FOCUS ON AMERICAN LIFE

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В О РО Н Е Ж

2005

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CONTENTS

I. We the People… … … … … … … … … … … … … … . 4

Assignments… … … … … … … … … … … … … … ... 16

II. American Government… … … … … … … … … … ... 19

Assignments… … … … … … … … … … … … … … ... 28

III. Economy, Labour, and Welfare… … … … … … … . 31

Assignments… … … … … … … … ..… … … … … … .. 40

IV. Education… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … 43

Assignments… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … 52

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I. WE THE PEOPLE

The "Average American"

The variety of ethnic identities, immigration experiences, and cultural choices that

have gone into making Americans is so complex, however, that describing the average

American" is very difficult. Our "average American" might be white, but Americans are

not "normally" white. Most Americans are Christians, but America cannot be called "a

Christian country." And a majority of Americans might claim European ancestry, but

this description also does not define Americans in general. Neither, in fact, does lan-

guage.

The United States is one of the few countries that has no "official" national

language, or languages. English is the common language by use, but it is not the national

language by law. About 30 million Americans speak a language other than English at

home. This means, for example, that if you meet an American in New Mexico who

speaks Spanish as his first language, he could be a recent immigrant, having arrived in

the U.S. only a few years ago, or his grandparents could have arrived in the United

States a hundred years ago. It could also be that his ancestors had been living in the area

years before the thirteen British colonies were established on the East Coast. A so-called

foreign accent does not necessarily mean that an individual is (or even was) a foreigner.

The "Melting Pot," the "Salad Bowl," and the "Pizza"

Of all the many different nationalities and ethnic groups which have gone into the

making of America, some have quickly assimilated. They have largely lost or

Intentionally given up many of those specific markers which would make them much

different from their neighbors. This process of assimilation, or "Americanization," -

becoming part of the "melting pot" - has characterized the immigrant experience in

American history. Other Americans have, while becoming American in other ways,

maintained much of their ethnic identities. In this sense, U.S. society has been likened to

a "salad bowl." It does not follow, however, that these Americans are any less aware or

proud of their American nationality. Japanese-Americans provide a well-known

example. Although their loyalty in World War II was doubted by many of their fellow

countrymen, as a group they became the most highly decorated American soldiers

fighting in Europe. Perhaps a better metaphor for American society than either "the

melting pot" or the "salad bowl" would be that of a "pizza" (which has become, by the

way, the single most popular food in America). The different ingredients are often

apparent and give the whole its particular taste and flavor, yet all are fused together into

something larger.

Still another factor to consider in describing "the American" is that the face of

America is constantly, and often very rapidly, changing. It is estimated that by the year

2000, for instance, Hispanics (a term including all Spanish-speaking Americans, such as

Mexican-Americans or "Chicanos," Cubans, Puerto Ricans, etc.) will be the largest

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"minority" in the United States. In a num- ber of cities Hispanics will represent the

majority of citizens.

Crevecoeur's old and often repeated question "What then is the American, this

new man?" - cannot be answered simply or conclusively. At best, we can say that an

American is someone who meets the legal requirements of citizenship and who

considers himself or herself to be an American. And, any person born on American

soil automatically has the right to American citizenship. Significantly, the older

categories of nationality brought from the Old World - race, language, religion, and

parents' ancestry - have become relatively unimportant in America. They can be used

to describe an American, but not to define one.

Demographics - the Basic Picture

Although it is difficult to paint a picture of the average American today, there is

no difficulty in obtaining data to describe American society. Americans seem to be

fascinated by surveys, research studies, questionnaires, and opinion polls which describe

them and their country. Tons of such demographic material appear each year. The main

reason so much information is available about America and Americans is found in the

Constitution.

The Constitution of the United States specifies that a nationwide census, a "head

count" of all Americans, must be taken every ten years. The census is necessary to

determine what changes there might have been in the population. The number of

representatives each state can elect to the House of Representatives, for example, is

determined by population. Similarly, the figures are very important in establishing how

much money from federal taxes will be returned to the states, or how much cities will

receive in aid from the federal government. Today, the census also gives a wealth of

other information on almost any aspect of American life. The information is public and

easily available, and anyone interested in accurate descriptive data on the U.S. should

consult the most recent edition of the Statistical Abstract of the United States.

Here we are interested in basic information about American society. This type of