:" =age : lists a total slave population of *,D7*,:B2" '''" Cump up ) 3e @osa, 1arshall ," ('DD:!" The Aolitics of Dissolution; The Euest for a 8ational Identit1 and the 5merican Ci0il War" +dison, 9J: .ransaction" p" )BB" $S09 '/7B222/*AD/D" '')" Cump up ) >inovskis, 1aris ('DD2!" "To4ard a social histor1 of the 5merican Ci0il War; eBplorator1 essa1s"" 4am ridge University =ress" p" B" $S09 2/ 7)'/*D77D/*" ''*" X Jump up to: a b #" Alan .arr ()22D!" =udicial Arocess and =udicial Aolic1making" 4engage ,earning" p" *2" $S09 D:5/2/AD7/7B:*B/*"

''A" Cump up ) 0rands ()2')!, Grant Takes <n The 2lan, American #istory, p" AB&unreliable sourceF( ''7" Cump up ) John =o%ell ()22D!" Enc1clopedia of 8orth 5merican Immigration" $nfo ase =u lishing" p" :A" $S09 D:5/'/A*5'/'2')/:" ''B" Cump up ) @ong, Sue ,anJ =reissle, Judith ()22D!" Educating Immigrant :tudents in the #1st Centur1; What Educators 8eed to 2no4" 4or%in =ress" pp" '):N ')5" $S09 D:5/'/A')D/A2D7/7" '':" Cump up ) #ates, John 1" (August 'D5A!" "War/@elated 3eaths in the =hilippines"" Aacific 3istorical /e0ie4" 4ollege of Wooster" @etrieved Septem er ):, )22:" ''5" Cump up ) Uinn, ?o%ard" 5 Aeople@s 3istor1 of the >nited :tates" 9e% <ork: ?arper =erennial 1odern 4lassics, )227" 4hapter '*, DThe :ocialist ChallangeD pp" *)'N*7: $S09 2/2B/25*5B7/7 ''D" Cump up ) Uinn, ?o%ard" 5 Aeople@s 3istor1 of the >nited :tates" 9e% <ork: ?arper =erennial 1odern 4lassics, )227" p" *): $S09 2/2B/25*5B7/7 ')2" Cump up ) Foner, +ricJ #arraty, John A" ('DD'!" The /eader@s Companion to 5merican 3istor1! 9e% <ork: ?oughton 1ifflin" p" 7:B" $S09 2/*D7/7'*:)/*" ')'" X Jump up to: a b 1c3uffie, JeromeJ =iggrem, #ary WayneJ Wood%orth, Steven +" ()227!" >!:! 3istor1 :uper /e0ie4" =iscata%ay, 9J: @esearch V +ducation Association" p" A'5" $S09 2/:*5B/22:2/D" '))" Cump up ) >oris, JacEueline >an ('DDB!" Carrie Chapman Catt; 5 Aublic 6ife" Women and =eace Series" 9e% <ork 4ity: Feminist =ress at 4U9<" p" vii" $S09 '/775B'/'*D/5" "4arrie 4hapmann 4att led an army of voteless %omen in 'D'D to pressure 4ongress to pass the constitutional amendment giving them the right to vote and convinced state legislatures to ratify it in 'D)2" """ 4att %as one of the est/ 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"" ')*" Cump up ) ALinn, JuneJ Stern, 1ark J" ()22:!" :ocial Welfare; 5 3istor1 of the 5merican /esponse to 8eed (:th ed"!" 0oston: Allyn V 0acon" $S09 D:5/2/)27/ 7))'7/B" ')A" Cump up ) 0urton, Jeffrey F", et al" (July )222!" "A 0rief ?istory of Japanese American @elocation 3uring World War $$"" Confinement and Ethnicit1; 5n <0er0ie4 of World War II =apanese 5merican /elocation :ites" 9ational =ark Service" @etrieved April ), )2'2" ')7" Cump up ) See, for eLample, the aircraft production figures cited in .ooCe )22B: in 'DA2, the Americans produced B,2'D aircraftJ in 'DA', 'D,A**J in 'DA), almost A5,222J in 'DA*, an astonishing 57,5D5" +ven more %ere to come in 'DAA" For comparison, in 'DA', the #erman %ar economy could only manage a out '),222 aircraft" ')B" Cump up ) ,eland, AnneJ - oroceanu, 1ariNJana (Fe ruary )B, )2'2!" "American War and 1ilitary -perations 4asualties: ,ists and Statistics"" 4ongressional @esearch Service" @etrieved Fe ruary '5, )2''" p" )" '):" Cump up ) Mennedy, =aul ('D5D!" The /ise and Fall of the Great Ao4ers" 9e% <ork: >intage" p" *75" $S09 2/B:D/:)2'D/:" $ndeed, World War $$ ushered in the Cenith of U"S" po%er in %hat came to e called the American 4entury, as ,effler )2'2, p" B:, indicates: ".ruman presided over the greatest military and economic po%er the %orld had ever kno%n" War production had lifted the United States out of the #reat 3epression and had inaugurated an era of unimagined prosperity" #ross national product increased y B2 percent during the %ar, total earnings y 72 percent" 3espite social unrest, la or agitation, racial conflict, and

teenage vandalism, Americans had more discretionary income than ever efore" Simultaneously, the U"S" government had uilt up the greatest %ar machine in human history" 0y the end of 'DA), the United States %as producing more arms than all the ALis states com ined, and, in 'DA*, it made almost three times more armaments than did the Soviet Union" $n 'DA7, the United States had t%o/thirds of the %orldKs gold reserves, three/fourths of its invested capital, half of its shipping vessels, and half of its manufacturing capacity" $ts #9= %as three times that of the Soviet Union and more than five times that of 0ritain" $t %as also nearing completion of the atomic om , a technological and production feat of huge costs and proportions"" ')5" Cump up ) ".he United States and the Founding of the United 9ations, August 'DA' N -cto er 'DA7"" U"S" 3ept" of State, 0ureau of =u lic Affairs, -ffice of the ?istorian" -cto er )227" Archived from the original on June '), )22:" @etrieved June '', )22:" ')D" Cump up ) =acific War @esearch Society ()22B!" =apan@s 6ongest Da1" 9e% <ork: -Lford University =ress" $S09 A/::22/)55:/*" '*2" Cump up ) #ladchuk, John Joseph ()22B!" 3oll14ood and 5nticommunism; 3>5C and the E0olution of the /ed ,enace' 1 -%?1 %(" @outledge" $S09 2/A'7/ D77B5/5" '*'" Cump up ) 4ollins, 1ichael ('D55!" 6iftoff; The :tor1 of 5merica@s 5d0enture in :pace" 9e% <ork: #rove =ress" '*)" Cump up ) Stern, Sheldon 1 ()22*!" 50erting the Final Failure; =ohn F! 2enned1 and the :ecret Cuban ,issile Crisis ,eetings" Stanford 9uclear Age Series" Stanford University =ress" '**" Cump up ) 3allek, @o ert ()22A!" 61ndon C! =ohnson; Aortrait of a Aresident" -Lford University =ress" p" 'BD" $S09 D:5/2/'D/7'7D)2/)" "-ur 3ocuments N 4ivil @ights Act ('DBA!"" United States 3epartment of Justice" @etrieved July )5, )2'2" "@emarks at the Signing of the $mmigration 0ill, ,i erty $sland, 9e% <ork"" -cto er *, 'DB7" @etrieved January ', )2')" '*A" Cump up ) Social Security ?istory, the United States Social Security Administration '*7" Cump up ) Soss, )2'2, p" ):: '*B" Cump up ) Fraser, 'D5D '*:" Cump up ) Ferguson, 'D5B, pp" A*N7* '*5" Cump up ) Williams, pp" *)7N**' '*D" Cump up ) 4ronkite, WalterJ Wagner, ?eather ,ehr ()22D!" /onald /eagan" #reat American =residents Series" $nfo ase =u lishing" p" '2)" $S09 D:5/'/A*5'/ 2*25/)" 3KSouCa, 3inesh ('DDD!" /onald /eagan; 3o4 an <rdinar1 ,an Cecame an EBtraordinar1 6eader" Simon and Schuster" p" *2A" $S09 D:5/2/B5A/5A5)*/7" 9iskanen, William A" ('D55!" /eaganomics; an insider@s account of the policies and the people" -Lford University =ress" p" *B*" $S09 D:5/2/'D/727*DA/A" 'A2" Cump up ) "#eneral Article: .he $ran/4ontra Affair"" 5merican EBperience" W#0? +ducational Foundation" @etrieved 1arch '', )2'*" "@onald @eagan"" 9our Aresidents" White ?ouse" @etrieved 1arch '', )2'*" ?o%ell, 0uddy Wayne ()22B!" The /hetoric of Aresidential :ummit Diplomac1; /onald /eagan and the >!:!7:o0iet :ummits' 1 *%G1 **" .eLas AV1 University" p" *7)" $S09 D:5/2/7AD/A'B75/B" Missinger, ?enry ()2''!" Diplomac1" Simon and Schuster" pp" :5'N:5A" $S09 D:5/'/ A*D'/)B*'/5"

1ann, James ()22D!" The /ebellion of /onald /eagan; 5 3istor1 of the End of the Cold War" =enguin" p" A*)" $S09 D:5/'/AA2B/5B*D/D" 'A'" Cump up ) ?ayes, )22D 'A)" Cump up ) US ?istory"org, )2'* 'A*" Cump up ) 0urns, )225 'AA" Cump up ) ,evy, 'DDB, p" AA) 'A7" Cump up ) Wallander, )22* 'AB" Cump up ) ,ee 0anville" "$ntervention $n $raEZ"" AC: 8e4s3our" 1ac9eil;,ehrer =roductions" @etrieved 1arch B, )2'*" "@e uilding $raE"" :tudent 5cti0ites" Scholastic $nc" @etrieved 1arch B, )2'*" ")2 years after, 0ush defends #ulf War as KmoralK"" 8CC 8e4s" Associated =ress" January )2, )2''" @etrieved 1arch B, )2'*" #reen latt, Alan (Fe ruary )A, )2''!" ".%enty <ears ,ater, First $raE War Still @esonates"" 8A/" @etrieved 1arch B, )2'*" 'A:" Cump up ) >oyce, 0ill (August )', )22B!" "Why the +Lpansion of the 'DD2s ,asted So ,ong"" $o%a Workforce $nformation 9et%ork" @etrieved August 'B, )22:" 3ale, @eginald (Fe ruary '5, )222!" "3id 4linton 3o $t, or Was ?e ,uckyZ"" The 8e4 9ork Times" @etrieved 1arch B, )2'*" 1anki%, 9" #regory ()225!" ,acroeconomics" 4engage ,earning" p" 77D" $S09 D:5/ 2/*)A/75DDD/*" 'A5" Cump up ) Flashback H11; 5s It 3appened" FoL 9e%s" Septem er D, )2''" @etrieved 1arch B, )2'*" "America remem ers Sept" '' attacks '' years later"" CC: 8e4s" Associated =ress" Septem er '', )2')" @etrieved 1arch B, )2'*" "3ay of .error >ideo Archive"" C88" )227" @etrieved 1arch B, )2'*" 'AD" Cump up ) Walsh, Menneth ." (3ecem er D, )225!" ".he KWar on .errorK $s 4ritical to =resident #eorge W" 0ushKs ,egacy"" >!:! 8e4s I World /eport" @etrieved 1arch B, )2'*" ?aass, @ichard 9" (-cto er '7, )22'!" ".he 0ush AdministrationKs @esponse to Septem er ''thQand 0eyond"" Terrorism" 4ouncil on Foreign @elations" @etrieved 1arch B, )2'*" Atkins, Stephen +" ()2''!" The H11 Enc1clopedia; :econd Edition" A04/4,$-" p" 5:)" $S09 D:5/'/7D55A/D)'/D" '72" Cump up ) Smith, 1ichael (9ovem er 'A, )22'!" "S%itch to guerrilla %arfare"" The Dail1 Telegraph (,ondon!" @etrieved 1arch B, )2'*" .ucker, Spencer ()22D!" >nited :tates 6eadership in Wartime" A04/4,$-" p" D7)" $S09 D:5/'/7D55A/':)/7" '7'" Cump up ) "1any +uropeans -ppose War in $raE"" >:5 Toda1" Fe ruary 'A, )22*" @etrieved Septem er ', )225" "1ost Americans Support War %ith $raE, Sho%s 9e% =e%;4F@ =oll N 4ommentary y ,ee Feinstein"" 4ouncil on Foreign Affairs" -cto er '2, )22)" @etrieved 1arch :, )2'*" '7)" Cump up ) Wong, +d%ard (Fe ruary '7, )225!" "-vervie%: .he $raE War"" The 8e4 9ork Times" @etrieved 1arch :, )2'*" ".he $nvasion of $raE"" Frontline" W#0? +ducational Foundation" Fe ruary )B, )22A" @etrieved 1arch :, )2'*" Johnson, James .urner ()227!" The War to <ust :addam 3ussein; =ust War and the 8e4 Face of Conflict" @o%man V ,ittlefield" p" '7D" $S09 D:5/2/:A)7/AD7B/)" '7*" Cump up ) 3urando, JessicaJ @ae #reen, Shannon (3ecem er )', )2''!" ".imeline: Mey moments in the $raE War"" >:5 Toda1" Associated =ress" @etrieved

1arch :, )2'*" ",ast American .roops ,eave $raE 1arking +nd of War"" FoB 8e4s" Associated =ress" 3ecem er '5, )2''" @etrieved 1arch :, )2'*" '7A" Cump up ) Washington, JesseJ @uga er, 4hris (Septem er D, )2''!" "African/ American +conomic #ains @eversed 0y #reat @ecession"" 3uffington Aost" Associated =ress" @etrieved 1arch :, )2'*" ?argreaves, Steve (9ovem er 7, )225!" "- ama rides economy to White ?ouse"" C88" @etrieved 1arch :, )2'*" <ne 9ear In' a Closer 6ook at the <bama Aresidenc1" 1ac9eil;,ehrer =roduction" )2'2" @etrieved 1arch :, )2')" '77" Cump up ) 0o%den, 1ark ()2')!" The Finish; The 2illing of <sama Cin 6aden" #rove =ress" p" *2A" $S09 D:5/2/52)'/DA'2/:" "Mill;4apture"" Frontline" W#0? +ducational Foundation" 1ay '2, )2''" @etrieved 1arch :, )2'*" 0ro%n, Adrian (Septem er '2, )2')!" "-sama 0in ,adenKs death: ?o% it happened"" CCC 8e4s" @etrieved 1arch :, )2'*" '7B" Cump up ) ,u o%ski, @u enJ >ester y, 1arlo%J 0ucholtC, Sha%n (July )', )22B!" "A@+$ 4hapter '"': ,and Use"" +conomic @esearch Service" @etrieved 1arch D, )22D" '7:" Cump up ) "United States"" +ncyclop]dia 0ritannica" @etrieved 1arch )7, )225 (area given in sEuare miles!" '75" Cump up ) "=opulation y SeL, @ate of =opulation $ncrease, Surface Area and 3ensity"" Demographic 9earbook #((%" U9 Statistics 3ivision" @etrieved 1arch )7, )225 (area given in sEuare kilometers!" '7D" Cump up ) "World Fact ook: Area 4ountry 4omparison .a le"" <ahoo +ducation" @etrieved Fe ruary )5, )22:" 'B2" Cump up ) -K?anlon, ,arry" "Supervolcano: WhatKs Under <ello%stoneZ"" 3iscovery 4hannel" Archived from the original on 1ay )7, )2')" @etrieved June '*, )22:" 'B'" Cump up ) =erkins, Sid (1ay '', )22)!" ".ornado Alley, USA"" :cience 8e4s" Archived from the original on July ', )22:" @etrieved Septem er )2, )22B" 'B)" Cump up ) 1orin, 9ancy" ">ascular =lants of the United States"" Alants" 9ational 0iological Service" @etrieved -cto er ):, )225" 'B*" Cump up ) "#lo al Significance of Selected U"S" 9ative =lant and Animal Species"" S3$ #roup" Fe ruary D, )22'" @etrieved January )2, )22D" 'BA" Cump up ) "9um ers of $nsects (Species and $ndividuals!"" Smithsonian $nstitution" @etrieved January )2, )22D" 'B7" Cump up ) "9ational =ark Service Announces Addition of .%o 9e% Units" (=ress release!" 9ational =ark Service" Fe ruary )5, )22B" @etrieved June '*, )22B" 'BB" X Jump up to: a b "Federal ,and and 0uildings -%nership"" @epu lican Study 4ommittee" 1ay 'D, )227" @etrieved 1arch D, )22D" 'B:" Cump up ) "9-AA: #ulf of 1eLico K3ead UoneK =redictions Feature Uncertainty"" U"S" #eological Survey (US#S!" June )', )2')" @etrieved June )*, )2')" 'B5" Cump up ) "What is hypoLiaZ"" ,ouisiana Universities 1arine 4onsortium (,U14-9!" @etrieved 1ay '5, )2'*" 'BD" Cump up ) Forest @esources of the United States ':2" Cump up ) ,and Use 4hanges $nvolving Forestry in the United States: 'D7) to 'DD:, With =roPections to )272 ':'" Cump up ) 3aynes V Sussman, )2'2, pp" *, :), :AN:B, :5

':)" Cump up ) ?ays, Samuel =" ()222!" 5 3istor1 of En0ironmental Aolitics since 1 )%" ':*" Cump up ) @othman, ?al M" ('DD5!"The Greening of a 8ationF En0ironmentalism in the >nited :tates since 1 )% ':A" Cump up ) .urner, James 1orton ()2')!" The Aromise of Wilderness ':7" X Jump up to: a b ")2'2 4ensus 3ata"" U"S" 4ensus 0ureau" @etrieved 1arch )D, )2''" ':B" Cump up ) http:;;%%%"census"gov;prod;cen)2'2; riefs;c)2'2 r/2)"pdf '::" Cump up ) 4amarota, Steven A"J Jensenius, Maren (July )225!" "?ome%ard 0ound: @ecent $mmigration +nforcement and the 3ecline in the $llegal Alien =opulation"" 4enter for $mmigration Studies" @etrieved August B, )225" ':5" Cump up ) "Statistical A stract of the United States"" United States 4ensus 0ureau" )227" ':D" Cump up ) "+Lecutive Summary: A =opulation =erspective of the United States"" =opulation @esource 4enter" 1ay )222" Archived from the original on June A, )22:" @etrieved 3ecem er )2, )22:" '52" Cump up ) "0irths: =reliminary 3ata for )2'2"" 8ational Vital :tatistics /eports' Volume "(" 9ational 4enter for ?ealth Statistics" )2''" @etrieved August ':, )2')" '5'" Cump up ) "U"S" ,egal =ermanent @esidents: )2')"" -ffice of $mmigration Statistics 5nnual Flo4 /eport! '5)" Cump up ) "<ear ook of $mmigration Statistics: )2'' N =ersons - taining ,egal =ermanent @esident Status y @egion and 4ountry of 0irth: Fiscal <ears )22) to )2'' (.a le *!"" U"S" 3ept" of ?omeland Security" @etrieved Fe ruary A, )2'*" '5*" Cump up ) "<ear ook of $mmigration Statistics: )22: N =ersons - taining ,egal =ermanent @esident Status y @egion and 4ountry of 0irth: Fiscal <ears 'DD5 to )22: (.a le *!"" U"S" 3ept" of ?omeland Security" @etrieved Fe ruary A, )2'*" '5A" Cump up ) 3onaldson James, Susan (April 5, )2''!" "#ay Americans 1ake Up A =ercent of =opulation"" 5CC 8e4s" @etrieved August )B, )2')" '57" Cump up ) 9ational Survey of SeLual ?ealth and 0ehavior" @etrieved January B, )2'*" '5B" X Jump up to: a b c d "Ancestry )222"" U"S"4ensus 0ureau" June )22A" @etrieved June '*, )22:" '5:" X Jump up to: a b c ?umes, Maren @"J Jones, 9icholas A"J @amireC, @o erto @" (1arch )2''!" "-vervie% of @ace and ?ispanic -rigin: )2'2"" U"S" 4ensus 0ureau" @etrieved 1arch )D, )2''" '55" Cump up ) "02*22'" ?ispanic or ,atino -rigin y Specific -rigin"" #((& 5merican Communit1 :ur0e1" U"S" 4ensus 0ureau" @etrieved Septem er )B, )225" '5D" Cump up ) ".a les A' and A)Q9ative and Foreign/0orn =opulations"" :tatistical 5bstract of the >nited :tates #(( " U"S" 4ensus 0ureau" @etrieved -cto er '', )22D" 'D2" X Jump up to: a b "9ational >ital Stattistics @eports: >olume B', 9um er '" 0irths: Final 3ata for )2')"" 4dc"gov" August )2')" @etrieved 9ovem er )7, )2')" 'D'" Cump up ) U"S" 4ensus 0ureau: "U"S" 4ensus 0ureau 3elivers Final State )2'2 4ensus =opulation .otals for ,egislative @edistricting" see custom ta le, )nd %orksheet 'D)" Cump up ) +Lner, @ich (July *, )2')!" "Americans under age one no% mostly minorities, ut not in -hio: Statistical Snapshot"" The Alain Dealer (4leveland, -?!" @etrieved July )D, )2')"

'D*" Cump up ) "An -lder and 1ore 3iverse 9ation y 1idcentury" (=ress release!" U"S" 4ensus 0ureau" August 'A, )225" @etrieved 1arch )D, )2'*" 'DA" Cump up ) "United StatesQUr an;@ural and $nside;-utside 1etropolitan Area (#4./='" =opulation, ?ousing Units, Area, and 3ensity: )222!"" U"S" 4ensus 0ureau" April ', )222" @etrieved Septem er )*, )225" 'D7" Cump up ) ".a le ': Annual +stimates of the @esident =opulation for $ncorporated =laces -ver '22,222, @anked y July ', )225 =opulation: April ', )222 to July ', )225"" #((* Aopulation Estimates" U"S" 4ensus 0ureau, =opulation 3ivision" July ', )22D" Archived from the original on 3ecem er :, )22D" 'DB" X Jump up to: a b ".a le 7" +stimates of =opulation 4hange for 1etropolitan Statistical Areas and @ankings: July ', )22: to July ', )225"" #((* Aopulation Estimates" U"S" 4ensus 0ureau" 1arch 'D, )22D" Archived from the original on 3ecem er :, )22D" 'D:" Cump up ) "@aleigh and Austin are Fastest/#ro%ing 1etro Areas"" U"S" 4ensus 0ureau" 1arch 'D, )22D" @etrieved -cto er '', )22D" 'D5" Cump up ) "Figure AN*" 4ensus @egions, 4ensus 3ivisions, and .heir 4onstituent States" (=3F!" U"S" 4ensus 0ureau" @etrieved )22:/2B/':" 'DD" Cump up ) "Annual +stimates of the =opulation of 1etropolitan and 1icropolitan Statistical Areas: April ', )2'2 to July ', )2''"" U"S" 4ensus 0ureau" @etrieved )2')/2B/2:" )22" Cump up ) "United States"" 1odern ,anguage Association" @etrieved Septem er ), )2'*" )2'" Cump up ) ",anguage Spoken at ?ome y the U"S" =opulation, )2'2", American 4ommunity Survey, U"S" 4ensus 0ureau, in World 5lmanac and Cook of Facts #(1#, p" B'7" )2)" Cump up ) "Foreign ,anguage +nrollments in United States $nstitutions of ?igher ,earning"" 1,A" fall )22)" @etrieved -cto er 'B, )22B" )2*" Cump up ) ".he 4onstitution of the State of ?a%aii, Article S>, Section A"" ?a%aii ,egislative @eference 0ureau" 9ovem er :, 'D:5" @etrieved June 'D, )22:" )2A" Cump up ) 3icker, Susan J" ()22*!" 6anguages in 5merica; 5 Aluralist Vie4" 4levedon, UM: 1ultilingual 1atters" pp" )'B, ))2N)7" $S09 '/57*7D/B7'/7" )27" Cump up ) "4alifornia 4ode of 4ivil =rocedure, Section A')")2(B!"" ,egislative 4ounsel, State of 4alifornia" @etrieved 3ecem er ':, )22:" "4alifornia Judicial 4ouncil Forms"" Judicial 4ouncil, State of 4alifornia" @etrieved 3ecem er ':, )22:" )2B" Cump up ) "Among Wealthy 9ations """ U"S" Stands Alone in its +m race of @eligion"" Ae4 Global 5ttitudes AroJect" =e% @esearch 4enter" 3ecem er 'D, )22)" @etrieved -cto er )*, )225" )2:" X Jump up to: a b 1ississippians #o to 4hurch the 1ostJ >ermonters, ,east )25" X Jump up to: a b c d "@eligious 4omposition of the U"S""" >!:! /eligious 6andscape :ur0e1" =e% Forum on @eligion V =u lic ,ife" )22:" @etrieved -cto er )*, )225" )2D" X Jump up to: a b c Mosmin, 0arry A", +gon 1ayer, and Ariela Maysar (3ecem er 'D, )22'!" "American @eligious $dentification Survey )22'"" 4U9< #raduate 4enter" @etrieved Septem er 'B, )2''" )'2" Cump up ) "United States"" @etrieved 1ay ), )2'*" )''" Cump up ) 1edia, 1inorities, and 1eaning: A 4ritical $ntroduction Q =age 55, 3e ra ," 1erskin N )2'2 )')" Cump up ) 1erica, 3an (June '), )2')!" "=e% Survey: 3ou t of #od #ro%ing Ruickly among 1illennials"" 499" @etrieved June 'A, )2')"

)'*" Cump up ) "American 4onfidence $n -rganiCed @eligion At All .ime ,o%"" 3uffington Aost" July '), )2')" @etrieved July 'A, )2')" )'A" Cump up ) "@eligion Among the 1illennials"" .he =e% Forum on @eligion V =u lic ,ife" @etrieved August )D, )2')" )'7" Cump up ) ".a le 77Q1arital Status of the =opulation y SeL, @ace, and ?ispanic -rigin: 'DD2 to )22:"" :tatistical 5bstract of the >nited :tates #(( " U"S" 4ensus 0ureau" @etrieved -cto er '', )22D" )'B" Cump up ) "WomenKs Advances in +ducation"" 4olum ia University, $nstitute for Social and +conomic @esearch and =olicy" )22B" Archived from the original on June D, )22:" @etrieved June B, )22:" )':" Cump up ) ".eenage irth rate statistics N countries compared N 9ation1aster =eople"" 9ationmaster"com" @etrieved July '2, )2''" )'5" Cump up ) "U"S" teen irth rates fall to historic lo%s"" 40S 9e%s" April '2, )2')" @etrieved July A, )2'*" )'D" Cump up ) Strauss, ,ilo .", et al" (9ovem er )A, )22B!" "A ortion SurveillanceQUnited States, )22*"" ,,W/" 4enters for 3isease 4ontrol, 9ational 4enter for 4hronic 3isease =revention and ?ealth =romotion, 3ivision of @eproductive ?ealth" @etrieved June ':, )22:" ))2" Cump up ) FAS.S.A.S N 0irths and 9atality ))'" Cump up ) .he World Fact ook )))" Cump up ) Jardine, 4assandra (-cto er *', )22:!" "Why adoption is so easy in America"" The Dail1 Telegraph (,ondon!" ))*" Cump up ) "4hild Adoption: .rends and policies"" United 9ations 3epartment of +conomic and Social Affairs" )22D" ))A" Cump up ) http:;; log"seattlepi"com;seattlepolitics;)2'*;'';27;illinois/%ill/ e/ '7th/gay/marriage/state; ))7" Cump up ) Sche , John 1"J Sche , John 1" $$ ()22)!" 5n Introduction to the 5merican 6egal :1stem" Florence, M<: 3elmar, p" B" $S09 2/:BB5/):7D/*" ))B" Cump up ) Millian, Johnny ?" "4onstitution of the United States"" .he -ffice of the Secretary of the Senate" @etrieved Fe ruary '', )2')" )):" Cump up ) 3avidson, Mavitha A" (1arch )', )2'*!" "3emocracy $ndeL )2'*: #lo al 3emocracy At A Standstill, .he +conomist $ntelligence UnitKs Annual @eport Sho%s"" The 3uffington Aost! @etrieved August )*, )2'*" ))5" Cump up ) "4orruption =erceptions $ndeL )2')"" .ransparency $nternational" @etrieved Fe ruary A, )2'*" ))D" Cump up ) ".he ,egislative 0ranch"" United States 3iplomatic 1ission to #ermany" @etrieved August )2, )2')" )*2" Cump up ) ".he =rocess for impeachment"" .hinkRuest" @etrieved August )2, )2')" )*'" Cump up ) ".he +Lecutive 0ranch"" .he White ?ouse" @etrieved August )2, )2')" )*)" Cump up ) 0loch, 1attJ +ricson, 1atthe%J Ruealy, Mevin (1ay *2, )2'*!" "4ensus )2'2: #ains and ,osses in 4ongress"" The 8e4 9ork Times" )**" Cump up ) "What is the +lectoral 4ollege"" 9ational Archives" @etrieved August )', )2')" )*A" Cump up ) 4ossack, @oger (July '), )222!" "0eyond politics: Why Supreme 4ourt Pustices are appointed for life"" 499" @etrieved August )', )2')" )*7" Cump up ) "9e raska (state, United States! : Agriculture"" Critannica <nline Enc1clopedia" @etrieved 9ovem er '', )2')" )*B" Cump up ) Feldstein, Fa oCCi, )2'', p" D

)*:" Cump up ) SchultC, )22D, pp" 'BA, A7*, 72* )*5" Cump up ) SchultC, )22D, p" *5 )*D" Cump up ) 0orreca, @ichard (-cto er '5, 'DDD!" "K.he #oal Was 3emocracy for All"" 3onolulu :tar7Culletin" @etrieved Fe ruary '', )2')" )A2" Cump up ) See 5 U"S"4" W ''2'(a!(*B! and 5 U"S"4" W ''2'(a!(*5! U"S" Federal 4ode, $mmigration and 9ationality Act" 5 U"S"4" W ''2'a )A'" Cump up ) Jenkins, William -" ()22D!" 5merican :amoa; Issues 5ssociated 4ith Aotential Changes to the Current :1stem for 5dJudicating ,atters of Federal 6a4" 3$A9+ =u lishing" p" 5" $S09 D:5/'/A*:D/2:2A/D" )A)" Cump up ) US #eneral Accounting -ffice, U"S" $nsular Areas" Application of the U"S" 4onstitution" 9ovem er 'DD:" p" D" AppendiL $, pp" )*N*5" @etrieved April )D, )2'*" )A*" Cump up ) Fonseca, Felicia (July ':, )2'2!" "9ative American nations de ate sovereignty after $roEuois passport dispute"" Deseret 8e4s (Salt ,ake 4ity!" Associated =ress" @etrieved July )5, )2')" )AA" Cump up ) +theridge, +ricJ 3eleith, Asger (August 'D, )22D!" "A @epu lic or a 3emocracyZ"" 8e4 9ork Times blogs" @etrieved 9ovem er :, )2'2" ".he US system seems essentially a t%o/party system" """" )A7" Cump up ) #rigs y, +llen ()225!" 5nal1zing Aolitics; 5n Introduction to Aolitical :cience" 4engage ,earning" pp" '2BN:" $S09 2/AD7/72'')/*" )AB" Cump up ) "4ongressional =rofile @esources"" -ffice of the 4lerk of the United States ?ouse of @epresentatives" )A:" Cump up ) "72 State #overnors"" netstate"com" @etrieved Fe ruary ):, )2'*" )A5" Cump up ) "4?A@.: 9o more WAS=s in =residential @aces"" US 9e%s and World @eports" @etrieved August *, )2'*" )AD" Cump up ) Mnicker ocker, 0rad (August 'D, )2')!" "US government and politics no longer run y WAS=s" 3oes it matterZ"" DC Decoder +blog. (0oston 1A: .he 4hristian Science 1onitor!" @etrieved 3ecem er ):, )2')" )72" Cump up ) "For the first time, no WAS=s in election"" 9=@" August 'D, )2')" @etrieved August *, )2'*" )7'" Cump up ) "What is the #5Z"" University of .oronto" @etrieved Fe ruary '', )2')" )7)" Cump up ) 3um rell, JohnJ Sch^fer, ALel ()22D!" 5merica@s @:pecial /elationships@; Foreign and Domestic 5spects of the Aolitics of 5lliance" p" A7" )7*" Cump up ) +k, 4arl, and $an F" Fergusson (Septem er *, )2'2!" "4anadaNU"S" @elations"" 4ongressional @esearch Service" @etrieved August )5, )2''" )7A" Cump up ) >aughn, 0ruce (August 5, )225!" "Australia: 0ackground and U"S" @elations"" 4ongressional @esearch Service" @etrieved August )5, )2''" )77" Cump up ) >aughn, 0ruce (1ay ):, )2''!" "9e% Uealand: 0ackground and 0ilateral @elations %ith the United States"" 4ongressional @esearch Service" @etrieved August )5, )2''" )7B" Cump up ) ,um, .homas (January *, )2''!" ".he @epu lic of the =hilippines and U"S" $nterests"" 4ongressional @esearch Service" @etrieved August *, )2''" )7:" Cump up ) 4hanlett/Avery, +mma, et al" (June 5, )2''!" "Japan/U"S" @elations: $ssues for 4ongress" (=3F!" 4ongressional @esearch Service" @etrieved August )5, )2''" )75" Cump up ) 1anyin, 1ark +", +mma 4hanlett/Avery, and 1ary 0eth 9ikitin (July 5, )2''!" "U"S"NSouth Morea @elations: $ssues for 4ongress"" 4ongressional @esearch Service" @etrieved August )5, )2''"

)7D" Cump up ) Addis, 4asey ," (Fe ruary 'A, )2''!" "$srael: 0ackground and U"S" @elations"" 4ongressional @esearch Service" @etrieved August )5, )2''" )B2" Cump up ) Shah, Anup (April '*, )22D!" "U"S" and Foreign Aid Assistance"" #lo al$ssues"org" @etrieved -cto er '', )22D" )B'" Cump up ) =orter, +duardo (August 'A, )2')!" "AmericaKs Aversion to .aLes"" The 8e4 9ork Times" @etrieved August '7, )2')" "$n 'DB7, taLes collected y federal, state and municipal governments amounted to )A": percent of the nationKs output" $n )2'2, they amounted to )A"5 percent" +Lcluding 4hile and 1eLico, the United States raises less taL revenue, as a share of the economy, than every other industrial country"" )B)" X Jump up to: a b "40- ?istorical .a les/Fe ruary )2'*"" 4ongressional 0udget -ffice" Fe ruary 7, )2'*" @etrieved April )*, )2'*" )B*" Cump up ) =rasad, 1"J 3eng, <" (April ), )22D!" ".aLation and the %orlds of %elfare"" :ocio7Economic /e0ie4 2 (*!: A*'NA7:" doi:'2"'2D*;ser;m%p227" @etrieved 1ay 7, )2'*" )BA" Cump up ) 4rook, 4live (Fe ruary '2, )2')!" "U"S" .aLes @eally Are Unusually =rogressive"" The 5tlantic (Washington 34!" @etrieved April *, )2'*" )B7" X Jump up to: a b 1atthe%s, 3ylan (Septem er 'D, )2')!" "-ther countries donKt have a "A:F""" The Washington Aost" @etrieved -cto er )D, )2'*" )BB" Cump up ) "?o% 1uch 3o =eople =ay in Federal .aLesZ"" =eter #" =eterson Foundation" @etrieved April *, )2'*" )B:" X Jump up to: a b c ".he 3istri ution of ?ousehold $ncome and Federal .aLes, )225 and )22D"" 4ongressional 0udget -ffice" July )2')" @etrieved April *, )2'*" )B5" Cump up ) ".a le .')/2':5 0aseline 3istri ution of 4ash $ncome and Federal .aLes Under 4urrent ,a%"" .he .aL =olicy 4enter" @etrieved -cto er )D, )2'*" )BD" Cump up ) ?arris, 0enPamin ?" (9ovem er )22D!" "4orporate .aL $ncidence and $ts $mplications for =rogressivity"" .aL =olicy 4enter" @etrieved -cto er D, )2'*" ):2" Cump up ) #entry, William 1" (3ecem er )22:!" "A @evie% of the +vidence on the $ncidence of the 4orporate $ncome .aL"" <T5 Aaper 1(1" -ffice of .aL Analysis, US 3epartment of the .reasury" @etrieved -cto er D, )2'*" ):'" Cump up ) Fullerton, 3onJ 1etcalf, #il ert +" ()22)!" ".aL $ncidence"" $n A"J" Auer ach and 1" Feldstein" 3andbook of Aublic Economics" Amsterdam: +lsevier Science 0">" pp" ':55N'5*D" @etrieved -cto er D, )2'*" ):)" Cump up ) 1usgrave, @"A"J 4arroll, J"J"J 4ook, ,"3"J Frane, ," (1arch 'D7'!" "3istri ution of .aL =ayments y $ncome #roups: A 4ase Study for 'DA5"" 8ational TaB =ournal D ('!: 'N7*" @etrieved -cto er D, )2'*" ):*" Cump up ) Agadoni, ,aura" "4haracteristics of a @egressive .aL"" ?ouston 4hronicle Small 0usiness log" ):A" Cump up ) .=4 .aL .opics _ =ayroll .aLes ):7" Cump up ) ".he 3esign of the -riginal Social Security Act"" :ocial :ecurit1 <nline" U"S" Social Security Administration" @etrieved April *, )2'*" ):B" Cump up ) 0lahous, 4harles (Fe ruary )A, )2')!" ".he 3ark Side of the =ayroll .aL 4ut"" Defining Ideas" ?oover $nstitution" @etrieved April *, )2'*" )::" Cump up ) Stephen, -hlemacher (1arch *, )2'*!" ".aL ills for rich families approach *2/year high"" The :eattle Times" Associated =ress" @etrieved April *, )2'*" ):5" Cump up ) "Who %ill pay %hat in )2'* taLesZ"" The :eattle Times" Associated =ress" 1arch *, )2'*" @etrieved April *, )2'*"

):D" Cump up ) 1alm, +liCa eth (Fe ruary )2, )2'*!" "4omments on Who =aysZ A 3istri utional Analysis of the .aL Systems in All 72 States"" .aL Foundation" @etrieved April *, )2'*" )52" Cump up ) "3e t to the =enny (3aily ?istory Search Application!"" .reasury3irect" @etrieved April )*, )2'*" )5'" Cump up ) "US national de t surpasses G'B trillion"" Coston Cusiness =ournal blog" Septem er 7, )2')" @etrieved April )*, )2'*" )5)" Cump up ) .hornton, 3aniel ," (9ov";3ec" )2')!" ".he U"S" 3eficit;3e t =ro lem: A ,ongerN@un =erspective"" Federal /eser0e Cank of :t! 6ouis /e0ie4" @etrieved 1ay :, )2'*" )5*" Cump up ) ,opeC, ,uciana (January )5, )2'*!" "Fitch acks a%ay from do%ngrade of U"S" credit rating"" /euters" @etrieved 1arch )B, )2'*" )5A" Cump up ) "Federal 3e t: Ans%ers to FreEuently Asked Ruestions"" #overnment Accounta ility -ffice" @etrieved April 'B, )2')" )57" Cump up ) ,ynch, 3avid J" (1arch )', )2'*!" "+conomists See 9o 4risis With U"S" 3e t as +conomy #ains"" Cloomberg (9e% <ork!" @etrieved 1arch )7, )2'*" )5B" Cump up ) ".he Air Force in Facts and Figures (Armed Forces 1anpo%er .rends, +nd Strength in .housands!"" 5ir Force ,agazine" 1ay )22D" @etrieved -cto er D, )22D" )5:" Cump up ) "What does Selective Service provide for AmericaZ"" Selective Service System" @etrieved Fe ruary '', )2')" )55" Cump up ) "0ase Structure @eport, Fiscal <ear )225 0aseline"" 3epartment of 3efense" @etrieved -cto er D, )22D" )5D" Cump up ) "Active 3uty 1ilitary =ersonnel Strengths y @egional Area and y 4ountry (*2DA!"" 3epartment of 3efense" 1arch *', )2'2" @etrieved -cto er :, )2'2" )D2" Cump up ) $ken erry, #" John (1arch;April )22A!" "$llusions of +mpire: 3efining the 9e% American -rder"" Foreign 5ffairs" Archived from the original on 1ay )7, )2')" Mreisler, ?arry, and 4halmers Johnson (January )D, )22A!" "4onversations %ith ?istory"" University of 4alifornia at 0erkeley" @etrieved June )', )22:" )D'" Cump up ) ".he '7 4ountries %ith the ?ighest 1ilitary +Lpenditure in )2''"" Stockholm $nternational =eace @esearch $nstitute" @etrieved Fe ruary A, )2'*" )D)" Cump up ) "4ompare"" CI5 World Factbook" @eal4learWorld" @etrieved Fe ruary A, )2'*" )D*" Cump up ) "Fiscal <ear )2'* ?istorical .a les"" Cudget of the >!:! Go0ernment" White ?ouse -10" @etrieved 9ovem er )A, )2')" )DA" Cump up ) "Fiscal <ear )2') 0udget @eEuest -vervie%"" 3epartment of 3efense" Fe ruary )2''" @etrieved July )7, )2''" )D7" Cump up ) 0asu, 1oni (3ecem er '5, )2''!" "3eadly $raE War +nds %ith +Lit of ,ast U"S" .roops"" 499" @etrieved Fe ruary 7, )2')" )DB" Cump up ) "-peration $raEi Freedom"" $raE 4oalition 4asualty 4ount" Fe ruary 7, )2')" @etrieved Fe ruary 7, )2')" )D:" Cump up ) 4herian, John (April :, )2')!" ".urning =oint"" Frontline (.he ?indu #roup!" Archived from the original on 3ecem er ), )2')" @etrieved 3ecem er ), )2')" ".here are currently D2,222 U"S" troops deployed in the country"" )D5" Cump up ) "3epartment of 3efence 3efence 4asualty Analysis System"" 3epartment of 3efense" 9ovem er )2'*" @etrieved 9ovem er '', )2'*"

)DD" Cump up ) ",ocal =olice 3epartments, )22*"" U"S" 3ept" of Justice, 0ureau of Justice Statistics" 1ay )22B" @etrieved 3ecem er :, )2''" *22" Cump up ) "U"S" Federal ,A% +nforcement Agencies, Who #overns V What .hey 3o"" chiff"com" @etrieved August )', )2')" *2'" Cump up ) =lea 0argains Findla%"com *2)" Cump up ) $ntervie% %ith Judge 1ichael 1cSpadden =0S intervie%, 3ecem er 'B, )22* *2*" Cump up ) "Uniform 4rime @eporting Statistics"" U"S 3epartment of Justice Federal 0ureau of $nvestigation" @etrieved 'B 9ovem er )2'*" *2A" Cump up ) "4rime in the United States, )2''"" F0$ K(Uniform 4rime Statistics Q1urder!K" @etrieved January )*, )2'*" *27" Cump up ) "U9-34 ?omicide Statistics"" United 9ations -ffice on 3rugs and 4rime (U9-34!" @etrieved January )*, )2'*" *2B" Cump up ) "+ighth United 9ations Survey of 4rime .rends and -perations of 4riminal Justice Systems ()22'N)22)!"" United 9ations -ffice on 3rugs and 4rime (U9-34!" 1arch *', )227" @etrieved 1ay '5, )225" *2:" Cump up ) ?omicide, Suicide, and Unintentional Firearm Fatality: 4ompa """ : Journal of .rauma and Acute 4are Surgery *25" Cump up ) Simpson, $an (1ay ), )2'*!" "1aryland ecomes latest U"S" state to a olish death penalty"" 9ahooK 8e4s" @euters" Archived from the original on June )A, )2'*" @etrieved July A, )2'*" *2D" Cump up ) "U"S" +Lecutions Since 'D:B"" 4lark =rosecutor" @etrieved 3ecem er 7, )2')" *'2" Cump up ) "Searcha le +Lecution 3ata ase"" 3eath =enalty $nformation 4enter" @etrieved -cto er '2, )2')" *''" Cump up ) "+Lecutions Around the World"" 3eath =enalty $nformation 4enter" )2'2" @etrieved July )*, )2''" *')" Cump up ) Schmidt, Steffen W"J Shelley, 1ack 4"J 0ardes, 0ar ara A" ()225!" 5merican Go0ernment I Aolitics Toda1" 4engage ,earning" p" 7D'" $S09 D:5/2/AD7/72))5/D" *'*" Cump up ) Walmsley, @oy ()227!" "World =rison =opulation ,ist"" MingKs 4ollege ,ondon, $nternational 4entre for =rison Studies" Archived from the original on June )5, )22:" For the latest data, see "=rison 0rief for United States of America"" MingKs 4ollege ,ondon, $nternational 4entre for =rison Studies" June )', )22B" Archived from the original on August A, )22:" For other estimates of the incarceration rate in 4hina and 9orth Morea see Adams, 4ecil (Fe ruary B, )22A!" "3oes the United States ,ead the World in =rison =opulationZ"" .he Straight 3ope" @etrieved -cto er '', )22:" *'A" Cump up ) 0arkan, Steven +"J 0ryPak, #eorge J" ()2''!" Fundamentals of Criminal =ustice; 5 :ociological Vie4" Jones V 0artlett" p" )*" $S09 D:5/'/AADB/ 7A*D/D" *'7" Cump up ) $adicola, =eterJ Shupe, Anson (-cto er )B, )2')!" Violence' IneLualit1' and 3uman Freedom" @o%man V ,ittlefield" p" A7B" $S09 D:5/'/AA))/ 2DAD/:" *'B" Cump up ) "World =rison =opulation ,ist (5th edition!"" MingKs 4ollege ,ondon, $nternational 4entre for =rison Studies" )22D" @etrieved July )*, )2''" *':" Cump up ) 3e,isi, 1attJ 4onis, =eter John ()2''!" 5merican Corrections; Theor1' /esearch' Aolic1' and Aractice" Jones V 0artlett" p" )'" $S09 D:5/'/AADB/ A7A2/*"

*'5" Cump up ) 4lear, .odd @"J 4ole, #eorge F"J @eisig, 1ichael 3ean ()225!" 5merican Corrections" 4engage ,earning" p" A57" $S09 D:5/2/AD7/77*)*/B" *'D" Cump up ) 1ears, 3aniel =" ()2'2!" 5merican Criminal =ustice Aolic1; 5n E0aluation 5pproach to Increasing 5ccountabilit1 and Effecti0eness" 4am ridge University =ress" p" :)" $S09 D:5/2/7)'/:B)AB/7" *)2" Cump up ) Fuchs, +rin (-cto er ', )2'*!" "Why ,ouisiana $s .he 1urder 4apital -f America"" Cusiness Insider" *)'" Cump up ) "#ross 3omestic =roduct, ' 3ecimal (#3=!"" Federal @eserve 0ank of St" ,ouis" June )B, )2'*" @etrieved June )B, )2'*" *))" Cump up ) "9ational $ncome and =roduct Accounts #ross 3omestic =roduct, )nd Ruarter )2'* (advance estimate!" (=ress release!" 0ureau of +conomic Analysis" July *', )2'*" @etrieved August )*, )2'*" 4hange is ased on chained )227 dollars" Ruarterly gro%th is eLpressed as an annualiCed rate" *)*" Cump up ) "4onsumer =rice $ndeL for All Ur an 4onsumers: All $tems (4=$AU4S,!"" Federal @eserve 0ank of St" ,ouis" April 7, )2'*" @etrieved April 7, )2'*" *)A" Cump up ) "4ivilian +mployment/=opulation @atio (+1@A.$-!"" Federal @eserve 0ank of St" ,ouis" April 7, )2'*" @etrieved April 7, )2'*" *)7" Cump up ) "+mployment Situation Summary" (=ress release!" United States 3epartment of ,a or" August ), )2'*" @etrieved August ), )2'*" *)B" Cump up ) ",a or Force Statistics from the 4urrent =opulation Survey"" Cureau of 6abor :tatistics" United States 3epartment of ,a or" April :, )2'*" @etrieved April :, )2'*" *):" Cump up ) "$ncome, =overty, and ?ealth $nsurance 4overage in the United States: )2'2"" U"S" 4ensus 0ureau" Septem er 'A, )2'2" @etrieved Septem er 'B, )2''" *)5" Cump up ) "Federal 3e t: .otal =u lic 3e t (#F3+0.9!"" Federal @eserve 0ank of St" ,ouis" April 7, )2'*" @etrieved April 7, )2'*" *)D" Cump up ) "Flo% of Funds Accounts of the United States: Flo%s and -utstandings Fourth Ruarter )2''" (=ress release!" U"S" Federal @eserve" 1arch 5, )2')" @etrieved April ':, )2')" **2" Cump up ) Wright, #avinJ 4Celusta, Jesse ()22:!" "@esource/0ased #ro%th =ast and =resent", in 8atural /esources; 8either Curse 8or Destin1, ed" 3aniel ,ederman and William 1aloney" World 0ank" p" '57" $S09 2/5)'*/B7A7/)" **'" Cump up ) "+U): =opulation 72)"7 1illion at ' January )2''" (=ress release!" +urostat =ress -ffice" July )5, )2''" @etrieved June 'D, )2')" **)" Cump up ) "4urrency 4omposition of -fficial Foreign +Lchange @eserves"" $nternational 1onetary Fund" @etrieved April D, )2')" ***" X Jump up to: a b ".rade Statistics"" #reyhill Advisors" @etrieved -cto er B, )2''" **A" Cump up ) ".op .en 4ountries %ith %hich the U"S" .rades"" U"S" 4ensus 0ureau" August )22D" @etrieved -cto er '), )22D" **7" Cump up ) "9ational de t: Whom does the US o%eZ"" The Christian :cience ,onitor (0oston 1A!" Fe ruary A, )2''" @etrieved July 'A, )2''" **B" Cump up ) "1arket highlights for first half/year )2'2"" World Federation of +Lchanges" @etrieved 9ovem er )), )2')" **:" Cump up ) "#3= y $ndustry"" #reyhill Advisors" @etrieved -cto er '*, )2''" **5" X Jump up to: a b "USA +conomy in 0rief"" U"S" 3ept" of State, $nternational $nformation =rograms" Archived from the original on 1arch '), )225"

**D"

Cump up ) ".a le :)AQ9um er of .aL @eturns, @eceipts, and 9et $ncome y .ype of 0usiness and $ndustry: )227" (S,S!" U"S" 4ensus 0ureau" @etrieved -cto er '), )22D" *A2" Cump up ) ".a le DBAQ#ross 3omestic =roduct in 4urrent and @eal ()222! 3ollars y $ndustry: )22B"" U"S" 4ensus 0ureau" 1ay )225" @etrieved -cto er '), )22D" *A'" Cump up ) "@ank -rderQ-il (=roduction!"" The World Factbook" 4$A" @etrieved -cto er '), )22D""@ank -rderQ-il (4onsumption!"" The World Factbook" 4$A" @etrieved -cto er '), )22D""4rude -il and .otal =etroleum $mports .op '7 4ountries"" U"S" +nergy $nformation Administration" Septem er )D, )22D" @etrieved -cto er '), )22D" *A)" Cump up ) "4orn"" U"S" #rains 4ouncil" Archived from the original on January '), )225" @etrieved 1arch '*, )225" *A*" Cump up ) "Soy ean 3emand 4ontinues to 3rive =roduction"" World%atch $nstitute" 9ovem er B, )22:" @etrieved 1arch '*, )225" *AA" Cump up ) 4oal Statistics *A7" Cump up ) 1inerals =roduction *AB" Cump up ) "Sony, ,#, Wal/1art among 1ost +Ltendi le 0rands"" 4heskin" June B, )227" @etrieved June 'D, )22:" *A:" Cump up ) "=ersonal 4onsumption +Lpenditures (=4+!;#ross 3omestic =roduct (#3=!" F/ED Graph, Federal @eserve 0ank of St" ,ouis *A5" Cump up ) Fuller, .homas (June '7, )227!" "$n the +ast, 1any +U Work @ules 3onKt Apply"" International 3erald Tribune (=aris!" @etrieved June )5, )22:" *AD" Cump up ) "3oing 0usiness in the United States"" World 0ank" )22B" @etrieved June )5, )22:" *72" Cump up ) @ay, @e eccaJ Sanes, 1illaJ Schmitt, John (1ay )2'*!" 9o/ >acation 9ation @evisited" Center for Economic and Aolic1 /esearch! @etrieved Septem er 5, )2'*" *7'" Cump up ) 0ernard" .ara Siegel (Fe ruary )), )2'*!" "$n =aid Family ,eave, U"S" .rails 1ost of the #lo e"" The 8e4 9ork Times" @etrieved August ):, )2'*" *7)" Cump up ) ".otal +conomy 3ata ase, Summary Statistics, 'DD7N)2'2"" Total Econom1 Database" .he 4onference 0oard" Septem er )2'2" @etrieved Septem er )2, )22D" *7*" Cump up ) "1ost Americans say U"S" in recession despite data: poll"" /euters" April )5, )2''" *7A" Cump up ) "-+43 0etter ,ife $ndeL"" -+43" @etrieved 9ovem er )7, )2')" *77" Cump up ) "?ousehold $ncome for States: )2'2 and )2''" >nited :tates Census' 5merican Communit1 :ur0e1 Criefs, Septem er )2'), AppendiL .a le ', p" 7 *7B" Cump up ) "#lo al Food Security $ndeL"" ,ondon: .he +conomist $ntelligence Unit" 1arch 7, )2'*" @etrieved April 5, )2'*" *7:" Cump up ) @ector, @o ertJ Sheffield, @achel (Septem er '*, )2''!" "Understanding =overty in the United States: Surprising Facts A out AmericaKs =oor"" ?eritage Foundation" @etrieved April 5, )2'*" *75" Cump up ) "4hart 0ook: .he ,egacy of the #reat @ecession Q 4enter on 0udget and =olicy =riorities"" 4 pp"org" 1arch '), )2'*" @etrieved 1arch ):, )2'*" *7D" Cump up ) "0ureau of ,a or Statistics 3ata"" 3ata" ls"gov" 3ecem er ', )2'2" @etrieved 1arch ):, )2'*" *B2" Cump up ) ?agopian, MipJ -hanian, ,ee (August ', )2')!" ".he 1ismeasure of $neEuality"" Aolic1 /e0ie4 (?oover $nstitution Stanford University!" @etrieved August )), )2'*"

*B'" Cump up ) ")2'* ?uman 3evelopment @eport"" United 9ations 3evelopment =rogramme" @etrieved July )5, )2'*" *B)" Cump up ) Sch%artC, 9elson (1arch *, )2'*!" "@ecovery in U"S" $s ,ifting =rofits, ut 9ot Adding Jo s"" The 8e4 9ork Times" @etrieved 1arch '5, )2'*" *B*" Cump up ) 1cMinnon, John 3" (January ', )2'*!" "Analysis: ::F of ?ouseholds to See .aL $ncrease"" The Wall :treet =ournal +blog. (9e% <ork!" @etrieved April 5, )2'*" *BA" Cump up ) "U"S" =overty: 4ensus Finds 9early ?alf -f Americans Are =oor -r ,o%/$ncome"" The 3uffington Aost" 3ecem er '7, )2''" @etrieved June 7, )2'*" *B7" Cump up ) Alvaredo, FacundoJ Atkinson, Anthony 0"J =iketty, .homasJ SaeC, +mmanuel ()2'*!" ".he .op ' =ercent in $nternational and ?istorical =erspective"" =ournal of Economic Aerspecti0es! @etrieved August 'B, )2'*" *BB" Cump up ) Smeeding, ."1" ()227!" "=u lic =olicy: +conomic $neEuality and =overty: .he United States in 4omparative =erspective"" :ocial :cience Euarterl1 9(: D77ND5*" doi:'2"'''';P"22*5/ADA'")227"22**'"L" *B:" Cump up ) SaeC, +" (-cto er )22:!" ".a le A': .op Fractiles $ncome Shares (+Lcluding 4apital #ains! in the U"S", 'D'*N)227"" U4 0erkeley" @etrieved July )A, )225""Field ,istingQ3istri ution of Family $ncomeQ#ini $ndeL"" The World Factbook" 4$A" June 'A, )22:" @etrieved June ':, )22:" *B5" Cump up ) SaeC, +mmanuel (Septem er *, )2'*!" "Striking it @icher: .he +volution of .op $ncomes in the United States"" >C Cerkle1! @etrieved Septem er '', )2'*" *BD" Cump up ) 1ishel, ,a%rence (April )B, )2')!" .he %edges et%een productivity and median compensation gro%th" Economic Aolic1 Institute! @etrieved -cto er '5, )2'*" *:2" Cump up ) ".he 1ost $mportant 4hart in American =olitics"" Time (9e% <ork!" Fe ruary A, )2'*" *:'" Cump up ) #ongloff, 1ark (Septem er ':, )2'*!" "1edian $ncome Falls For 7th <ear, $neEuality At @ecord ?igh"" The 3uffington Aost" @etrieved -cto er A, )2'*" *:)" Cump up ) "?ousehold Food Security in the United States in )2''"" US3A" Septem er )2')" @etrieved April 5, )2'*" *:*" Cump up ) 3omhoff, #" William (3ecem er )22B!" ".a le A: =ercentage of Wealth ?eld y the .op '2F of the Adult =opulation in >arious Western 4ountries"" Ao4er in 5merica" University of 4alifornia at Santa 4ruC, Sociology 3ept" @etrieved August )', )22B" *:A" Cump up ) Altman, @oger 4" ".he #reat 4rash, )225"" Foreign 5ffairs" @etrieved Fe ruary ):, )22D" *:7" Cump up ) "AmericansK %ealth drops G'"* trillion"" C88 ,<ne1" June '', )22D" *:B" Cump up ) "U"S" household %ealth falls G''") trillion in )225"" /euters" 1arch '), )22D" *::" Cump up ) 0lack, 3uncan (Fe ruary 7, )2'*!" "A2'Ms are a disaster"" >:5 Toda1" @etrieved * April )2'*" *:5" Cump up ) Siedle, .ed (1arch )2, )2'*!" ".he #reatest @etirement 4risis $n American ?istory"" Forbes" @etrieved * April )2'*" *:D" Cump up ) "$nterstate FAR (Ruestion T*!"" Federal ?igh%ay Administration" )22B" @etrieved 1arch A, )22D" *52" Cump up ) "4hina +Lpress%ay System to +Lceed US $nterstates"" 8e4 Geograph1 (#rand Forks, 93!" January )), )2''" @etrieved Septem er 'B, )2''"

*5'" Cump up ) "4hina overtakes US in car sales"" The Guardian (,ondon!" January 5, )2'2" @etrieved July '2, )2''" *5)" Cump up ) "1otor vehicles statistics N countries compared %orld%ide"" 9ation1aster" @etrieved July '2, )2''" *5*" Cump up ) "?ousehold, $ndividual, and >ehicle 4haracteristics"" #((1 8ational 3ousehold Tra0el :ur0e1" U"S" 3ept" of .ransportation, 0ureau of .ransportation Statistics" @etrieved August '7, )22:" *5A" Cump up ) "3aily =assenger .ravel"" #((1 8ational 3ousehold Tra0el :ur0e1" U"S" 3ept" of .ransportation, 0ureau of .ransportation Statistics" @etrieved August '7, )22:" *57" Cump up ) @enne, John ,"J Wells, Jan S" ()22*!" "+merging +uropean/Style =lanning in the United States: .ransit/-riented 3evelopment"" @utgers University" p" )" @etrieved June '', )22:" *5B" Cump up ) "9at#eo surveys countriesK transit use: guess %ho comes in last"" S%itch oard"nrdc"org" 1ay '5, )22D" @etrieved July '2, )2''" *5:" Cump up ) "$ntercity =assenger @ail: 9ational =olicy and Strategies 9eeded to 1aLimiCe =u lic 0enefits from Federal +Lpenditures"" U"S" #overnment Accounta ility -ffice" 9ovem er '*, )22B" @etrieved June )2, )22:" *55" Cump up ) "Amtrak @idership @ecords"" Amtrak" June 5, )2''" @etrieved Fe ruary )D, )2')" *5D" Cump up ) 1c#ill, .racy (January ', )2''!" "* @easons ,ight @ail $s an +fficient .ransportation -ption for U"S" 4ities"" ,etaEfficient" @etrieved June 'A, )2'*" *D2" Cump up ) "0icycling to Work"" 9et%ork of +mployers for .raffic Safety" @etrieved July '2, )2''" *D'" Cump up ) "Scheduled =assengers 4arried"" $nternational Air .ransport Association ($A.A!" )2''" @etrieved Fe ruary ':, )2')" *D)" Cump up ) "=assenger .raffic )22B Final"" Airports 4ouncil $nternational" July '5, )22:" @etrieved August '7, )22:"&dead link( *D*" Cump up ) "3iagram ': +nergy Flo%, )22:"" EI5 5nnual Energ1 /e0ie4" U"S" 3ept" of +nergy, +nergy $nformation Administration" )22:" @etrieved June )7, )225" *DA" Cump up ) "@ank -rderQ-il (4onsumption!"" The World Factbook" 4$A" Septem er B, )22:" @etrieved Septem er 'A, )22:" *D7" Cump up ) "Atomic @enaissance"" The Economist (,ondon!" Septem er B, )22:" @etrieved Septem er B, )22:" *DB" Cump up ) "0= Statistical @evie% of World +nergy" (S,S!" 0ritish =etroleum" June )22:" @etrieved Fe ruary )), )2'2" *D:" Cump up ) Ames, =aul (1ay *2, )2'*!" "4ould fracking make the =ersian #ulf irrelevantZ"" :alon" @etrieved 1ay *2, )2')" "Since 9ovem er, the United States has replaced Saudi Ara ia as the %orldKs iggest producer of crude oil" $t had already overtaken @ussia as the leading producer of natural gas"" *D5" Cump up ) "+disonKs Story"" ,emelson 4enter" @etrieved August )', )2')" *DD" Cump up ) 0enedetti, Fran`ois (3ecem er ':, )22*!" "'22 <ears Ago, the 3ream of $carus 0ecame @eality"" F[d[ration A[ronautiEue $nternationale (FA$!" Archived from the original on Septem er '), )22:" @etrieved August '7, )22:" A22" Cump up ) "@esearch and 3evelopment (@V3! +Lpenditures y Source and - Pective: 'D:2 to )22A"" U"S" 4ensus 0ureau" @etrieved June 'D, )22:" A2'" Cump up ) 1ac,eod, 3onald (1arch )', )22B!" "0ritain Second in World @esearch @ankings"" The Guardian (,ondon!" @etrieved 1ay 'A, )22B"

A2)" Cump up ) "+Lploring the 3igital 9ationQ4omputer and $nternet Use at ?ome"" U"S" 3ept" of 4ommerce, +conomics and Statistics Administration" 9ovem er 5, )2''" @etrieved April '', )2')" A2*" Cump up ) "@eport: D2F of Americans o%n a computeriCed gadget"" 499" Fe ruary *, )2''" @etrieved 3ecem er ):, )2')" A2A" Cump up ) "$SAAA 0rief *D/)225: +Lecutive SummaryQ#lo al Status of 4ommercialiCed 0iotech;#1 4rops: )225"" $nternational Service for the AcEuisition of Agri/0iotech Applications" p" '7" @etrieved July 'B, )2'2" A27" Cump up ) @osenstone, Steven J" (3ecem er ':, )22D!" "=u lic +ducation for the 4ommon #ood"" University of 1innesota" @etrieved 1arch B, )22D" A2B" Cump up ) "Ages for 4ompulsory School Attendance """"" U"S" 3ept" of +ducation, 9ational 4enter for +ducation Statistics" @etrieved June '2, )22:" A2:" Cump up ) "Statistics A out 9on/=u lic +ducation in the United States"" U"S" 3ept" of +ducation, -ffice of 9on/=u lic +ducation" @etrieved June 7, )22:" A25" X Jump up to: a b A= (June )7, )2'*!" "U"S" education spending tops glo al list, study sho%s"" 40S" @etrieved -cto er 7, )2'*" A2D" Cump up ) "RS World University @ankings"" .opuniversities" @etrieved July '2, )2''" A'2" Cump up ) ".op )22 N .he .imes ?igher +ducation World University @ankings )2'2N)2''"" .imeshighereducation"co"uk" @etrieved July '2, )2''" A''" Cump up ) "+ducational Attainment in the United States: )22*"" U"S" 4ensus 0ureau" @etrieved August ', )22B" A')" Cump up ) For more detail on U"S" literacy, see A First ,ook at the ,iteracy of AmericaKs Adults in the )'st century, U"S" 3epartment of +ducation ()22*!" A'*" Cump up ) "?uman 3evelopment $ndicators"" United 9ations 3evelopment =rogramme, ?uman 3evelopment @eports" )227" Archived from the original on June )2, )22:" @etrieved January 'A, )225" A'A" Cump up ) "+ducation at a #lance )2'*"" -+43" @etrieved -cto er 7, )2'*" A'7" Cump up ) Student ,oan 3e t +Lceeds -ne .rillion 3ollars" 8A/' April A, )2')" @etrieved Septem er 5, )2'*" A'B" Cump up ) "4ountry 4omparison: ,ife +Lpectancy at 0irth"" The World Factbook" 4$A" @etrieved -cto er )7, )2''" A':" X Jump up to: a b 1urray, 4hristopher J","J et al (July '2, )2'*!" ".he State of US ?ealth, 'DD2N)2'2: 0urden of 3iseases, $nPuries, and @isk Factors"" =ournal of the 5merican ,edical 5ssociation" doi:'2"'22';Pama")2'*"'*527" @etrieved July '', )2'*" A'5" Cump up ) 1acAskill, +%en (August '*, )22:!" "US .um les 3o%n the World @atings ,ist for ,ife +Lpectancy"" The Guardian (,ondon!" @etrieved August '7, )22:" A'D" Cump up ) "Slidesho%: 1ost o ese countries"" /euters" @etrieved 9ovem er )), )2')" A)2" Cump up ) "=revalence of -ver%eight and - esity Among Adults: United States, )22*N)22A"" 4enters for 3isease 4ontrol and =revention, 9ational 4enter for ?ealth Statistics" @etrieved June 7, )22:" A)'" Cump up ) Schlosser, +ric ()22)!" Fast Food 8ation" 9e% <ork: =erennial" p" )A2" $S09 2/2B/2D*5A7/7" A))" Cump up ) "Fast Food, 4entral 9ervous System $nsulin @esistance, and - esity"" 5rteriosclerosis' Thrombosis' and Vascular Ciolog1" American ?eart Association" )227" @etrieved June ':, )22:"

A)*" Cump up ) "4ountry 4omparison: $nfant 1ortality @ate"" The World Factbook" 4$A" @etrieved -cto er )7, )2''" A)A" Cump up ) 4o%en, .yler (-cto er 7, )22B!" "=oor U"S" Scores in ?ealth 4are 3onKt 1easure 9o els and $nnovation"" The 8e4 9ork Times" @etrieved -cto er D, )2')" A)7" Cump up ) Whitman, #lenJ @aad, @aymond" "0ending the =roductivity 4urve: Why America ,eads the World in 1edical $nnovation"" .he 4ato $nstitute" @etrieved -cto er D, )2')" A)B" Cump up ) <ECD 3ealth Data #(((; 5 Comparati0e 5nal1sis of # Countries &43/@-1( (-+43: =aris, )222!" See also ".he U"S" ?ealthcare System: .he 0est in the World or Just the 1ost +LpensiveZ"" University of 1aine" )22'" @etrieved 9ovem er )D, )22B" A):" Cump up ) A elson, @eed (June '2, )225!" "@anks of Underinsured Are @ising, Study Finds"" The 8e4 9ork Times" @etrieved -cto er )7, )225" A)5" Cump up ) 0le%ett, ,ynn A" et al" (3ecem er )22B!" "?o% 1uch ?ealth $nsurance $s +noughZ @evisiting the 4oncept of Underinsurance"" ,edical Care /esearch and /e0ie4 (& (B!: BB*N:22" doi:'2"''::;'2::775:2B)D*B*A" $SS9 '2::/ 775:" =1$3 ':2DD')'" A)D" Cump up ) Fahrenthold, 3avid A" (April 7, )22B!" "1ass" 0ill @eEuires ?ealth 4overage"" The Washington Aost" @etrieved June 'D, )22:" A*2" Cump up ) "?ealth 4are ,a% 7AF Favor @epeal of ?ealth 4are ,a%"" @asmussen @eports" @etrieved -cto er '*, )2')" A*'" Cump up ) "3e ate on - ama4are to intensify in the %ake of landmark Supreme 4ourt ruling"" FoB 8e4s" June )D, )2')" @etrieved -cto er 'A, )2')" A*)" Cump up ) "Statue of ,i erty"" World 3eritage" U9+S4-" @etrieved -cto er )2, )2''" A**" Cump up ) .hompson, WilliamJ ?ickey, Joseph ()227!" :ociet1 in Focus" 0oston: =earson" $S09 2/)27/A'*B7/S" A*A" Cump up ) Fiorina, 1orris ="J =eterson, =aul +" ()222!" The 8e4 5merican Democrac1" ,ondon: ,ongman, p" D:" $S09 2/*)'/2:275/7" A*7" Cump up ) ?ollo%ay, Joseph +" ()227!" 5fricanisms in 5merican Culture, )d ed" 0loomington: $ndiana University =ress, pp" '5N*5" $S09 2/)7*/*AA:D/A" Johnson, Fern ," ('DDD!" :peaking Culturall1; 6anguage Di0ersit1 in the >nited :tates" .housand -aks, 4alif", ,ondon, and 9e% 3elhi: Sage, p" ''B" $S09 2/52*D/7D')/7" A*B" Cump up ) ?untington, Samuel =" ()22A!" "4hapters )NA"" Who are WeF; The Challenges to 5merica@s 8ational Identit1" Simon and Schuster" A*:" Cump up ) A= (June )7, )22:!" "Americans give record G)D70 to charity"" >:5 Toda1" @etrieved -cto er A, )2'*" A*5" Cump up ) "$nternational comparisons of charita le giving"" 4harities Aid Foundation" 9ovem er )22B" @etrieved -cto er A, )2'*" A*D" Cump up ) "$ndividualism"" 4learly 4ultural" @etrieved Fe ruary )5, )22D" AA2" X Jump up to: a b "A Family Affair: $ntergenerational Social 1o ility across -+43 4ountries"" Economic Aolic1 /eforms; Going for Gro4th" -+43" )2'2" @etrieved Septem er )2, )2'2" 0landen, JoJ #regg, =aulJ 1alchin, Stephen (April )227!" "$ntergenerational 1o ility in +urope and 9orth America"" 4entre for +conomic =erformance" Archived from the original on June )*, )22B" AA'" Cump up ) 3ave Serchuk" ?appy 4ountryaSocial 1o ilityZ Forbes! ');:;)2'' AA)" Cump up ) #ould, +lise (-cto er '2, )2')!" "U"S" lags ehind peer countries in mo ility"" Economic Aolic1 Institute! @etrieved July '7, )2'*"

AA*" Cump up ) 4A=: >nderstanding ,obilit1 in 5merica" April )B, )22B AAA" Cump up ) 3e=arle, Jason (January A, )2')!" ?arder for Americans to @ise From ,o%er @ungs" The 8e4 9ork Times" @etrieved Septem er 5, )2'*" AA7" Cump up ) Schneider, 3onald (July )D, )2'*!" "A #uide to Understanding $nternational 4omparisons of +conomic 1o ility"" .he ?eritage Foundation" @etrieved August )), )2'*" AAB" Cump up ) #utfield, Amon ()22)!" 5merican EBceptionalism; The Effects of Alent1 on the 5merican EBperience" 0righton and =ortland: SusseL Academic =ress" p" B7" $S09 '/D2*D22/25/7" AA:" Cump up ) U%eig, 1ichael ()22A!" What@s Class Got To Do With It' 5merican :ociet1 in the T4ent17First Centur1" $thaca, 9<: 4ornell University =ress" $S09 2/52'A/55DD/2" "+ffects of Social 4lass and $nteractive Setting on 1aternal Speech"" +ducation @esource $nformation 4enter" @etrieved January ):, )22:" AA5" Cump up ) +ichar, 3ouglas ('D5D!" <ccupation and Class Consciousness in 5merica" Westport, 4.: #reen%ood =ress" $S09 2/*'*/)B'''/*" AAD" Cump up ) -KMeefe, Mevin ()227!" The 50erage 5merican" 9e% <ork: =u licAffairs" $S09 '/75BA5/):2/S" A72" Cump up ) Village Voice: '22 0est Films of the )2th century ()22'!" Filmsite" A7'" Cump up ) ":ight and :ound .op .en =oll )22)"" Archived from the original on 1ay )7, )2')""&dead link(" 0ritish Film $nstitute" @etrieved June 'D, )22:" A7)" Cump up ) "9igeria surpasses ?olly%ood as %orldKs second largest film producer" (=ress release!" United 9ations" 1ay 7, )22D" @etrieved Fe ruary ':, )2'*" A7*" Cump up ) 3aniels, ,es ('DD5!" :uperman; The Complete 3istor1 ('st ed"!" .itan 0ooks" p" ''" $S09 '/57)5B/D55/:" A7A" Cump up ) "1edia Statistics b .elevision >ie%ing y 4ountry"" 9ation1aster" @etrieved June *, )22:" A77" Cump up ) "0road and and 1edia 4onsumption"" e1arketer" June :, )22:" @etrieved June '2, )22:" A7B" Cump up ) ".> Fans Spill into We Sites"" e1arketer" June :, )22:" @etrieved June '2, )22:" A7:" Cump up ) ".op Sites in United States"" AleLa" )2'2" @etrieved 1arch ):, )2'2" A75" X Jump up to: a b 0iddle, Julian ()22'!" What Was 3otK; Fi0e Decades of Aop Culture in 5merica" 9e% <ork: 4itadel, p" iL" $S09 2/52B7/)*''/7" A7D" Cump up ) 0loom, ?arold" 'DDD" Emil1 Dickinson" 0roomall, =A: 4helsea ?ouse" p" D" $S09 2/:D'2/7'2B/A" AB2" Cump up ) 0uell, ,a%rence (Spring;Summer )225!" ".he Unkilla le 3ream of the #reat American 9ovel: ,ob17Dick as .est 4ase"" 5merican 6iterar1 3istor1 BA ('N)!: '*)N'77" doi:'2"'2D*;alh;aPn227" $SS9 25DB/:'A5" AB'" Cump up ) Ruinn, +d%ard ()22B!" 5 Dictionar1 of 6iterar1 and Thematic Terms" $nfo ase, p" *B'" $S09 2/5'B2/B)A*/D" Seed, 3avid ()22D!" 5 Companion to T4entieth7Centur1 >nited :tates Fiction" 4hichester, West SusseL: John Wiley and Sons, p" :B" $S09 '/A27'/ABD'/7" 1eyers, Jeffrey ('DDD!" 3eming4a1; 5 Ciograph1" 9e% <ork: 3a 4apo, p" '*D" $S09 2/*2B/525D2/2" AB)" Cump up ) Summers, ,a%rence ?" (9ovem er 'D, )22B!" ".he #reat ,i erator"" The 8e4 9ork Times" @etrieved 1ay ':, )2'*" AB*" Cump up ) 1cFadden, @o ert 3" (January D, )2'*!" "James 1" 0uchanan, +conomic Scholar and 9o el ,aureate, 3ies at D*"" The 8e4 9ork Times" @etrieved 1ay ':, )2'*"

ABA" Cump up ) 0ro%n, 1ilton W" ('D55 'DB*!" The :tor1 of the 5rmor1 :ho4" 9e% <ork: A eville" $S09 2/5DB7D/:D7/A" AB7" X Jump up to: a b Mlapthor, James 9" (August )*, )22*!" "What, When, and Where Americans +at in )22*"" 9e%s%ise;$nstitute of Food .echnologists" @etrieved June 'D, )22:" ABB" Cump up ) Smith, )22A, pp" '*'N'*) AB:" Cump up ) ,evenstein, )22*, pp" '7AN77 AB5" Cump up ) 0oslaugh, Sarah ()2'2!" "- esity +pidemic", in Culture Wars; 5n Enc1clopedia of Issues' Vie4points' and Voices, ed" @oger 4hapman" Armonk, 9"<": 1" +" Sharpe, pp" A'*N'A" $S09 D:5/2/:B7B/':B'/*" ABD" Cump up ) "Fast Food, 4entral 9ervous System $nsulin @esistance, and - esity"" 5rteriosclerosis' Thrombosis' and Vascular Ciolog1" American ?eart Association" )227" @etrieved June D, )22:" ",etKs +at -ut: Americans Weigh .aste, 4onvenience, and 9utrition"" U"S" 3ept" of Agriculture" @etrieved June D, )22:" A:2" Cump up ) #lo al sports market to hit ,' illion in )2')" @euters" @etrieved on July )A, )2'*" A:'" Cump up ) Mrane, 3avid M" (-cto er *2, )22)!" "=rofessional Foot all Widens $ts ,ead -ver 0ase all as 9ationKs Favorite Sport"" ?arris $nteractive" @etrieved Septem er 'A, )22:" 1accam ridge, 1ichael ()22A!" 5merica@s Game; The Epic :tor1 of 3o4 Aro Football Captured a 8ation" 9e% <ork: @andom ?ouse" $S09 2/*:7/72A7A/2" A:)" Cump up ) 4o%en, .ylerJ #rier, Mevin (Fe ruary D, )2')!" "What Would the +nd of Foot all ,ook ,ikeZ"" #rantland;+S=9" @etrieved Fe ruary '), )2')" A:*" Cump up ) 1ccauley, Adam" "1iLed 1artial Arts 9e%s"" .opics"nytimes"com" @etrieved 1arch ):, )2'*" A:A" Cump up ) -akes, Malle (April )5, )2'*!" "1iLed 1artial Arts: $ts popularity is no contest"" :un =ournal" @etrieved -cto er ', )2'*" "=ay/per/vie% cards play out to captive audiences in millions of American homes, attracting more consumers than professional %restling and oLing at the same price" An adrenaline/sports television net%ork, Fuel, devotes more than half its )A/hour roadcast day to a single sport" -ther, more popular ca le or satellite stops furnish daily or %eekly sho%s devoted to it"" A:7" Cump up ) "All/.ime 1edal Standings, '5DBN)22A"" $nformation =lease" @etrieved June 'A, )22:" "3istri ution of 1edalsQ)225 Summer #ames"" Fact 1onster" @etrieved Septem er ), )225" A:B" Cump up ) "All/.ime 1edal Standings, 'D)AN)22B"" $nformation =lease" @etrieved June 'A, )22:" "-lympic 1edals"" >ancouver -rganiCing 4ommittee" @etrieved 1arch ), )2'2" 9or%ay is first"

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