The United States of America in Brief

I. General Background 

-  Name: The United States of America, including 50 states and District of Columbia (Washington D.C.)

-  Geographical location: Western Hephisphere; bordering Canada to the North; Mexico and the Gulf of Mexico to the South; Atlantic Ocean to the East; Pacific Ocean to the West; State of Alaska to the Northeast of Canada, and the Islands of Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean.

            - Area: 9,159,123 km2; the fourth largest in the world after Russia, Canada and China; equals 6.2% global area; ranging  4,500 km from East to West,  2,500 km roming North to South.

            - Population: 293,027,571 inhabitants (as of 7/2004).  Annual growth rate: approx. 0.92% (with 30% of which are immigrants). Ethnic groups including white 77.1%, black 12..9%, Asian 4.2%, Amerindian and Alaska native 1.5%, native Hawaiian and other Pacific islander 0.3%, others 4% (2000 est.).  A separate listing for Hispanic is not included because the US Census Bureau considers Hispanic to mean a person of Latin American descent (including persons of Cuban, Mexican, or Puerto Rican origin) living in the USA who may be of any race or ethnic group (white, black, Asian, etc.).[1]

            - Currency unit: US Dollar

            - Language: English, Spanish (spoken by a sizable minority)

- Religion: Protestant 52%, Roman Catholic 24%, Mormon 2%, Jewish 1%,  Muslim 1%, others 10%, none 10% (2002 est.)

- Independence Day: 4/7/1776.

II. History:

            Christopher Columbus discovered the Americas in 1492.

In 1607, English immigrants migrated to and set up colonies in most of North America.  France, Spain, Portugal and the Netherlands colonized the rest.

            In 1775, the war for independence broke out.  On 4/7/1776, American revolutionaries announced the “Declaration of Independence”, separated the colonies from Great Britain and established the United States of America composed of 13 colonies.

            In 1783, Great Britain and the USA signed the Treaty of Paris, in which Great Britain recognized the independence of the USA.

            On 7/9/1787, the Federal Constitution of the USA was adopted and became effective on the 4/3/1789.  George Washington was elected as the first president of the USA.

            After the Civil War (1861-1865), the USA consolidated its independence and unity, developed its economy and expanded influence to the Western Hemisphere.  At the end of the 19^th century, the USA became the number one capitalist country in the world and embarked upon the competition for colonies, starting with the American – Spanish War (1898 - 1899).

            After the Second World War, the USA became the most powerful imperialist country and adopted a global policy to expand influence over other capitalist countries and contain socialism and the movement for national independence.  The USA became involved directly in two limited war in the Korean Penisular (1950-53) and Viet Nam (1964-75).

After the defeat in the war in Viet Nam, the USA entered a period of decline in comparison with rapidly growing Western Europe and Japan. The USA, therefore, focused its resources on restrengthening as well as speeding up its arms race against the Soviet Union.

            After the collapse of the Soviet Union (1991), the Cold War and bipolarity came to an end.  The USA became the sole superpower possessing dominant economic and military power.

The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 and subsequent events have greatly affected the USA in all aspects, from politic, security, economic and society as well as its world view on these issues, and thereof, its domestic and foreign policies.

III.  Politics:

            The USA is a constitution-based federal republic, with separation of powers.  According to the US constitution, the congress has legislative power, the president has executive power, and the supreme court has judiciary power.  Government branches operate under a ‘check-and-balance’ system, in which one branch has a specific power specified by the constitution to cross-check the other two branches. The US constitution also specifies specific power of the federal government and state governments, in which state governments enjoys considerable power.

            a/ The federal government: the president functions as an executive, state leader, as well as commander in chief.  The president has veto power over legislation of the congress, and the congress needs 2/3 of the number of votes in both houses (senate and house of representatives) to overide presidential vetos.  The presidential term lasts 4 years.  Since 1951, each president is allowed to hold no more than 2 terms.

            The cabinet of the president has 15 secretaries.  The president can nominate and dismiss secretaries but with approval of the senate.

            The current US president is George Walker Bush (the 43^rd US president, with first term began on 20/1/2001 and second in January 2005); Vice President: Richard Cheney; Secretary of State: Condoleezza Rice; Seretary of Defense: Donald Rumsfeld; Seretary of the Treasury: John Snow; Attorney General: John Ashcroft.  The Department of Homeland Security was established in March 2003 subsequent to the terrorist attacks in the USA in September 11, 2001; its secretary is Tom Ridge.  Other departments include: Agriculture, Education, Energy, Trade, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Labor, Interiors, Transportation and Veteran Affairs.

            The federal government governs the country and issues regulations regarding the general tax code, foreign policy, international trade and interstate commerce, national defense, security, money printing, system of measurements, copyrights, etc.

            States have their own constitutions and laws but do not contradict the federal constitution.

            b/ Congress: Bi-cameral

            The Senate has 100 senators.  Each state has 2 senators with 6-year term.  The vice president is the chairman of the Senate and only votes in the senate in cases where there is a vote tie (50/50).

            The House of Representatives has 435 representatives.  Each state has at least one representative, but the maximum number depends on the population of the state.  Each representative serves a 2-year term.

            Every even year, the first Tuesday of November is the election day to elect the Congress, in which all representatives and 1/3 of the senators are subject to re-election.

            c/ The Supreme Court: has one chief justice and 8 justice, all nominated by the president and approved by the Senate with lifetime term.

            The USA has a multi-party political system but in effect two major parties alternatively share power.  The Democratic Party (established in 1828) and the Republican Party (established in 1854) are the two major parties and alternately have control of the government.  Since WWII, there have been 7 Democrat presidents and 7 Republican presidents.

            IV. Economy:

            1) In brief: The USA is the world leading industrialized country.  Its 2003 GDP is 10,381 billion USD (10,980 billion in purchasing power), accounting for about 32% of world GDP.  The components of its GDP include 80% service, 18% goods, and 2% agriculture.

The USA is  the world number one export and import country, with trade volume amounting to 25% of GDP.  In 2003, the USA has 1314.8 billion in export and 1778.1 billion in import.  Major trade partners include Canada, Mexico, Japan, ASEAN,  China, Britain, Germany, France, and the Neatherlands.  However, the USA suffers from trade deficit for the last 3 decades which increased sharply in recent years and is now reaching critical level (near 5% of GDP).

The US economy entered recession in 3/2001, ending a 10-year period of growth - the longest in its history.  The US economy, however, came out of recession in a very short time, with the official recession lasted 9 months.  The Bush Administration has applied several measures to lift the economy out of recession, including government spending increase, interest rate reduction  and tax cuts.  In addition, because the US economy was in transition, productivity increased rapidly due to application of science and technology advances, especially information technology, the recession cycle was reduced and the economy came out of recession much sooner than past cycles.  This policy of encouraging consumption has resulted in enduring growth despite several domestic and outside negative factors, especially the Iraq war and oil-price increases.  The US economy grew rapidly in 2003 and continued the momentum in 2004.  In 2001, GDP increased 0.8%, 2002 1,9%, 2003 3.0%, 1^st quarter of 2004: 4,5%, 2^nd quarter 3.3%, 3^rd quarter 3.9%.

2) Economic statistics

(Source : Economic Report of the President 2004; US Commerce Department 9/2004)

(1) 2000 dollar

(2) Table B-31

(3) Table B-35

(4) Table B-64

(5) Table B-78

(6) Current account include export, import and unilateral transfers (government assistance, military aide, etc.

(7) Table B-111, IMF, SDR (Special Drawing Rights).

V. Foreign policy

            From its establishment to WWII, the USA adopted an ‘isolationist’ policy, also known as the Monroe Doctrine (named after President Monroe (1817 – 1825)), which essentially stated that ‘the Americas belong to the Americans, not foreign powers (especially Western)’.

            After WWII, with the balance of power tilted to its side, the USA adopted a ‘containment’ policy, a global strategy to establish a world order with the USA at the center.

            In order to achieve this goal, US leaders used a two-prong strategy, by bringing the Western world into a new political and economic order under its control and containing and limiting the expansion and growth in influence of the Soviet Union (former) and socialism.

            Since the early 1990s, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the USA once again adjusted its global strategy, known as the strategy of ‘engagement and enlargement’, in effect to solidify and strengthen its preeminent position in the new global context, namely :

- Recover and grow the US economy to maintain its position as the world number one.

- Maintain the US military preeminence, restructure and redeploy forces, equip the military with advanced techonlogical weaponry to cope with the new situation.

- Use its political and military advantage to promote ‘market economy’ and western-style ‘democracy’ in the world to establish a world order to the US advantage.

After the terrorist attacks in the USA on September 11/2001, the USA speeded up its strategy adjustment, considering fighting terrorism the highest priority and support to the US in this regard as the degree of coorperation by other countries with the USA.  Anti-terrorism was used to rally support for a new world order with the USA as the leader and the reasoning to preemtively attack Afghanistan and  Iraq.

            On September 20, 2002, the Bush Government made public its national security strategy which stated: (1) International terrorism, rogue states, states that harbor or support terrorism, states that pursue and use weapon of mass destructions are the USA’ most dangerous enemies; the USA has great military advantage and will use it unilaterally; the USA uses the doctrine of ‘preemption’ in using its military power ; (2) the USA seeks global cooperation in the fight against terrorism, considering fighting terrorism as its highest foreign policy priority and as the norm in its relations with other countries; (3) In its relations with major countries, the USA pursues a policy of ‘balance of power’, with common economic, security, democratic values, freedom interests as the guidelines for cooperation; continuing cooperation with China but cautious of China’s increased military strength; developing strategic relationship with Russia, strengthenning relationship with India; strengthenning, expanding and renovating NATO as well as its tradational alliance; (4) the USA continues to push for the spread of democratic values and human rights, call for a new era of global economic development through free market and liberalized trade, increase international assistance linked with market economy requirement, trade liberalization, etc.

            This is the largest strategy adjustment of the USA since the end of the Cold War, ending a period which the Bush Administration has characterized as ‘strategically vague’, and adopted different threat valuation, military respond methods and measures, etc., reaffirming the strategy to expand to abroad with American internationalism to strengthen the global leadership role of the USA, as well as its policies and interests.  This strategy adjustment has greatly affected international relations, presenting other countries with new challenges and possibilities.

            However, the strategy adjustment has encountered many difficulties: continued instabilities in Iraq, terrorist attacks continue and spread to new places, especially countries friendly to the USA, US security continue to be threatenened, diminishing US credibility abroad, especially in the Middle East where the USA is seeking the largest change.

            The direction of US foreign policy in the near future will likely depend on several factors, including the Iraq situation, the Middle East, the US relation with other large countries, world response and US domestic politics, etc. While the USA enjoys great power advantages, it nonetheless continues to face with threats and challenges.

(November 2004)