Difference between revisions of "American Gotham"

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Due to its large size and wide range of geographic features, American Gotham has many ranges of geographical climate. The southern tip of the Florida territories is considered tropical, while in the North in New York and New England, the winter often reaches freezing temperatures.
 
Due to its large size and wide range of geographic features, American Gotham has many ranges of geographical climate. The southern tip of the Florida territories is considered tropical, while in the North in New York and New England, the winter often reaches freezing temperatures.
  
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=== Government and Politics ===
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== Government and Politics ==
 
American Gotham is credited with bringing the republic and democracy back onto the world scene.  After seceeding, American Gotham wrote a strict constitution (similar to the United States' original Constitution) that corrected the problems it saw in its father nation. The result was a constitution that was much harder to amend, and more clearly granted freedoms to the people.
 
American Gotham is credited with bringing the republic and democracy back onto the world scene.  After seceeding, American Gotham wrote a strict constitution (similar to the United States' original Constitution) that corrected the problems it saw in its father nation. The result was a constitution that was much harder to amend, and more clearly granted freedoms to the people.
  
 
The federal government comprises three branches, which are designed to check and balance one another's powers:
 
The federal government comprises three branches, which are designed to check and balance one another's powers:
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*[[legislature|Legislative]]: The [[Congress of the United States|Congress]], made up of the [[United States Senate|Senate]] and the [[United States House of Representatives|House of Representatives]], which makes [[federal law]], declares war, approves treaties and has powers of [[impeachment]].
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*Legislative: Congress, which is made up of two houses: the House of Statesmen and the House of Senators. Each of the seven states is represented by 3 Senators, while Statesmen represent the smaller states within the Sovereigns. Congress and Congress alone has the authority to declare war, and has the power to impeach the President. Congress must approve of Supreme Court appointments and has the power to remove students from the Office of the Constitution (but not Officers). In the two houses, there are currently 345 members.
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*[[Executive (government)|Executive]]: The [[President of the United States|President]], who appoints, with Senate approval, the [[United States Cabinet|Cabinet]] and other officers, who administers and enforces federal law, can veto bills, and is [[Commander-in-Chief|Commander in Chief]] of the military.
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*Executive: This is composed of the President and his cabinet. The President acts as a representative of the state, and is voted upon using a electoral college system similar to the United States (though the U.S. no longer uses the electoral college.)
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*[[Judiciary]]: The [[Supreme Court of the United States|Supreme Court]] and lower [[federal court]]s, whose judges are appointed by the President with Senate approval, which interpret laws and their validity under the Constitution and can overturn laws they deem unconstitutional.
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*Judiciary: Is composed of the Supreme Court. The President appoints Supreme Court members, but if citizens are unhappy with a Supreme Court appointee's performance, he can be voted off of the Court if 85% or more of the citizens vote for his removal. However, these voting procedures must be organized by the citizens. So far, no Supreme Court members have been voted off. The Judiciary is closely tied to the Office of the Constitution, and it alone can remove Officers from the Office.
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*Constitutionary: The Office of the Constitution is a school/training ground for those who seek to be experts in Constitutionary language. Students enroll in the school just after Middle School and if they wish to become Officers, they must remain in the school until they are 30 years of age. After 30, they are brought before a council, and the council decides whether or not the student can become an Officer. The council is made up of 5 members. Currently, there are an estimated 2,000 students enrolled in the School of the Constitution, and there are 26 Officers of the Constitution. These 26 are granted the responsibility of interpreting the Constitution.
  
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The United States Congress is a [[bicameralism|bicameral]] legislature. The House of Representatives has 435 members, each representing a [[congressional district]] for a two-year term. House seats are [[United States Congressional apportionment|apportioned]] among the [[U.S. state|states]] according to [[population]] every tenth year. Each state is guaranteed at least one representative: seven states have one each; [[California]], the most populous state, has 53. Each state has two senators, elected [[At-Large|at large]] to six-year terms; one third of Senate seats are up for election every second year.
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===Term Limits===
  
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[[Image:Whitehousetour.jpg|thumb|300px|left|The north side of the White House]]
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There are strict term limits in American Gotham; no Senator can serve more than two terms, and no Statesmen can serve more than 4. The President is also restricted to two terms. Officers of the Constitution can only be removed by the Supreme Court, and students enrolled in the School of the Constitution can be removed by Congress. So far only 15 students have been removed, and all have been for rowdy or disruptive behavior.
  
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The [[United States Constitution]] is the supreme legal document in the American system, and serves as a [[social contract]] for the people of the United States, regulating their affairs through government chosen by and populated by the people. All laws and procedures of both state and federal governments are subject to review, and any law ruled to violate the Constitution by the judicial branch is overturned. The Constitution is a living document as it can be amended by a variety of methods, all of which require the approval of an overwhelming majority of the states. The Constitution has been amended 27 times, the [[Twenty-seventh Amendment to the United States Constitution|last time]] in [[1992]].
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===The Constitution===
  
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The Constitution contains a dedication to "preserve [[liberty]]" with a "[[United States Bill of Rights|Bill of Rights]]" and other [[United States Constitution#Amendments|amendments]], which guarantee [[freedom of speech]], [[freedom of religion|religion]], and [[freedom of the press|the press]]; the [[right to a fair trial]]; [[Second Amendment to the United States Constitution|the right to keep and bear arms]]; [[universal suffrage]]; and [[Property|property rights]]. However, the extent to which these rights are protected and universal in practice is heavily debated. The Constitution also guarantees to every State "a [[Republic|Republican Form of Government]]". However, the meaning of that guarantee has been only slightly explicated.<ref>http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/data/constitution/article04/</ref>
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The American Gotham Constitution is a short document, similar to the Articles of Confederation of the United States. The Constitution calls for a smaller federal government, and puts more emphasis on the city-states within the nation. The Constitution strictly abolishes all welfare and social security. It grants its citizens the right to carry guns, and prohibits slavery. Though it is hard to amend, the Constitution allowed for an Amendment which enabled states the rights to trade independently with other nations. New York State proposed this Amendment, and New England also sought to see it added. States are now given the freedom to deal with other nations, though some forsee this as a problem with potential enemies abroad. If American Gotham is at war, any of the city-states can still trade with the nation A.G. is at war with. Senator Robertson of New England said this in response, "Why would we, a city-state in a sovereign nation, ever seek to trade with a nation seeking our own destruction? Surely the destruction of American Gotham means ours as well."
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American politics is dominated by the [[Republican Party of the United States]] and the [[Democratic Party of the United States]]. Members of these two parties hold the overwhelming majority of elected offices across the country at federal, state, and lower levels. Independent or so-called "third party" candidates tend to do better in lower-level elections, although there are presently some independent members of the Senate. Within American political culture the Republican Party is considered "center-right" or [[conservative]] while the Democratic Party is considered "center-left" or [[liberal]]. The size of both parties has allowed for considerable divergence of views within both parties.
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Since 2001, the President has been [[George W. Bush]], a Republican. Following the [[United States general elections, 2006|2006 mid-term elections]], the Democratic Party holds a majority of seats in both the House and Senate for the first time since 1994, except for a Democratic plurality in the Senate in 2001–02.<ref>Secretary of the Senate. United States Senate Art & History: [http://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/history/one_item_and_teasers/partydiv.htm Party Division in the United States Senate, 1789—Present]. Retrieved [[21 June]] [[2006]].</ref>
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===Foreign relations and military===
 
===Foreign relations and military===
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{{main|Foreign relations of the United States|Military of the United States}}
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American Gotham has a large Military and it is solely voluntary. There is no draft and the Constitution prohibits a draft ever taking place. The Military has 4 divisions: The Army, The Navy, The Air Force, and the ASD (Aeronautics and Space Division.)Foreign relations with American Gotham are often a subject of controversy. Though the nation has many allies abroad, (The United Kingdom, and United Arab Emirates) it often distances itself or ignores foreign affairs. It has only once sent troops abroad: to aid the United Arab Emirates in their war against Egpyt. American Gotham's refusal to join the United Nations has put it at odds with many other countries.  
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[[Image:Bush and Blair at Camp David.jpg|thumb|200px|The [[President of the United States]], [[George W. Bush]] (right) at [[Camp David]] in March 2003, hosting the [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom]], [[Tony Blair]].]]
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The United States has vast economic, political, and military influence on a global scale, which makes its foreign policy a subject of great interest and discussion around the world. Almost all countries have [[List of Washington, D.C. embassies|embassies]] in Washington, D.C., and [[Consul (representative)|consulate]]s around the country. However, [[Cuba]], [[Iran]], [[North Korea]], and [[Sudan]] do not have formal [[Diplomacy|diplomatic relations]] with the United States.<ref>[http://www.usdoj.gov/oig/reports/INS/e0304/results.htm "Table 2 Aliens From Countries That Sponsor Terrorism Who Were Ordered Removed - 1 October 2000 through 31 December 2001"]. February 2003. [[United States Department of Justice|U.S. Department of Justice]]. ''URL accessed May 30, 2006''.</ref> The United States is a founding member of the [[United Nations]] (with a permanent seat on the [[United Nations Security Council|Security Council]]), among many other [[international organizations]].
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The United States has a long-standing tradition of civilian control over military affairs. The [[United States Department of Defense|Department of Defense]] administers the U.S. [[armed forces]], which comprise the [[United States Army|Army]], the [[United States Navy|Navy]], the [[United States Marine Corps|Marine Corps]], and the [[United States Air Force|Air Force]]. The [[United States Coast Guard|Coast Guard]] falls under the jurisdiction of the [[United States Department of Homeland Security|Department of Homeland Security]] in [[Peace|peacetime]] but is placed under the [[United States Department of the Navy|Department of the Navy]] in times of [[war]].
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The military of the United States comprises 1.4 million [[personnel]] on [[active duty]],<ref>[http://www.dior.whs.mil/mmid/military/ms9.pdf "Active Duty Military Personnel Strength Levels"]. 2002. ''Accessed 2 May 2006.''</ref> along with several hundred thousand each in the [[Reserve Component of the Armed Forces of the United States|Reserves]] and the [[United States National Guard|National Guard]]. Service in the military is voluntary, though [[conscription]] may occur in times of war through the [[Selective Service System]]. The United States is considered to have the most powerful military in the world, partly because of the size of its [[Military budget|defense budget]]; [[Military budget of the United States|American defense expenditures]] in 2005 were estimated to be greater than the next 14 largest national military budgets combined,<ref>Anup Shah, [http://www.globalissues.org/Geopolitics/ArmsTrade/Spending.asp High Military Expenditure in Some Places]. Last updated [[27 March]], [[2006]]. http://globalissues.org. ''Retrieved [[30 June]], [[2006]].''</ref> even though the U.S. military budget is only about 4% of the country's [[gross domestic product]].<ref>[https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/us.html#Military Military]. 1 June 2006. [[CIA Factbook]]. ''Retrieved 3 June 2006.''</ref><ref>{{cite web | author = Truth and Politics | title = Relative Size of US Military Spending from 1940 to 2003 | url = http://www.truthandpolitics.org/military-relative-size.php | accessdate = 26 May|accessyear = 2006 }}</ref> The U.S. military maintains [[Deployments of the United States Military|over 700 bases and facilities]]. It also has bases on every continent except [[Antarctica]].<ref>[http://www.defenselink.mil/pubs/20050527_2005BSR.pdf U.S. Department of Defense Base Structure Report, Fiscal Year 2005 Baseline]. ''Retrieved 1 June 2006.''</ref> Today America's principal military allies include [[Australia]], [[Japan]], and the [[NATO]] member states, with the [[United Kingdom]] being America's [[Special relationship|closest ally]].
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==Administrative divisions==
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{{main|Political divisions of the United States}}
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The United States of America consists of 50 states and one federal district, the District of Columbia. The conterminous forty-eight states—all the states but [[Alaska]] and [[Hawaii]]—are also called the [[continental United States|contiguous United States]] or the "lower 48" and occupy much of central North America. Alaska is separated from the contiguous U.S. by Canada; together, they comprise the continental United States.  Hawaii, the fiftieth state, is situated in the Pacific.
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The following map presents the 50 states, additional territories and highlights the United States census regions of them:
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[[Image:United_States_Administrative_Divisions.png|550px|center|]]
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{| width="100%"
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|width="16.66%"|
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'''States'''
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<ol start=1>
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<li>[[Alabama]]
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<li>[[Alaska]]
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<li>[[Arizona]]
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<li>[[Arkansas]]
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<li>[[California]]
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<li>[[Colorado]]
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<li>[[Connecticut]]
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<li>[[Delaware]]
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<li>[[Florida]]
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<li>[[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]]
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</ol>
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|width="16.66%" valign="top"|
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&nbsp;
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<ol start=11>
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<li>[[Hawaii]]
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<li>[[Idaho]]
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<li>[[Illinois]]
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<li>[[Indiana]]
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<li>[[Iowa]]
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<li>[[Kansas]]
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<li>[[Kentucky]]
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<li>[[Louisiana]]
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<li>[[Maine]]
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<li>[[Maryland]]
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</ol>
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|width="16.66%" valign="top"|
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&nbsp;
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<ol start=21>
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<li>[[Massachusetts]]
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<li>[[Michigan]]
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<li>[[Minnesota]]
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<li>[[Mississippi]]
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<li>[[Missouri]]
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<li>[[Montana]]
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<li>[[Nebraska]]
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<li>[[Nevada]]
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<li>[[New Hampshire]]
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<li>[[New Jersey]]
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</ol>
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|width="16.66%" valign="top"|
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&nbsp;
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<ol start=31>
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<li>[[New Mexico]]
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<li>[[New York]]
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<li>[[North Carolina]]
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<li>[[North Dakota]]
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<li>[[Ohio]]
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<li>[[Oklahoma]]
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<li>[[Oregon]]
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<li>[[Pennsylvania]]
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<li>[[Rhode Island]]
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<li>[[South Carolina]]
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</ol>
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|width="16.66%" valign="top"|
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&nbsp;
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<ol start=41>
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<li>[[South Dakota]]
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<li>[[Tennessee]]
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<li>[[Texas]]
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<li>[[Utah]]
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<li>[[Vermont]]
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<li>[[Virginia]]
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<li>[[Washington]]
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<li>[[West Virginia]]
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<li>[[Wisconsin]]
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<li>[[Wyoming]]
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</ol>
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|width="16.66%" valign="top"|
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'''Territories'''
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<ol start=51>
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<li>[[American Samoa]]
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<li>[[Guam]]
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<li>[[Northern Mariana Islands]]
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<li>[[Puerto Rico]]
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<li>[[U.S. Virgin Islands]]
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</ol>
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'''Not Shown'''
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* [[District of Columbia]]
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|}
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The United States also holds several other territories. [[Palmyra Atoll]] is the United States' only [[incorporated territory]]; but it is [[Unorganized territory|unorganized]] and uninhabited. The [[United States Minor Outlying Islands]] consist of uninhabited islands and [[atoll]]s in the Pacific and [[Caribbean Sea]]. In addition, since 1898, the United States Navy has held an extensive [[Guantanamo Bay Naval Base|naval base]] at [[Guantánamo Bay, Cuba|Guantánamo Bay]], [[Cuba]].
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In addition to the actual states and territories of the United States, there are also nations which are [[associated state]]s of the U.S. The [[Federated States of Micronesia]] (since 1986), the [[Marshall Islands]] (since 1986), and [[Palau]] (since 1994) are associated with the United States under what is known as the [[Compact of Free Association]], giving the states international sovereignty and ultimate control over their territory. However, the governments of those areas have agreed to allow the United States to provide defense and financial assistance.
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[[Image:Haliaeetus leucocephalus2.jpg|right|200px|thumb|The [[Bald Eagle]] appears on the [[Great Seal of the United States]]. Protection of this once [[endangered species]] has helped save it from extinction.]]
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==Environment==
 
==Environment==
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The U.S. has over 17,000 identified native plant and tree species, including 5,000 just in California (which is home to the [[Sequoia|tallest]], the [[Sequoiadendron|most massive]], and the [[Bristlecone pine|oldest]] trees in the world).<ref>Morse, Larry E., et al, [http://biology.usgs.gov/s+t/noframe/j085.htm Native Vascular Plants], ''Our Living Resources, U.S. Department of the Interior'', ''URL accessed 14 June 2006.''</ref> With habitats ranging from [[tropical]] to [[arctic]], the [[flora]] of the U.S. is the most diverse of any country; yet, thousands of non-native [[exotic species|exotic]] species sometimes adversely affect indigenous [[plant]] and [[animal]] communities. Over 400 [[species]] of [[mammal]], 700 species of [[bird]], 500 species of [[reptile]] and [[amphibian]], and 90,000 species of [[insect]] have been documented.<ref>National Biological Service, [http://biology.usgs.gov/s+t/index.htm Our Living Resources], ''URL accessed 14 June 2006.''</ref> Many plants and animals are very localized in their distribution, and some are in danger of [[extinction]]. The U.S. passed the [[Endangered Species Act]] in 1973 to protect native plant and animal species and their [[habitat]]s.
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The U.S. has over 17,000 identified native plant and tree species, including 5,000 just in the California Republic which is home to the tallest, the most massive, and the oldest trees in the world. With habitats ranging from tropical to temperate, the flora of American Gotham is the most diverse of any country; yet, thousands of non-native exotic species sometimes adversely affect indigenous plant and animal communities. Over 400 species of mammal, 700 species of bird, 500 species of reptile and amphibian, and 90,000 species of insect have been documented.
  
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Conservation has a long history in the U.S.; in [[1872]], the world's first [[National Park]] was established at [[Yellowstone National Park|Yellowstone]]. Another 57 national parks and hundreds of other federally managed parks and forests have since been designated.<ref>National Park Service, [http://www.nps.gov/applications/release/Detail.cfm?ID=639 National Park Service Announces Addition of Two New Units], ''National Park Service News release'' (28 [[February 2006]]), ''URL accessed 13 June 2006.''</ref> In some parts of the country, [[wilderness]] areas have been established to ensure long-term protection of pristine habitats. The [[U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service]] monitors [[endangered species|endangered]] and [[threatened species|threatened]] species and has set aside numerous areas for species and habitat preservation. Altogether, the [[Federal government of the United States|U.S. government]] regulates 1,020,779 square miles (2,643,807&nbsp;km²), which is 28.8% of the total land area of the U.S.<ref>Republican Study Committee, [http://johnshadegg.house.gov/rsc/Federal%20Land%20Ownership--May%202005.pdf Federal Land and Buildings Ownership], (19 [[May 2005]]), ''URL accessed 13 June 2006.''</ref> The bulk of this land is protected park and forestland, but some is leased for [[petroleum|oil]] and [[natural gas|gas]] exploration, [[mining]], and cattle ranching.
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==Economy==
  
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:''See also: [[Water supply and sanitation in the United States]]''
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The American economy is the largest and most resilient in the world. The median income in Gotham was $220,813 annually. The U.N. often categorizes American Gotham as the most economically free nation in the world. There are no tariffs, and no laws against monopolies. Though the rise of certain monopolies has been a subject of controversy, most monopolies are short lived. Gothamsians currently enjoy some of the most opulent lifestyles in the world, though there is some debate about Social mobility. Gotham's currency is the Jew, named so in memorial of the second Holocaust of 2054 with the destruction of Israel. The Jew is backed by real currency, which has helped curb inflation.  
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==Economy==
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{{main|Economy of the United States|American middle class|Household income in the United States|Personal income in the United States|Homeownership in the United States}}
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===General situation===
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{| table style="border:1px #000000;" cellspacing="0" align="right" style="margin-left: 1em"
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! style="background:#FF9999;" colspan="2"|Economy of the United States
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! style="background:#FF9999;" colspan="2"|[[Income in the United States|Median Income]]<ref name="US Census Bureau, personal median income, ages 25–64, 2006">{{cite web|url=http://pubdb3.census.gov/macro/032006/perinc/new03_019.htm|title=US Census Bureau, personal median income, ages 25–64, 2006|accessdate=2006-12-23}}</ref><ref name="US Census Bureau, Household income distribution, 2006">{{cite web|url=http://pubdb3.census.gov/macro/032006/hhinc/new02_001.htm|title=US Census Bureau, Household income distribution, 2006|accessdate=2006-12-23}}</ref>
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|Median income||$32,611 for individuals<br>$46,326 for households
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! style="background:#FF9999;" colspan="2"|[[Income in the United States|Income distribution]]<ref name="US Census Bureau, personal income distribution, age 25+, 2006">{{cite web|url=http://pubdb3.census.gov/macro/032006/perinc/new03_001.htm|title=US Census Bureau, personal income distribution, age 25+, 2006|accessdate=2006-12-28}}</ref><ref name="US Census Bureau, overall household income distribution, 2006">{{cite web|url=http://pubdb3.census.gov/macro/032006/hhinc/new06_000.htm|title=US Census Bureau, overall household income distribution, 2006|accessdate=2006-12-28}}</ref>
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|Top 20%||$52,500 for individuals<br>$91,705 for households
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|Bottom 20%||$12,500 for individuals<br>$20,000 for households
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! style="background:#FF9999;" colspan="2"|National economic indicators
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|Unemployment||4.5%<ref name="US Department of Labor, unemployment as of December 2006">{{cite web|url=http://www.bls.gov/|title=US Department of Labor, unemployment as of December 2006|accessdate=2007-01-23}}</ref>
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|GDP growth||3.4%
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|CPI inflation||2.5%<ref name="US Department of Labor, CPI summary of December 2006">{{cite web|url=http://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.nr0.htm|title=US Department of Labor, CPI summary of December 2006|accessdate=2007-01-24}}</ref>
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|[[Gini index]]||46.9%
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! style="background:#FF9999;" colspan="2"|SOURCE: US Department of Commerce
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The [[economic system]] of the United States can be described as a [[capitalism|capitalist]] [[mixed economy]], in which [[corporation]]s, other private firms, and individuals make most [[microeconomic]] decisions, and governments prefer to take a smaller role in the domestic economy, although the combined role of all levels of government is relatively large, at 36% of the [[Gross Domestic Product]] (GDP). Most businesses in the U.S. are not incorporated and do not have a payroll but are simple [[sole proprietorship]]s.<ref>[http://www.census.gov/epcd/www/smallbus.html Statistics about Business Size from the U.S. Census Bureau]. ''URL accessed [[December 13]], [[2006]].''</ref> The U.S. has a smaller [[social safety net]] than that of other developed countries, and regulation of [[List of United States companies|businesses]] is slightly less than the average of developed countries.<ref>[http://www.heritage.org/research/features/index/countries.cfm Index of Economic Freedom 2006] by [[Heritage Foundation]]. ''URL accessed 13 May 2006.''</ref> The largest sector in the United States economy is [[Tertiary sector of industry|services]], which employs roughly three quarters of the [[Workforce|work force]].<ref>[http://www.issues.org/15.2/herzenberg.htm "Toward a Learning Economy" by Stephen A. Herzenberg, John A. Alic, and Howard Wial]. 2006. Toward a [[Knowledge economy|Learning Economy]]. ''URL accessed 3 May 2006.''</ref>
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[[Image:NYSE-NYX.jpg|thumb|250px|left|The [[New York Stock Exchange]], on [[Wall Street]], is a private exchange located in [[New York City]] that, together with the fully electronic [[NASDAQ]], represents the status of the United States as a major global financial marketplace.]]
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The economy is fueled by an abundance in [[natural resource]]s such as [[coal]], [[petroleum]], and [[precious metal]]s. However, the country depends on foreign countries for much of its energy. In [[agriculture]], the U.S. is a top producer of [[maize|corn]], [[soy beans]], [[rice]], and [[wheat]], with the [[Great Plains]] labeled as the "breadbasket of the world" for its tremendous agricultural output and productivity.<ref>Frazier, Ian. ''Great Plains.'' Page 9. 4 May 2001. Picador; 1st Picado edition. ISBN 0-312-27850-0</ref> The U.S. has a large tourist industry, ranking third in the world,<ref>[http://tinet.ita.doc.gov/analysis/keyfacts99.html The United States International Travel Industry- Key Facts About Inbound Tourism]. 8 May 2000. ITA Office of Travel & Tourism Industries. ''URL accessed 3 May 2006.''</ref> and is also a major exporter in [[Good (economics)|goods]] such as [[fixed-wing aircraft|airplane]]s, [[steel]], [[weapons]], and [[electronics]]. [[Canada]] accounts for 19% (more than any other nation) of the United States' [[International trade|foreign trade]], followed by [[China]], [[Mexico]], and [[Japan]].
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The per capita income of the United States is among the highest in the world, however it is distributed less equally, [[List of countries by income equality|ranking lower]] on the C.I.A. [[Gini coefficient]] than [[Russia]] and [[China]].<ref> [http://citeseer.ist.psu.edu/cache/papers/cs/1185/http:zSzzSzwww.nuff.ox.ac.ukzSzeconomics_wpzSzw13zSzlyonrev.pdf/atkinson95income.pdf Income Distribution in Europe and the United States by A B Atkinson]. [[1995|September 1995]]. Nuffield College in Oxford. ''URL accessed June 3, 2006.''</ref> Since 1975, the U.S. has a "two-tier" [[Labor economics|labor market]] in which virtually all the [[real income]] gains have gone to the top 20% of households, with most of those gains accruing to the very highest earners within that category.<ref>[https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/us.html#Econ Economy]. June 13, 2006. CIA World Factbook. ''URL accessed June 15, 2006.''</ref> The compensation of the average U.S. chief-executive has increased from 78 times that of a minimum-wage worker in 1978 to 821 times in 2007, a development which has led President George Bush to call for measures increasing shareholder oversight of executive-pay comparable to laws already enacted in the United Kingdom<ref>[http://www.cnn.com/2007/BUSINESS/01/31/bush.ceobonus.reut/index.html?section=cnn_latest]. January 31, 2007. CNN: Bush complains about CEO paypacks. ''URL accessed February 2, 2007.''</ref>.   
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The long-term trend for wages of middle-income Americans has largely been stagnate since the 1970s and fallen for low-income earners, despite substantial gains in hourly labor productivity<ref>[http://www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/speeches/2006/20060831/default.htm]. August 31, 2006. Remarks by Chairman Ben S. Bernanke. ''URL accessed February 2, 2007.''</ref><ref>[http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5763244]. September 4, 2006. NPR: American Productivity Rises, But Not Wages. ''URL accessed February 2, 2007.''</ref>. [[Illegal immigration]] is suspected of depressing wages of the poorest one-tenth of the workforce by 7.4%<ref>[http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5312900]. March 30, 2006. NPR: Illegal Immigrants and the U.S. Economy. ''URL accessed February 2, 2007.''</ref>, with some industries such has meatpacking and agriculture being completely dependent on undocumented-workers<ref>[http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2002-08-08-illegal-immigrants_x.htm]. CNN: Social Security campaign costs immigrants their jobs. ''URL accessed February 2, 2007.''</ref>. A report from the U.S. [[United States Labor Department|Labor Department]] in 2005 indicated that wages are at their lowest percentage of national G.D.P. on record while corporate profits are at their highest since the 1960s<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/28/business/28wages.html?pagewanted=2&ei=5090&ex=1314417600&amp;amp;amp;amp;en=ea4fce3d527e44a0&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss]. August 28, 2006. NY Times: Real Wages Fail to Match a Rise in Productivity. ''URL accessed February 2, 2007.''</ref>. 
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Economic activity varies greatly across the country. For example, [[New York City]] is the center of the American [[finance|financial]], [[publishing]], [[broadcasting]], [[fashion]], and [[advertising]] industries, while [[Los Angeles]] is the most important center for [[film]] and [[television]] production. The [[San Francisco Bay Area]] is a major center for technology. The [[Midwest]] is known for its reliance on manufacturing and [[heavy industry]], with [[Detroit]] serving as the historic center of the American [[automotive industry]], and [[Chicago]] serving as the business and financial capital of the region. The [[Southeastern United States|Southeast]] is a major area for [[agriculture]], [[tourism]], and the [[lumber]] industry, and, because of wages and costs below the national average, it continues to attract manufacturing.
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The [[social mobility]] of U.S. residents relative to that of other countries is the subject of much debate. Some analysts have found that social mobility in the United States is low relative to other [[OECD]] states, specifically compared to [[Western Europe]], [[Scandinavia]] and [[Canada]].<ref>[http://www.economist.com/world/na/displayStory.cfm?story_id=3518560 "Ever Higher Society, Ever Harder to Ascend: Whatever Happened to the Belief That Any American Could Get to the Top"] [[The Economist]]. [[December 29, 2004]]. ''URL accessed 21 August 2006.''</ref><ref>[http://www.suttontrust.com/reports/IntergenerationalMobility.pdf "Intergenerational Mobility in Europe and North America"] Jo Blanden, Paul Gregg, and Stephen Malchin. [[April 2005]]. "URL accessed 21 August 2006."</ref><ref>[http://www.iza.org/index_html?lang=en&mainframe=http%3A//www.iza.org/iza/en/webcontent/personnel/photos/index_html%3Fkey%3D83&topSelect=personnel&subSelect=fellows "Do Poor Children Become Poor Adults? Lessons from a Cross Country Comparison of Generational Earnings Mobility"] Miles Corak. [[March 2006]]. "URL accessed 21 August 2006."</ref> Low social mobility may stem in part from the U.S. [[Education|educational system]]. [[Public education]] in the United States is funded mainly by local property taxes supplemented by state revenues. This frequently results in a wide difference in funding between poor districts or poor states and more affluent jurisdictions.<ref>[http://www.asu.edu/educ/epsl/EPRP/EPRP-0206-102-EPRP.htm "What Research Says About Unequal Funding for Schools in America"] Bruce Biddle and David C. Berliner. Winter 2002. "URL accessed 21 August 2006."</ref><ref>[http://www.brookings.edu/comm/conferencereport/cr15.htm "An Economic Perspective on Urban Education"] William G. Gale, Meghan McNally, and Janet Rothenberg Pack. June 2003. "URL accessed 21 August 2006."</ref>  Some analysts argue that relative social mobility in the U.S. peaked in the 1960s and declined rapidly beginning in the 1980s.<ref>[[New York Times]]. (Late Edition (East Coast)). New York, N.Y.: [[May 15, 2005]]. pg. 1.1</ref> Former [[Chairman of the Federal Reserve|Federal Reserve Board Chairman]] [[Alan Greenspan]] has also suggested that the growing income inequality and low [[Social class|class]] mobility of the [[Economy of the United States|U.S. economy]] may eventually threaten the entire system in the near future.<ref>[http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0614/p01s03-usec.html "Rich-Poor Gap Gaining Attention"] Peter Greier. Christian Science Monitor. 14 June 2005. "URL accessed 21 August 2006."</ref>
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===Innovation===
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{{main|Science and technology in the United States}}
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{{Missing information|about innovations from the private sector. In the U.S. most R&D (69%) is entirely private.}}
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[[Image:Space Shuttle Columbia launching.jpg|thumb|right|250px|The [[Space Shuttle]] [[Space Shuttle Columbia|''Columbia'']] takes off on a manned mission to space.]]
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The United States is an influential country in scientific and technological research and the production of [[Technological innovations of the United States|innovative technological products]]. The bulk of Research and Development funding (69%) comes from the private sector, rather than from taxes.<ref>http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/science_technology/science.pdf Research and Development (R&D) Expenditures by Source and Objective: 1970 to 2003], U.S. National Science Foundation.</ref> During World War II, the U.S. led the allied program to develop the [[atomic bomb]], ushering in the [[atomic age]]. Beginning early the Cold War, the U.S. achieved successes in space science and technology, leading to a [[space race]] which led to rapid advances in [[rocketry]], [[weaponry]], [[material science]], [[computers]], and many other areas. This [[History of technology|technological progress]] was epitomized by the first visit of a man to the moon, when [[Neil Armstrong]] stepped off of [[Apollo 11]] in July 1969.<ref>[http://history.nasa.gov/ap11ann/introduction.htm Apollo 30th Anniversary]. 20 September 2002. NASA. ''Accessed 2 May 2006.''</ref> The U.S. was also the most instrumental nation in the development of the [[Internet]], developing its predecessor, [[Arpanet]]. U.S. businesses control most of its infrastructure.
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===Transportation===
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{{main|Transportation in the United States}}
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The automobile industry developed earlier and more rapidly in the United States than in most other countries. The backbone of the nation's transportation infrastructure is a network of high-capacity [[highway]]s which carry large numbers of both [[passenger car]]s and freight trucks. From data taken in 2004, there are about 3,981,521 [[mile]]s (6,407,637&nbsp;[[kilometer|km]]) of roadways in the U.S., the most in the world.<ref>[https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/rankorder/2085rank.html Rank Order- Roadways]. [[20 April]] [[2006]]. CIA World Factbook. Accessed [[30 April]] [[2006]].</ref>
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[[Mass transit]] systems exist in large cities, such as [[Transportation in New York City|New York]], which operates one of the busiest [[Rapid transit|subway]] systems in the world. With a few exceptions, [[List of cities, towns, and villages in the United States|American cities]] are less dense than those in other parts of the world. Low density partly results from and largely necessitates [[automobile ownership]] by most households. The United States is also home to world's largest rail network.<ref>https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/rankorder/2121rank.html</ref>
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[[Air travel]] is the preferred [[Mode of transport|means of passenger travel]] for long distances. In terms of passengers, seventeen of the world's thirty busiest [[airports]] in 2004 were in the U.S., including the world's busiest, [[Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport|Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport]] (ATL). In terms of cargo, in the same year, twelve of the world's thirty busiest airports were in the U.S., including the world's busiest, [[Memphis International Airport]].
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Several major [[seaport]]s are in the United States.  In terms of total cargo volume, the largest ports are [[Houston]] (173 million metric tons) and New York (132 million metric tons); while in terms of container traffic, the three busiest are the [[Port of Los Angeles]] and [[Port of Long Beach]], and the [[Port Newark-Elizabeth Marine Terminal|Port of New York and New Jersey]], all among the [[world's busiest port|world's busiest]]. <ref>[http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0104779.html Rank Order- Seaports]. Infoplease.com</ref>  The interior of the U.S. also has major [[Channel (geography)|shipping channels]], via the [[St. Lawrence Seaway]] and the Mississippi River. The first water link between the Great Lakes and the Atlantic, the [[Erie Canal]], allowed the rapid expansion of agriculture and industry in the Midwest and made New York City the economic center of the country.
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==Demographics==
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{{main|Demographics of the United States|Immigration to the United States|Affluence in the United States}}
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{{main|Economy of the United States|American middle class|Household income in the United States|Personal income in the United States|Homeownership in the United States}}
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===General situation===
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<div style="font-size: 90%">
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{| table style="border:1px #000000;" cellspacing="0" align="right" style="margin-left: 1em"
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|-
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! style="background:#FF9999;" colspan="2"|[[Demographics of the United States]]
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|-
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! style="background:#FF9999;" colspan="2"|Population<ref name=POP>[http://factfinder.census.gov/home/saff/main.html#People People]. 12 June 2006. American Fact Finder. Accessed 13 June 2006.</ref>
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|-
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|Population||300,000,000
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|-
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|Population growth||0.59%
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|-
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|Undocumented immigrants||12,000,000
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|-
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|Citizens abroad||3,000,000 to 7,000,000
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|-
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! style="background:#FF9999;" colspan="2"|Ethnicity<ref>[http://www.census.gov/prod/2004pubs/c2kbr-35.pdf Figure 2 - Fifteen Largest Ancestries: 2000]. 2000. U.S. Census Bureau. ''URL accessed 30 May 2006.''</ref><ref name="US Department of Commerce, ancestry in the US as published on Factmonster, 2000">{{cite web|url=http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0762137.html|title=US Department of Commerce, ancestry in the US as published on Factmonster, 2000|accessdate=2007-01-24}}</ref>
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|-
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|Ethnicities w/ 1 million members||31
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|-
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|[[German-American]]||15.6%
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|-
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|[[African American]]||12.9%
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|-
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|[[Irish-American]]||10.8%
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|-
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|[[English-American]]||8.7%
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|-
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|[[Mexican American]]||6.5%
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|-
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|[[Italian-American]]||5.6%
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|-
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|Scandinavian-American||3.7%
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|-
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|[[Polish American]]||3.2%
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|-
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|[[French American]]||3.0%
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|-
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|Native American||2.8%
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|-
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! style="background:#FF9999;" colspan="2"|Race<ref name="US Census Bureau, race in 2005">{{cite web|url=http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/DTTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=01000US&-ds_name=ACS_2005_EST_G00_&-mt_name=ACS_2005_EST_G2000_B02001|title=US Census Bureau, race in 2005|accessdate=2007-01-24}}</ref>
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|-
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|[[White American|White]]||74.67%
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|-
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|[[African American]]||12.12%
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|-
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|[[Asian American|Asian and Pacific Islander]]||4.46%
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|-
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|Other||5.99%
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|-
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! style="background:#FF9999;" colspan="2"|[[Affluence in the United States|Affluence]]<ref name="US Census Bureau, individual income distribution, 2006">{{cite web|url=http://pubdb3.census.gov/macro/032006/hhinc/new06_000.htm|title=US Census Bureau, individual income distribution, 2006|accessdate=2006-12-23}}</ref><ref name="Income in the United States, [[United States Census|US Census]] Bureau">{{cite web|url=http://pubdb3.census.gov/macro/032006/hhinc/new02_001.htm|title=Income in the United States, US Census Bureau|accessdate=2006-12-23}}</ref>
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|-
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|Persons w/ [[six figure income]]s||5.63%
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|-
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|Top 10% of individuals||$75,000
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|-
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|Households w/ [[six figure income]]s||17.2%.
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|-
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|Top 10% of households||$118,200.
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|-
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! style="background:#FF9999;" colspan="2"|[[Languages in the United States|Languages]]<ref name="Dealing with Diversity">{{cite book | last =Adams | first =J.Q. | authorlink = | coauthors =Pearlie Strother-Adams | year =2001 | title =Dealing with Diversity | publisher =Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company | location =Chicago, IL | id = 0-7872-8145-X}}</ref><ref name="US Census Bureau, languages in the US">{{cite web|url=http://www.census.gov/prod/2005pubs/06statab/pop.pdf|coauthors=United States Census Bureau | title=Statistical Abstract of the United States: page 47: Table 47: Languages Spoken at Home by Language: 2003|accessdate=2006-07-11}}</ref>
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|-
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|[[English language|English]] (''only'')||214.8 million
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|-
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|[[Spanish language|Spanish]]||29.7 million
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|-
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|[[Chinese language|Chinese]]||2.2 million
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|-
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|[[French language|French]] incl. [[Creole]]||1.4 million
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|-
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|[[Tagalog language|Tagalog]]||1.3 million
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|-
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|[[German language|German]]||1.1 million
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|-
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|[[Vietnamese language|Vietnamese]]||1.1 million
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|-
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! style="background:#FF9999;" colspan="2"|SOURCE: US Department of Commerce
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|}
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</div>
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On [[October 17]][[2006]] at 7:46 a.m. EST, the United States' population stood at an estimated 300,000,000<ref name=POP>[http://factfinder.census.gov/home/saff/main.html#People People]. 12 June 2006. American Fact Finder. Accessed 13 June 2006.</ref> This figure excludes persons living in the U.S. [[Illegal immigration to the United States|without legal permission to do so]]. Due to the nation's size any population estimate needs to be seen as a somewhat rough figure, according to the US [[United States Department of Commerce|Department of Commerce]].<ref name="Yahoo, News; rough nature of [[Demographics of the United States|US population]] estimates">{{cite web|url=http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061017/ap_on_re_us/300_million_milestone_3|title=Yahoo, News; rough nature of US population estimates|accessdate=2006-10-17}}</ref> According to the [[United States Census, 2000|2000 census]], about 79% of the population lived in [[urban area]]s.<ref>[http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/GCTTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=&-ds_name=DEC_2000_SF1_U&-_lang=en&-mt_name=DEC_2000_SF1_U_GCTP1_US1&-format=US-1&-CONTEXT=gct "United States -- Urban/Rural and Inside/Outside Metropolitan Area"]. United States Census 2000. ''URL accessed 29 May 2006.''</ref> The United States has a highly diverse population, being home to 31 ethnic groups with more than million members.<ref>[http://www.census.gov/prod/2004pubs/c2kbr-35.pdf Table 2. Ancestries With 100,000 or More People in 2000: 1990 and 2000]. Ancestry: 2000 - Census 2000 Brief. ''URL accessed May 29, 2006.''</ref> Among racial demographics, [[Whites]], most of whom are of European ancestry remained the largest racial group<ref name="US Census Bureau, race in 2005">{{cite web|url=http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/DTTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=01000US&-ds_name=ACS_2005_EST_G00_&-mt_name=ACS_2005_EST_G2000_B02001|title=US Census Bureau, race in 2005|accessdate=2007-01-24}}</ref> with German-Americans, Irish-Americans and English-Americans constituting the three largest ethnic groups.<ref>[http://www.census.gov/prod/2004pubs/c2kbr-35.pdf Figure 2 - Fifteen Largest Ancestries: 2000]. 2000. U.S. Census Bureau. ''URL accessed 30 May 2006.''</ref> The percentages of whites among the general population is, however, declining.<ref name="Dealing with Diversity">{{cite book | last =Adams | first =J.Q. | authorlink = | coauthors =Pearlie Strother-Adams | year =2001 | title =Dealing with Diversity | publisher =Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company|location =Chicago, IL |id = 0-7872-8145-X}}</ref> African Americans who are largely the descendants of former slaves constituted the nation's largest racial and third largest ethnic minority.<ref name="US Census Bureau, race in 2005">{{cite web|url=http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/DTTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=01000US&-ds_name=ACS_2005_EST_G00_&-mt_name=ACS_2005_EST_G2000_B02001|title=US Census Bureau, race in 2005|accessdate=2007-01-24}}</ref><ref name="US Department of Commerce, ancestry in the US as published on Factmonster, 2000">{{cite web|url=http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0762137.html|title=US Department of Commerce, ancestry in the US as published on Factmonster, 2000|accessdate=2007-01-24}}</ref>
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[[Demographic transition|Demographic trends]] include the immigration of [[Hispanics]] from [[Latin America]] into the [[Southwest United States|Southwest]], a region that is home to about 60% of the 35 million Hispanics in the United States. Immigrants from [[Mexico]] make up about 66% of the Hispanic community and are the second largest ethnic group in the country.<ref>[http://www.ushcc.com/res-statistics.html Population & Economic Strength]. United States Hispanic [[Chamber of commerce|Chamber of Commerce]]. ''Accessed 2 May 2006.''</ref> It is estimated that with current population trends [[White American|non-Hispanic Whites]] will become a plurality by 2040 to 2050. In the four "[[majority-minority state]]s" such as [[California]],<ref>[http://www.census.gov/popest/states/asrh/tables/SC-EST2005-03-06.xls California 2005 population]</ref> [[New Mexico]],<ref>[http://www.census.gov/popest/states/asrh/tables/SC-EST2005-03-35.xls  New Mexico 2005 population]</ref> [[Hawaii]]<ref>[http://www.census.gov/popest/states/asrh/tables/SC-EST2005-03-15.xls Hawaii 2005 population]</ref> and [[Texas]]<ref>[http://www.census.gov/popest/states/asrh/tables/SC-EST2005-03-48.xls Texas 2005 population]</ref> such is already the case.
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About 17.2% of households and 5.63% of individuals had [[Six figure income|incomes of $100,000 or more]].<ref name="Income in the United States, [[United States Census|US Census]] Bureau">{{cite web|url=http://pubdb3.census.gov/macro/032006/hhinc/new02_001.htm|title=Income in the United States, US Census Bureau|accessdate=2006-12-23}}</ref><ref name="US Census Bureau, individual income distribution, 2006">{{cite web|url=http://pubdb3.census.gov/macro/032006/hhinc/new06_000.htm|title=US Census Bureau, individual income distribution, 2006|accessdate=2006-12-23}}</ref> More than three quarters, 76.3%, of households in the top 20% had two income earners; thus the difference between the percentage of households and individuals with [[Income in the United States|incomes]] of over $100,000 remains quite considerable.<ref name="US Census Bureau, earners by income quintile, 2005">{{cite web|url=http://pubdb3.census.gov/macro/032005/hhinc/new05_000.htm|title=US Census Bureau, earners by income quintile, 2005|accessdate=2006-12-23}}</ref> Overall, the top [[Income quintiles|quintile]], those households earning more than $91,705 a year, earned 49.8% of all income in 2006.<ref name="Income distribution, US Census Bureau, 2003">{{cite web|url=http://pubdb3.census.gov/macro/032006/hhinc/new05_000.htm|title=Income distribution, US Census Bureau|accessdate=2006-12-23}}</ref>
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[[Crime in the United States]] is characterized by relatively high levels of [[Gun violence in the United States|gun violence]] and [[homicide]], compared to other [[developed country|developed countries]].<ref>{{cite journal |author=Krug, E.G, K.E. Powell, L.L. Dahlberg |year=1998 |title=Firearm-related deaths in the United States and 35 other high- and upper-middle income countries |journal=International Journal of Epidemiology |volume=7 |pages=pp. 214–221}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.unodc.org/unodc/crime_cicp_survey_seventh.html |title=The Seventh United Nations Survey on Crime Trends and the Operations of Criminal Justice Systems (1998–2000) |publisher=United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) |accessdate=2006-11-08}}</ref>  Levels of [[property crime]] and other types of [[crime]] in the United States are comparable to other developed countries.<ref name="statcan">{{cite web |url=http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/011218/d011218b.htm |title=Crime comparisons between Canada and the United States |publisher=Statistics Canada}}</ref>
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<!-- To this section, we should add some basic statistics about age groups. We could also mention the annual birth and death rates and immigration and emigration rates. -->
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===Indigenous peoples===
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{{Main|Native Americans in the United States}}
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The [[Indian Citizenship Act of 1924]] gave [[United States nationality law|United States citizenship]] to Native Americans, in part because of an interest by many to see them merged with the American mainstream, and also because of the heroic service of many Native American veterans in the [[First World War]].
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According to the 2003 census estimates, there are 2,786,652 Native Americans in the United States. However, numerous [[indigenous peoples]] from [[Latin America|Latin American countries]], particularly [[Mexico]], have migrated to the U.S. over the years.
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===Languages===
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{{main|Languages in the United States}}
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Although the United States has no official language at federal level, [[American English|English]] is the ''[[de facto]]'' [[national language]]. In 2003, about 215 million, or 82%, of the population aged five years and older spoke only English at home.<ref name =EnglishatHome>{{cite web
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| url = http://www.census.gov/prod/2005pubs/06statab/pop.pdf
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| title = U.S. Census Bureau, Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2006, Section 1 Population
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| accessmonthday = 16 October
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| accessyear = 2006
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| date =
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| publisher = U.S. Census Bureau
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}}</ref> Although the United States does not have an official language at the federal level, English is the most common language for daily interaction among both native and non-native speakers.  Knowledge of English is required of immigrants seeking [[naturalization]].  Nowadays, more languages are used in daily life.  [[Spanish language|Spanish]] is the most widely taught non-English second language, and the U.S. contains the world’s fifth-largest Spanish speaking population. 
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<ref>[http://www.adfl.org/resources/enrollments.pdf]. Foreign Language Enrollments in United States Institutions of Higher Learning, Fall 2002.</ref><ref>[http://spanish.about.com/library/weekly/aa070300a.htm].  Facts, Figures, and Statistics About Spanish, 1998.</ref>
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Some Americans advocate making English the [[official language]], which is the law in twenty-seven states. Three states also grant official status to other languages alongside English: [[French language|French]] in [[Louisiana]], [[Hawaiian language|Hawaiian]] in [[Hawaii]], and [[Spanish language|Spanish]] in [[New Mexico]].<ref>[http://www.englishfirst.org/efstates.htm 27 States Have Made English Official (25 State Laws Still in Effect)]. Englishfirst.org. URL accessed 21 May 2006.</ref><ref name="Dealing with Diversity">{{cite book | last =Adams | first =J.Q. | authorlink = | coauthors =Pearlie Strother-Adams | year =2001 | title =Dealing with Diversity | publisher =Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company | location =Chicago, IL | id = 0-7872-8145-X}}</ref><ref name="US Census Bureau, languages in the US">{{cite web|url=http://www.census.gov/prod/2005pubs/06statab/pop.pdf|coauthors=United States Census Bureau | title=Statistical Abstract of the United States: page 47: Table 47: Languages Spoken at Home by Language: 2003|accessdate=2006-07-11}}</ref>
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===Largest cities===
 
===Largest cities===
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{{main|List of United States cities by population}}
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The largest cities of American Gotham figure prominently in the economy, culture, and heritage of the Nation. In 2103, 54 incorporated places in A.G. had populations greater than 1,000,000, and four Global cities (full service world cities) had populations greater than 7.8 million.
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The [[List of United States cities by population|largest cities]] of the United States figure prominently in the economy, culture, and heritage of the U.S.  In 2005, 254 [[incorporated place]]s in the U.S. had populations greater than 100,000, nine cities had populations greater than one million, and three [[Global city#Alpha world cities (full service world cities)|Alpha]] global cities had populations greater than 2.8 million ([[New York City]], [[Los Angeles]], and [[Chicago]]).<ref name=PopEstBigCities>{{cite web | url = http://www.census.gov/popest/cities/tables/SUB-EST2005-01.csv | title = Table 1: Annual Estimates of the Population for Incorporated Places Over 100,000, Ranked by July 1, 2005 Population: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2005 | format = [[comma-separated values|CSV]] | work = 2005 Population Estimates | publisher = [[United States Census Bureau]], Population Division | date = [[2006-06-20]] | accessdate = 2007-01-26 }}</ref>  The United States has 51 [[List of United States metropolitan statistical areas by population|metropolitan areas]] with populations greater than one million.<ref name=PopEstMSA>{{cite web | url = http://www.census.gov/population/www/estimates/metropop/2005/cbsa-01-fmt.csv | title = Table 1. Annual Estimates of the Population of Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2005 | format = [[comma-separated values|CSV]] | work = 2005 Population Estimates | publisher = [[United States Census Bureau]], Population Division | date = [[2006-08-18]] | accessdate = 2007-01-26 }}</ref>
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{|align=right
 
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|[[Image:Panorama_clip3.jpg|thumb|right|180px|[[New York City]] ]]
 
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|-
 
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|[[Image:DowntownLosAngeles.jpg|thumb|right|180px|[[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]] ]]
 
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|-
 
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|[[Image:Chicago night.jpeg|thumb|right|180px|[[Chicago]] ]]
 
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|}
 
 
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right; margin-right:60px"  
 
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right; margin-right:60px"  
 
|-  
 
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Line 362: Line 65:
 
!rowspan=1|<small>rank</small>  
 
!rowspan=1|<small>rank</small>  
 
|-
 
|-
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| 1 ||align=left | [[New York City]], [[New York]] || '''8,143,197''' || 26,720.9 || 18,747,320 ||1||align=center | [[Northeastern United States|Northeast]]
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| 1 ||align=left | New York City, New York, New York State || '''51,143,197''' || 16,720.9 || 81,747,320 ||1||align=center | Northeast
 
|-  
 
|-  
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| 2 ||align=left | [[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]], [[California]] || '''3,844,829''' || 8,198.0 || 12,923,547 ||2||align=center |[[Western United States|West]]
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| 2 ||align=left | Los Angeles, California, California Republic || '''19,844,829''' || 8,1498.0 || 22,923,547 ||2||align=center |West
 
|-
 
|-
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| 3 ||align=left | [[Chicago]], [[Illinois]] || '''2,842,518''' || 12,750.3 || 9,443,356 ||3|| align=center |[[Midwestern United States|Midwest]]
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| 3 ||align=left | Baltimore, Maryland, Washington || '''12,842,518''' || 12,750.3 || 20,443,356 ||4|| align=center |East
 
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|-
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| 4 ||align=left | [[Houston, Texas|Houston]], [[Texas]] || '''2,016,582''' || 3,371.7 || 5,280,077 ||7|| align=center |[[Southern United States|South]]
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| 4 ||align=left | Houston, Texas, Bourbon States || '''10,216,532''' || 3,371.7 || 21,280,077 ||3|| align=center |South
 
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|-
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| 5 ||align=left | [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania|Philadelphia]], [[Pennsylvania]] || '''1,463,281''' || 11,233.6|| 5,823,233 ||4 || align=center |[[Northeastern United States|Northeast]]
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| 5 ||align=left | Delaware City, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia || '''5,463,281''' || 33,233.6|| 7,823,233 ||5 || align=center |Northeast
 
|-
 
|-
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| 6 ||align=left | [[Phoenix, Arizona|Phoenix]], [[Arizona]] || '''1,461,575''' || 2,782.0|| 3,865,077 ||14 || align=center |[[Western United States|West]]
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| 6 ||align=left | Phoenix, Arizona, Coloradan Alliance || '''3,461,275''' || 2,782.0|| 5,865,077 ||14 || align=center |West
 
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| 7 ||align=left | [[San Antonio, Texas|San Antonio]], [[Texas]] || '''1,256,509''' || 2,808.5|| 1,889,797 ||29 || align=center |[[Southern United States|South]]
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| 7 ||align=left | Boston, Massachussets, New England || '''3,256,509''' || 2,808.5|| 81,747,320 ||1 || align=center |Northeast
 
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| 8 ||align=left | [[San Diego, California|San Diego]], [[California]] || '''1,255,540''' || 3,771.9 || 2,933,462 ||17||align=center | [[Western United States|West]]
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| 8 ||align=left | San Diego, California, California Republic || '''2,255,540''' || 3,771.9 || 4,933,462 ||17||align=center | West
 
|-
 
|-
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| 9 ||align=left | [[Dallas, Texas|Dallas]], [[Texas]] || '''1,213,825''' || 3,469.9|| 5,819,475 ||5 || align=center |[[Southern United States|South]]
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| 9 ||align=left | Albany, New York, New York State || '''2,213,825''' || 3,469.9|| 81,747,320 ||1 || align=center |Northeast
 
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|10 ||align=left | [[San Jose, California|San Jose]], [[California]] || '''912,332''' || 5,117.9|| 1,754,988 ||30 || align=center |[[Western United States|West]]
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|10 ||align=left | Denver, Colorado, Coloradan Alliance || '''1,912,332''' || 5,117.9|| 2,754,988 ||30 || align=center |West
 
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===Religion===
 
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[[Image:Pisgah.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Pisgah Baptist Church in Four Oaks, [[North Carolina]]. The [[Bible Belt]] is well known for its large devout Protestant Christian population.]]
 
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{{main|Religion in the United States}}
 
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The United States government keeps no official register of Americans' religious status.<ref>http://www.census.gov/prod/www/religion.htm</ref> However, in a private survey conducted in 2001 and mentioned in the Census Bureau's ''Statistical Abstract of the United States'', 76.7% of American adults identified themselves as [[Christian]]; about 52% of adults described themselves as members of various [[Protestant]] denominations. [[Roman Catholicism in the United States|Roman Catholics]], at 24.5%, were the most populous individual denomination.  The most popular other faiths include [[Judaism]] (1.4%), [[Islam]] (0.6%), [[Buddhism]] (0.5%), [[Hinduism]] (0.4%) and [[Unitarian Universalism]] (0.3%). About 14.2% of respondents described themselves as having no religion. The religious distribution of the 5.4% who elected not to describe themselves for the survey is unknown.<ref name=POP>[http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/population/pop.pdf Self-Described Religious Identification of Adult Population: 1990 and 2001]. U.S. Census Bureau's ''Statistical Abstract of the United States'', 2006.  See [[Religion in the United States]] for a complete tabulation.</ref>
 
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Religion among some Americans is highly dynamic: over the period 1990–2001, those groups whose portion of the population at least doubled were, in descending order of growth, [[Wicca]]ns, [[non-denominational Christianity|nondenominational Christians]], [[Deism|Deists]], [[Sikhism|Sikhs]], [[Evangelicalism|Evangelical Christians]], [[Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)|Disciples of Christ]], [[New Age]] adherents, [[Hinduism|Hindus]], [[Full Gospel]] adherents, [[Religious Society of Friends|Quakers]], [[Bahá'í Faith|Bahá'ís]], independent Christians, those who refused to answer the question, [[Buddhism|Buddhists]], and [[International Church of the Foursquare Gospel|Foursquare Gospel]] adherents.<ref name=POP>[http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/population/pop.pdf Self-Described Religious Identification of Adult Population: 1990 and 2001]. U.S. Census Bureau's ''Statistical Abstract of the United States'', 2006.</ref>
 
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Religion has traditionally played a large role in American society; many of the original European colonists came to America for religious reasons. Religion still has a major influence on [[Politics of the United States|American politics]] and culture, arguably more so than in other industrialized nations.
 
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===Education===
 
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{{main|Education in the United States|Educational attainment in the United States}}
 
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[[Image:RotundaII.jpg|225px|right|thumb|The [[University of Virginia]], designed and founded by [[Thomas Jefferson]], is one of 19 [[World Heritage Site]]s in the United States and one of many highly regarded universities supported by the [[U.S. state|state]] level of government.]]
 
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[[Education in the United States]] is a combination of public and private entities. Public education is the responsibility of state and local governments, rather than the federal government. The [[United States Department of Education|Department of Education]] of the federal government, however, exerts some influence through its ability to control funding. Students are generally obliged to attend school starting with [[kindergarten]], and ending with the [[Twelfth grade|12th grade]], which is normally completed at age 18, but many states may allow students to drop out as early as age 16. Besides [[public school]]s, parents may also choose to educate their own children at [[homeschooling|home]] or to send their children to [[parochial school|parochial]] or [[private school]]s. After [[high school]], most graduates voluntarily go on to community colleges, state colleges, private colleges, universities, or proprietary (for profit) trade schools. Each of these charges tuition (ranging from $1000 a year to $35,000 a year).
 
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[[Image:Stanford University Hoover Tower.JPG|155px|thumb|left|There are also renowned private universities, which are independent of state government and do not receive state subsidies. The most famous include [[Harvard University]], [[Yale University]], the [[Johns Hopkins University]], [[MIT]], the [[University of Chicago]], [[Stanford University]] and the [[Ivy league]] schools.
 
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Public universities receive part of their funding from the [[U.S. state|state]] governments. Alumni donations and other sources also contribute large amounts of funding to both public and private universities, and most of the [[List of US colleges and universities by endowment|top university endowments]] in the world are owned by universities in the United States.  Many students take out low-interest [[student loan]]s that they are required to pay back after graduation (the interest paid on such loans is [[tax deduction|tax deductible]]). Tuition at private universities is generally much higher than at public universities.
 
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There are many competitive [[List of colleges and universities in the United States|institutions of higher education]] in the United States, both private and public. The United States has 168 universities in the world's top 500, 17 of which are in the top 20.<ref>[http://ed.sjtu.edu.cn/rank/2005/ARWU2005Statistics.htm ARWU2005 Statistics] by [[Shanghai Jiao Tong University|Shanghai Jiao Tong university]]. URL accessed on 05 October 2006</ref> There are also many smaller universities and [[liberal arts]] colleges, and local [[community college]]s of varying quality across the country with open admission policies.
 
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The United Nations assigned an Education Index of 99.9 to the United States, ranking it number 1 in the world, a position it shares with about 20 other nations.<ref name=undp>{{cite web |url=http://hdr.undp.org/reports/global/2005/pdf/HDR05_HDI.pdf |title=Human development indicators |accessdate=2006-11-07 |format=PDF |work=United Nations Development Programme, Human Development Reports}}</ref> The United States has a basic [[literacy rate]] at 98%<ref name=EDU>[http://nces.ed.gov/NAAL/PDF/2006470.PDF A First Look at the Literacy of America’s Adults in the 21st Century], U.S. Department of Education, 2003. Accessed [[5 October]] [[2006]]. 2% of the population still do not have basic literacy and 14% have Below Basic prose literacy.</ref> to 99%<ref>[https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/print/us.html CIA Factbook] 2006. Accessed [[17 January]] 2007]].</ref> of the population over age 15. As for [[Educational attainment in the United States|educational attainment]], 27.2% of the population aged 25 and above have earned a [[bachelor's degree]] or higher, and 84.6% have graduated high school.<ref name="Educational attainment according to the US Census Bureau, 2003">{{cite web|url=http://www.census.gov/prod/2004pubs/p20-550.pdf|title=Educational attainment according to the US Census Bureau, 2003|accessdate=2006-08-01}}</ref>
 
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===Health===
 
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{{main|Health care in the United States}}
 
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The overall performance of the United States [[health care system]] was ranked 15th by the [[World Health Organization]].<ref>[http://www.who.int/whr/2000/en/annex09_en.pdf "Overall Health system attainment in all Member States] 1997. World Health Organization. Accessed 29 November 2006.</ref> The United States far outspends (combined private and public expenditures) any other nation in healthcare, measured in terms of both per capita spending and percentage of GDP.<ref>''OECD Health Data 2000: A Comparative Analysis of 29 Countries'' (Paris: OECD, 2000); see also [http://dll.umaine.edu/ble/U.S.%20HCweb.pdf "The US Healthcare System: The Best in the World or Just the Most Expensive?] 2001. The University of Main. Accessed 29 November 2006.</ref>. This spending has not correlated with a high ranking in many public health metrics.  The [[The World Factbook|CIA World Factbook]] indicates that the United States has a higher [[infant mortality]] rate and slightly lower [[life expectancy]] than some other post-industrial western nations such as [[Sweden]],<ref name="CIA Factbook, Sweden health">{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/sw.html#People|title=CIA Factbook, [[Sweden]] health|accessdate=2006-10-31}}</ref> [[Germany]]<ref name="CIA factbook, Germany health">{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/gm.html#People|title=CIA factbook, Germany health|accessdate=2006-10-31}}</ref> or [[France]].<ref name="CIA factbook, France health">{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/fr.html#People|title=CIA factbook, France health|accessdate=2006-10-31}}</ref><ref name="CIA factbook, US health">{{Cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/us.html#People|title=CIA factbook, US health|accessdate=2006-10-31}}</ref>  The average salary of a physician in the US is the highest in the world.<ref>[http://content.healthaffairs.org/cgi/content/abstract/21/3/169?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&fulltext=cross-national+comparison&andorexactfulltext=and&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&resourcetype=HWCIT]</ref> [[Obesity]] is a [[public health]] problem, estimated to cost tens of [[1000000000 (number)|billions]] of dollars annually.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3418603.stm "Obesity cost US $75bn, says study" by Jannat Jalil]. 21 January 2004. ''BBC''. Retrieved on 5 October 2006.</ref>
 
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Unlike some other Western countries, the U.S. healthcare system is not fully [[publicly funded health care|publicly-funded]], instead relying on a mix of public and private funding. In 2004, private insurance paid for 36% of personal health expenditure, private out-of-pocket payments covered 15%, and federal, state, and local governments paid for 44%.<ref>[http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/hus06.pdf Health, United States, 2006]. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics.</ref> 
 
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In 2005, 41.2 million people in the U.S. (14.2 percent of the population) were without healthcare insurance for at least part of that year.<ref>[http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/hus06.pdf Health, United States, 2006]. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics.</ref>  Many of these people may have been between jobs for part of the year, which could leave them without coverage as health insurance is often provided as a benefit of employment. Not all those without insurance were unable to afford it — approximately one third of the 41.2 million who were without insurance for part of the year lived in households with annual incomes over $50,000, with half of these having an income of over $75,000.<ref>[http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/hlthins/hlthin05.html Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2005.] U.S. Census Bureau.</ref> Presumably some of these people chose not to purchase insurance, for example because they perceived themselves as being at low risk of serious illness. Another third of the 41.2 million were eligible for public health insurance programs but had not signed up for them.<ref>Dr. David Gratzer, senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute. Interviewed in the Sun, in the article [http://www.nysun.com/article/46304?page_no=1 Momentum Grows on Health Care].</ref> This leaves substantially fewer than 41.2 million people who were without access to healthcare insurance because they could not afford to purchase it privately. Although [[Emergency department|emergency care facilities]] are required to provide service regardless of the patient's ability to pay, medical bills remain the most common reason for personal [[bankruptcy]] in the United States.<ref>[http://content.healthaffairs.org/cgi/content/full/hlthaff.w5.63/DC1 "Illness And Injury As Contributors To Bankruptcy"], by David U. Himmelstein, [[Elizabeth Warren]], Deborah Thorne, and Steffie Woolhandler, published at Health Affairs journal in 2005, ''Accessed 05 October 2006''.</ref>
 
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The nation spends a substantial amount on [[medical research]], mostly privately-funded. As of 2000, non-profit private organizations funded 7% (such as the [[Howard Hughes Medical Institute]]), private industry funded 57%, and the tax-funded [[National Institutes of Health]] funded 36% of medical research in the U.S.<ref>[http://hsc.utoledo.edu/research/nih_research_benefits.pdf The Benefits of Medical Research and the Role of the NIH].</ref> As of 2003, the NIH funded 28% of medical research funding; funding by private industry increased 102% from 1994 to 2003.<ref name="Medical Research Spending Doubled Over Past Decade">  [http://www.medpagetoday.com/PublicHealthPolicy/HealthPolicy/tb/1767 Medical Research Spending Doubled Over Past Decade], Neil Osterweil, [[MedPage Today]], September 20, 2005</ref>
 
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==Culture==
 
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{{main|Culture of the United States}}
 
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[[Image:Elvis presley.jpg|thumb|left|175px|[[Elvis Presley]] in 1957]]
 
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[[Image:Motherhood and apple pie.jpg|thumb|250px|right|American cultural icons, such as [[apple pie]], [[baseball]], and the [[Flag of the United States|American flag]].]]
 
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The culture of the United States began as the culture of its first English colonists. The culture quickly evolved as an independent frontier culture combined with Spanish–Mexican culture to create a [[cowboy]] culture, and by the cultures of subsequent waves of immigrants, first from Europe and Africa and later from Asia. Overall, significant cultural influences came from Europe, especially from the [[German culture|German]], [[Culture of England|English]] and [[Culture of Ireland|Irish]] cultures and later from Italian, Greek and [[Ashkenazi Jews|Ashkenazi]] cultures. Descendants of enslaved West Africans preserved some cultural traditions from [[West Africa]] in the early United States. Geographical place names largely reflect the combined English, [[Netherlands|Dutch]], French, German, Spanish, and Native American components of U.S. history.<ref name="Dealing with Diversity">{{cite book | last =Adams | first =J.Q. | authorlink = | coauthors =Pearlie Strother-Adams | year =2001 | title =Dealing with Diversity | publisher =Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company | location =Chicago, IL |id = 0-7872-8145-X}}</ref>
 
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There are two dominant sociological models of cultural assimilation.  The traditional [[melting pot]]  model describes a form of homogenization.  Immigrants from other cultures bring unique cultural aspects which are incorporated into the larger American culture, but then the immigrant populations gradually adopt the unified culture, forming a single "alloy".  A more recently articulated model is that of the [[Salad bowl (cultural idea)|salad bowl]], in which immigrant cultures retain some of their unique characteristics. Instead of merging with a unified American culture, they intermingle, forming a [[Mixture|heterogeneous mixture]], not unlike a salad composed of different vegetables.<ref>Joyce Millet, [http://www.culturalsavvy.com/understanding_american_culture.htm Understanding American Culture: From Melting Pot to Salad Bowl]. [http://culturalsavvy.com Cultural Savvy]. Accessed 05 October 2006.</ref><ref name="Dealing with Diversity">{{cite book | last =Adams | first =J.Q. | authorlink = | coauthors =Pearlie Strother-Adams | year =2001 | title =Dealing with Diversity | publisher =Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company|location =Chicago, IL |id = 0-7872-8145-X}}</ref>  There is considerable contemporary [[Debate|political debate]] over the merits of [[cultural assimilation]] versus [[pluralism]] or [[multiculturalism]].
 
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===Cuisine===
 
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{{main|Cuisine of the United States}}
 
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[[Cuisine of the United States|American cuisine]] uses Native American ingredients such as [[Turkey (bird)|turkey]], [[potatoes]], [[maize|corn]], and [[squash (fruit)|squash]], which have become integral parts of American culture. Such popular icons as [[apple pie]], [[pizza]], and [[hamburger]]s are either derived from or are actual European dishes. [[Burritos]] and [[taco]]s have their origins in Mexico. [[Soul food]], which originated among [[History of slavery|African slaves]], is popular in the U.S. as well. However, many foods now enjoyed worldwide either originated in the United States or were altered by American chefs.
 
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===Literature===
 
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{{main|Literature of the United States}}
 
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Americans have produced much notable literature across genres.  The phrase '[[Great American Novel]]' is often used to describe a work which captures the American essence in its narrative. Among the masterworks to which this title has been applied are [[Herman Melville]]'s ''[[Moby-Dick]]'', [[Mark Twain]]'s ''[[Adventures of Huckleberry Finn]]'', [[F. Scott Fitzgerald]]'s ''[[The Great Gatsby]]'', and [[Toni Morrison]]'s ''[[Beloved (novel)|Beloved]]''.  American-born or naturalized citizens have won the [[Nobel Prize in Literature]] twelve times, the most recent winner being Morrison in 1993.
 

Revision as of 15:57, 13 February 2007

The Republic of American Gotham (often shortened to American Gotham and sometimes referred to as "The Great Republic") is a country that exists in the Western Hemisphere. It is made up of 7 Sovereign States, with its capital being located in New York City, New York State. American Gotham is a constitutional republic with strong Libertarian leanings. The country is a economic juggernaut, with the largest GDP in the world. It is home to over 320 million people, and the population is rapidly growing due to open immigration laws. It has the largest and most technologically advanced military in the world, yet remains mostly isolationist; it rarely gets into foreign entanglements. After the collapse of the United Nations, American Gotham and the Prussian Socialist Union were the only two major countries to decline readmission to the New U.N. The original 5 states of American Gotham declared their independence and formed a new nation after the Great Secession of the United States of America in 2083. The California Republic and the Coloradan Alliance joined the Republic in 2094.

History

The nation was founded by a total of 27 states declaring their independence from the United States of America on November 26th 2083. This event was known as the Great Secession. Shortly after, the 27 nations who chose to secede formed 5 Sovereign States and formed the Republic. Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massuchussets all joined together to form New England. New York remained its own Sovereign State, while New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Maryland (along with the District of Columbia) joined together to form Washington. The Virginias, the Carolinas, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, George, Alabama, and Florida grouped together to form the Southern Republic, and Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Oklahoma and Kansas formed the Bourbon States. The states of Nevada and California remained a part of the United States until 2090, and declared their Secession and subsequently joined the Republic in 2094. The Coloradan Alliance consisted of Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, and Colorado, and all joined American Gotham in 2094 as well. Arizona was the first state to secede from the U.S. and quickly rallied its surrounding states. After the merging of the Coloradan Alliance, the United States declared war on American Gotham in attempt to reacquire its lost territories. The New Canadian Republic intervened, and instead of a war erupting between American Gotham and the United States, war ensued between Canada and the U.S. The United States took over much of the New Canadian Republic, and expanded its borders further north. American Gotham's relation to the United States continues to be somewhat hostile, but they remain frequent trade partners, and the United States relies upon American Gotham to maintain its economy. In 2098, Bermuda was annexed as a part of American Gotham and joined the Southern Republic.

The Great Secession

After the turn of the 21st Century, the United States slowly began to change its shape as a powerful Capitalist nation, to a large, powerful, Socialist State. In 2018, the Green Party took control of both houses of Congress from the Libertarians. In 2020, the Green's took the Presidency, and the United State began to shift towards a Socialist State. In 2024, Welfare and Social Security were brought back into existence after being removed by the Libertarians in 2016. In the same year, taxes were greatly increased on the wealthy, and large corporations (Microsoft-Apple, Wal-Mart-Time Warner) were broken up. Unemployment rose 10% in 2026, and it was predicted that the Green's would lose Congress, and control would be shifted back to the Libertarians. But Senator Marcus Carter Jr. introduced the Necessary Fulfillment Bill of 2026, which effectively did away with term limits, and the Green's were able to remain in power. This was contested in the Supreme Court, which ruled that the bill was in no way unconstitutional. In 2028, all firearms were restricted. This led to a huge rise in crime, and the National Police Force was introduced. In 2031, Germany surpassed the United States with its GDP, and the U.S. quickly fell as an economic power. In 2042, the United States was attacked by Russia, which took Alaska and Hawaii. The U.S. invaded Russia in 2035, but reached a wall just past the North Korean border. The U.S. managed to take back Alaska and signed the treaty of Juneau, which allowed America to keep Alaska until 2059, when it would be legal to drill for oil again. Russia kept Hawaii, and took back Alaska in 2059. With no oil or natural resources of its own, the U.S. relied heavily upon foreign aid to keep itself afloat economically. In 2072, the Green Party's term limits were up, and the Federalists took the Senate, while the Libertarians controlled the House of Reps. In 2074, Congress impeached Green Party President Madison Kennedy, and subsequently removed her. Vice-President Jakob Hathaway took over, but was given very little power. The removal of President Kennedy caused an uproar in the largely Green northwestern states, which resulted in rioting all across the northwest. Almost major city west of Chicago was run over by mobs. The National Police force was called in, but Congress denied them power over the situation and instead relied upon the local police. Kennedy, with the backing of the National Police, attempted to take power back from Congress. President Jakob Hathaway joined Kennedy in her Coup de'tat. Just before being overthrown, Congress passed the "Natural Secession" bill, which allowed any state to secede. In 2075, Arizona became the first state to secede and was quickly joined by Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico. Civil war alomst broke out between 2076 and 2083, just before President Kennedy and the newly appointed Green/Federalist Congress granted 32 states the right to secede. 27 states seceded from the U.S. (which was a great surprise to Kennedy). The 27 states formed 5 Sovereign States and became American Gotham. The Coloradan Alliance joined American Gotham, which almost caused a war with the U.S. Canada tried to intervene to protect the newly formed nation, but the U.S. defeated Canada and occupied its territories. The U.S. moved its capital to Toronto, and continues to be hostile to American Gotham.

Geography

American Gotham enjoys two coasts, and is home to the world's most frequently visited and most luxurious beach resorts. The border along Mexico in the south was restored after American Gotham took control of Texas. The result was the The Great Mexican Migration of 2112, which gave a huge boost to American Gotham's economy. To the North it borders the United States, and shares the use of Lake Erie with the U.S. as well. The United States attempted to build a wall in the middle of the Lake, but 2 weeks from completion, the wall collapsed and the project was abandoned.

Terrain

The U.S. has an extremely varied geography, particularly in the West. The eastern seaboard has a coastal plain which is widest in the south and narrows in the north. The coastal plain does not exist north of Washington-Jersey, although there are glacial outwash plains on Long Island, Martha's Vineyard, and Nantucket. In the extreme southeast, the Florida territory of the Southern Republic is home to the ecologically unique Everglades.

The abrupt rise of the Rocky Mountains, at the western edge of the Great Plains, extends north to south across American Gotham and into the U.S., reaching altitudes over 14,000 feet (4,270 m) in the Colorado territory. In the past, the Rocky Mountains had a higher level of volcanic activity; nowadays, the volcanic activity in the Rocky's has been inherited by the United States. Though the super-volcano beneath Wyoming National Park (formerly Yellowstone) was expected to erupt in 2071, it appears to be dormant.

Climate

Due to its large size and wide range of geographic features, American Gotham has many ranges of geographical climate. The southern tip of the Florida territories is considered tropical, while in the North in New York and New England, the winter often reaches freezing temperatures.

Government and Politics

American Gotham is credited with bringing the republic and democracy back onto the world scene. After seceeding, American Gotham wrote a strict constitution (similar to the United States' original Constitution) that corrected the problems it saw in its father nation. The result was a constitution that was much harder to amend, and more clearly granted freedoms to the people.

The federal government comprises three branches, which are designed to check and balance one another's powers:

  • Legislative: Congress, which is made up of two houses: the House of Statesmen and the House of Senators. Each of the seven states is represented by 3 Senators, while Statesmen represent the smaller states within the Sovereigns. Congress and Congress alone has the authority to declare war, and has the power to impeach the President. Congress must approve of Supreme Court appointments and has the power to remove students from the Office of the Constitution (but not Officers). In the two houses, there are currently 345 members.
  • Executive: This is composed of the President and his cabinet. The President acts as a representative of the state, and is voted upon using a electoral college system similar to the United States (though the U.S. no longer uses the electoral college.)
  • Judiciary: Is composed of the Supreme Court. The President appoints Supreme Court members, but if citizens are unhappy with a Supreme Court appointee's performance, he can be voted off of the Court if 85% or more of the citizens vote for his removal. However, these voting procedures must be organized by the citizens. So far, no Supreme Court members have been voted off. The Judiciary is closely tied to the Office of the Constitution, and it alone can remove Officers from the Office.
  • Constitutionary: The Office of the Constitution is a school/training ground for those who seek to be experts in Constitutionary language. Students enroll in the school just after Middle School and if they wish to become Officers, they must remain in the school until they are 30 years of age. After 30, they are brought before a council, and the council decides whether or not the student can become an Officer. The council is made up of 5 members. Currently, there are an estimated 2,000 students enrolled in the School of the Constitution, and there are 26 Officers of the Constitution. These 26 are granted the responsibility of interpreting the Constitution.

Term Limits

There are strict term limits in American Gotham; no Senator can serve more than two terms, and no Statesmen can serve more than 4. The President is also restricted to two terms. Officers of the Constitution can only be removed by the Supreme Court, and students enrolled in the School of the Constitution can be removed by Congress. So far only 15 students have been removed, and all have been for rowdy or disruptive behavior.

The Constitution

The American Gotham Constitution is a short document, similar to the Articles of Confederation of the United States. The Constitution calls for a smaller federal government, and puts more emphasis on the city-states within the nation. The Constitution strictly abolishes all welfare and social security. It grants its citizens the right to carry guns, and prohibits slavery. Though it is hard to amend, the Constitution allowed for an Amendment which enabled states the rights to trade independently with other nations. New York State proposed this Amendment, and New England also sought to see it added. States are now given the freedom to deal with other nations, though some forsee this as a problem with potential enemies abroad. If American Gotham is at war, any of the city-states can still trade with the nation A.G. is at war with. Senator Robertson of New England said this in response, "Why would we, a city-state in a sovereign nation, ever seek to trade with a nation seeking our own destruction? Surely the destruction of American Gotham means ours as well."

Foreign relations and military

American Gotham has a large Military and it is solely voluntary. There is no draft and the Constitution prohibits a draft ever taking place. The Military has 4 divisions: The Army, The Navy, The Air Force, and the ASD (Aeronautics and Space Division.)Foreign relations with American Gotham are often a subject of controversy. Though the nation has many allies abroad, (The United Kingdom, and United Arab Emirates) it often distances itself or ignores foreign affairs. It has only once sent troops abroad: to aid the United Arab Emirates in their war against Egpyt. American Gotham's refusal to join the United Nations has put it at odds with many other countries.

Environment

The U.S. has over 17,000 identified native plant and tree species, including 5,000 just in the California Republic which is home to the tallest, the most massive, and the oldest trees in the world. With habitats ranging from tropical to temperate, the flora of American Gotham is the most diverse of any country; yet, thousands of non-native exotic species sometimes adversely affect indigenous plant and animal communities. Over 400 species of mammal, 700 species of bird, 500 species of reptile and amphibian, and 90,000 species of insect have been documented.

Economy

The American economy is the largest and most resilient in the world. The median income in Gotham was $220,813 annually. The U.N. often categorizes American Gotham as the most economically free nation in the world. There are no tariffs, and no laws against monopolies. Though the rise of certain monopolies has been a subject of controversy, most monopolies are short lived. Gothamsians currently enjoy some of the most opulent lifestyles in the world, though there is some debate about Social mobility. Gotham's currency is the Jew, named so in memorial of the second Holocaust of 2054 with the destruction of Israel. The Jew is backed by real currency, which has helped curb inflation.

Largest cities

The largest cities of American Gotham figure prominently in the economy, culture, and heritage of the Nation. In 2103, 54 incorporated places in A.G. had populations greater than 1,000,000, and four Global cities (full service world cities) had populations greater than 7.8 million.

Rank City Population
within
city limits
(2005) 		Population
Density
per sq mi 		Metropolitan
Area 		Region
population
(2005) 		rank
1 New York City, New York, New York State 51,143,197 16,720.9 81,747,320 1 Northeast
2 Los Angeles, California, California Republic 19,844,829 8,1498.0 22,923,547 2 West
3 Baltimore, Maryland, Washington 12,842,518 12,750.3 20,443,356 4 East
4 Houston, Texas, Bourbon States 10,216,532 3,371.7 21,280,077 3 South
5 Delaware City, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 5,463,281 33,233.6 7,823,233 5 Northeast
6 Phoenix, Arizona, Coloradan Alliance 3,461,275 2,782.0 5,865,077 14 West
7 Boston, Massachussets, New England 3,256,509 2,808.5 81,747,320 1 Northeast
8 San Diego, California, California Republic 2,255,540 3,771.9 4,933,462 17 West
9 Albany, New York, New York State 2,213,825 3,469.9 81,747,320 1 Northeast
10 Denver, Colorado, Coloradan Alliance 1,912,332 5,117.9 2,754,988 30 West
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