introduction to the united states for asian residents (english)
TRANSCRIPT
United States of America
Las Vegas
Silicon Valley
Hollywood
Wall StreetStatue of Liberty
Broadway
Disney World
Washington DC
New Orleans
Yellowstone
Grand Canyon
Chicago Boston
Microsoft
Texas
Population: 321 Million• 72% White• 17% Hispanic (White)• 13% Black• 5% Asian (1% speak Chinese at home)• 82% Urban• 13% Born outside the United States• Asian comprise 26% of new immigrants• 71% Christian
San Francisco
Comprised of 50 semi-‐independent SARs(48 of them contiguous)
Borders Canada to the NorthMexico to the South
E pluribus unumOut of Many, One
Per capita GDP (PPP)
“It’s the Economy, St***d”
“In God we Trust, All Others pay Cash”
Gini Coefficient
GDPDistribution
Federal Budget
The US Constitution
• The US Constitution supersedes all other laws in the US• Ratified in 1787 “in order to form a more perfect Union”• Independence Day is July 4th, 1776
• It defines the structure of the federal government• The Constitution can be amended (like for abolishing slavery)
• The Bill of Rights (first 10 Amendments) include:• Freedoms of Religion, Speech, Press, Assembly, Petition• Freedom against self-incrimination (5th Amendment)• Right to Due Process• Right to a speedy and public trial by jury• No unreasonable search or seizures (need for search warrant)• No excessive bails and fines or cruel and unusual punishments• Right to bear arms (2nd Amendment)
Federal Government Structure
• Senate• All laws must be approved by
both the Senate and House• Each state has 2 Senators
who serve for 6 year terms
• House of Representatives• Capped at 435 people• 2 year terms• Elected based on population
and congressional districts
• Executive – responsible for enforcing the laws• President and Vice President are the only members of government
elected by all the people• Limited veto power over legislature• Maximum 2, 4-year terms
• Supreme Court• Interprets the laws and decides if laws are constitutional and follows
the Bill of Rights• Nominated by the President, confirmed by the Senate• 9 members, serving for Life
Separation of Powers means that government is designed for gridlock and conflicting interests
US Presidential Elections
• Political parties are not in the Constitution• They are private organizations with their own rules for choosing their own nominee and their own beliefs (platform)
• In the general election, you can always vote for anyone you want, regardless of your party affiliation. But in closed primary states, you can only help select a party’s nominee if you are a member of that party.
• There is no direct popular vote for President (Electoral College System)• Each state has as many electors as it has Senators and Representatives. The candidate with the most electors wins.• California with a population of 39 million has 55 electors • Wyoming with a population of 0.6 million has 3 electors (1 WY = 3.5 CA)
• Winner-Take-All• The winner of the popular vote in a state generally wins all that state’s electors.
• There are only a few swing states (balanced between political parties)
What’s it like to live in the US (Bay Area)
• Bright skies and drinkable tap water• Fast, unfiltered internet• Not as much racism or violence or crime as seen in the news
• People are older, slower, and of all ethnicities• Almost no one spits or litters. But homeless can be see on street corners.
• Infrastructure is not that bad. Homes and roads are in generally good condition.
• Churches every 2 blocks.• Everyone goes home after work. Streets are quiet, stores close at 9 PM, and there’s no one walking around. Few crowds. Traffic obeys rules (stop signs, etc.)
• No metric system. Change is slow.• Yes, you can buy a gun and take it home the same day from your local sporting goods store. Most people in the West own guns.
• People are friendly, but will mind your business