AMERICAN STUDIES - PUBLICATIONS

• *The 2009 U.S. Presidential Inauguration
  eJournal USA, January 2009
  The citizens of the United States enthusiastically celebrated the inauguration of their 44th president in January 2009. The peaceful transfer of power always renews faith in the strength of democracy, but in 2009 the rise of an African-American to the nation’s highest office also gave reason for pride at the nation’s repudiation of the segregation and slavery in its past. President Barack Obama called it a day when Americans chose “hope over fear.”



• About America: The Constitution of the United States of America With Explanatory Notes
  July 2004
  This illustrated publication includes the complete text of the U.S. Constitution (preamble, seven articles, and 27 amendments), as well an updated introduction and explanatory notes by J.W. Peltason, author of Understanding the Constitution and Government by the People. The introduction includes sections explaining how the Constitution set up the U.S. federal system, the background to the Constitutional Convention and how the participants arrived at a final version of the document, its ratification, and sections on the call for a Bill of Rights and the need for additional amendments over the years.



• *About America: Edward R. Murrow: Journalism at Its Best
  April 2006
  Issued in commemoration of World Press Freedom Day, May 3, 2006, this publication showcases the life and career of eminent journalist and USIA director Edward R. Murrow. A free and independent media is one of the essential components of a democratic society, and Murrow's radio and TV programs provide excellent examples of how a leading reporter used his journalistic skills in the public's service in times of crisis: e.g., World War II and the McCarthy years. The publication also discusses Murrow's skill in employing the new media of his day - first radio, then TV - to develop new reporting formats that adhered to the profession's highest principles, as well as his coverage of the savage tactics behind Senator Joseph McCarthy's anti-Communist campaign.



• About America: How the United States Is Governed
  October 2005
  This joint publication of the State Department's Bureau of International Information Programs and Braddock Communications presents a comprehensive yet easy-to-read overview of the various levels of and institutions related to government in the U.S. "How the United States Is Governed" describes how federal, state, and local governments are elected, how they operate, and how the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government relate under the U.S. constitutional system. It also highlights how nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and other institutions allow Americans to influence and shape government policy. This publication contains a glossary and a list of useful Web sites.



• Abraham Lincoln: A Legacy of Freedom
  February 2009
  The year 2009 marks the bicentennial of the birth of Abraham Lincoln, the nation’s 16th president, and the man often considered its greatest leader. As the United States endured its greatest crisis, this self-educated common man supplied the leadership and the moral force that bound Americans together and carried them to victory. His vision spanned diplomacy and military strategy, political thought and elemental justice for all Americans - including the African-American slaves he emancipated. The essays gathered here introduce readers to this “best and most widely acclaimed of all Americans.”



• The American Family
  Electronic Journal, January 2001
  This electronic journal seeks to define the broad tapestry constituting "family" at this moment, how the diverse elements play out on society at large, and the challenges being faced. It focuses on the composition of the American family, the changing roles and responsibilities of parents and grandparents, and the impact of an evolving workplace on family life. And we hear the voices of adults and children from varying perspectives and sets of circumstances.



• American Film
  1992



• American Internationalism
  Electronic Journal, August 2003
  This electronic journal illustrates America's extensive record of cooperation, consensus and leadership as we strive to live up to our global responsibilities and our founding principles.



• *American Popular Music
  August 2008
  American popular music is a kaleidoscopic mélange of styles and dreams. Its vibrancy reflects the mating of cultural diversity to artistic and creative freedom. The stories in this book illustrate how Americans, borrowing from diverse musical traditions, have contributed to humanity's universal language.



• *American Religious History (Currents in American Scholarship Series, Vol. 1) (pdf) By Catherine L. Albanese/University of California, Santa Barbara
  December 2002
  "American religious history-and of American religion, which it seeks to narrate and interpret-is surely lively and growing, nourished by the works of colleagues in related disciplines and challenged by new discoveries about the past and by the ever-changing religious situation in the pluralistic twentyfirst-century United States."



• *American Studies Bibliography (Currents in American Scholarship Series, Vol. 2) (pdf) By Bernard Mergen/George Washington University
  August 2003
  "Every American, like every human being, is both an individual and a type. Moreover, both the individual and the groups with which s/he identifies or is identified may change significantly over time. The challenge of all American studies scholarship is to reveal what changes and what remains the same and to explain why we should care."



• American Teenagers
  eJournal USA, July 2005
  This electronic journal describes how today's challenging, unpredictable, dynamic, resilient American teenagers -- who are tomorrow's adults -- mirror the eclecticism of their society. Through first-person accounts, expert analyses and engaging profiles, this edition of eJournal USA offers insights into this special group of Americans.
  Introduced by first lady Laura Bush, a former schoolteacher and librarian, American Teenagers includes the reflections of a veteran high school teacher, a younger educator recently named National Teacher of the Year, and a family that home-schools its children. Also featured are compelling portraits of three international exchange students and one extraordinary American teenager: professional football (American soccer) star Freddy Adu, who works hard to balance his athletic career and his educational goals.



• Americans at the Table: Reflections on Food and Culture
  eJournal USA, July 2004
  The opening essay describes, using the examples of Italian and Chinese cuisine, how the United States draws upon the traditional cooking of its many different immigrant groups to create a unique, vibrant, and ever-changing culinary scene.
  Three authors from widely different backgrounds provide insightful and nostalgic reflections on that most American of holidays, Thanksgiving, the celebration of which culminates around the dinner table.
  Other articles explore the origins and preparation of such uniquely American foods as barbecue, iced tea, and sandwiches-many of which have come to epitomize the character and personality of certain American cities and regions, and are sources of enormous pride to the people who prepare and consume them. Some information on how Americans are coping with a problem related to our bounty-obesity are also included. The journal also includes some light notes in the form of a glossary of American food idioms.
  Hopefully these articles will inform as well as amuse and will help gain new insights into the American character and a greater understanding of U.S. society and values as reflected in American culinary heritage.



• *Anatomy of a Jury Trial
  eJournal USA, July 2009
  Juries — usually groups of 6 or 12 ordinary citizens — provide a crucial service for their fellow citizens: Just as in medieval England, where they got started, juries prevent government, even democratic government, from pursuing oppressive prosecutions.



• *Art on the Edge: 17 Contemporary American Artists
  November 2004
  This book presents a cutting-edge slice of works by the upcoming generation of visual artists working in the United States. Its purpose is, in a modest way, to help increase international understanding. In a nutshell, we believe that those who view this sampling of American art today will experience certain of this nation's fundamental values - innovation, diversity, freedom, individualism, competitive excellence - in ways that go well beyond words.



• The Arts in America: New Directions
  Electronic Journal, April 2003
  Because any generalizations about the arts must be suspect in a country housing some 1,200 symphony orchestras, 117 professional opera companies, more than 400 dance companies, and 425 nonprofit professional theaters, each expert's answer to these questions will necessarily be a partial answer. That's why we have included a range of views - critics, working professionals in each field, portraits of the artists themselves. And, naturally, our experts sometimes disagree with one another. A diversity of opinions seems only fitting in a country where there is no ministry of culture, no official view of the best forms of art.
  Yet this journal also reveals certain common themes. One is the increasing internationalization of art - the way contemporary American art forms are constantly enriched by the movement of artists and ideas across borders and vice versa. Another is what one critic calls "hybridity" - borders between art forms are breaking down as many artists work in cross-disciplinary ways.



• *Barack Obama: 44th President of the United States
  November 2008
  Barack Obama, elected the 44th President of the United States, has lived a truly American life, and has opened a new chapter in American politics. This publication tells the story of Obama’s life, describes how he captured the presidency, and portrays his vision for the future. It also introduces readers to the Obama family and to the new Vice President, Joseph Biden.



• Basic Readings in U.S. Democracy
  Presents court decisions, legislative acts, and presidential decrees that form the bedrock of American democracy, as well as letters, essays, speeches, and poems that chart the country's search for itself as a democratic society.



• *Being Muslim in America
  March 2009
  The young women pictured on our cover are both Muslim. They live near Detroit, Michigan, in a community with many Arab-American residents. Each expresses her faith in her own way, with a combination of traditional and modern dress. Here, they compete fiercely on the basketball court in a sport that blends individual skills and team effort. They - along with the other men, women, and children in this publication - demonstrate every day what it is like to be Muslim in America.



• *Benefits of Trade: Costs of Protectionism
  eJournal USA, January 2007
  Removing trade barriers through World Trade Organization and other negotiations promises to lift millions of people around the world out of poverty. Maintaining protectionist practices hurts millions, especially in the developing world, by preventing sustained economic expansion. While developed countries need to drop their own protectionist practices, developing countries stand to gain the most benefits by removing their protectionist barriers to imports from each other. Protectionism bolsters the politically designated few while harming the many; the problem and the solution are political. This issue of eJournal USA has articles from authors inside and outside the U.S. government describing the benefits of trade and the costs of protectionism.



• *The Candidates
  eJournal USA, October 2008
  Every presidential campaign is dramatic and historic, but as the fervor surrounding the 2008 election continues to build, U.S. voters and the rest of the world will want to consider the candidates' personal histories more closely. What sort of people rise to the top in the U.S. political system, what are their attributes, their sensibilities, and their strengths?



• Changing America: The United States Population in Transition
  Electronic Journal, June 1999
  Throughout our history, going back more than two centuries, the United States populace has been an ever-evolving phenomenon. New immigrants have flocked to this nation from scores of countries. Pioneers have blazed trails across the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, and over land, to various parts of the United States. Subsequently, their families and descendants have followed those paths to new homes, new occupations and new self-worth as U.S. citizens. And as one generation passes from the scene and a new one springs forth, the population invariably is affected. Even in our day, we have seen the "baby boomer" generation, born just after World War II, drive U.S. society for much of the second half of this century. Now, thanks to longer life expectancy and their own dynamism, seniors are assuming an impressive role in the United States as the century ends and a new one begins. This journal presents fundamental demographic details about the changing U.S. population at this moment in history, the U.S. census, new immigration trends and the growing impact of seniors, among other subjects, and offers resources for further exploration of the topic.



• The Changing Face of U.S. Courts
  Electronic Journal, May 2003
  This electronic journal focuses not so much on the structure of U.S. courts, but on their changing face, especially over the last few decades as court caseloads have surged, as media have become increasingly present, and as rapid technological advances have helped streamline the management of the courts and the way trials are conducted.



• *Choosing a Career
  eJournal USA, December 2008
  This edition of eJournal USA rambles down the many varied paths that Americans take on their way to find their life's work. Professionals in various fields explain how they got there, and some wrong turns they made along the way. Experts describe how young people can weigh and explore the options before them.



• The Civil Rights Movement and the Legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr.
  November 1998
  A history of the contemporary civil rights movement in the United States, including a chronology of key events, brief biographical information on two centuries of African-American leaders, and excerpts from King's speeches and writings.



• *Clean Energy Solutions
  eJournal USA, July 2006
  Projected dramatic increases in energy consumption in the coming decades, combined with a higher risk of climate change, require a massive global response based on technological innovation and the power of the marketplace. Experts and government officials describe the options before us, including renewable energy, novel vehicles, and low-carbon power generation, and discuss the best ways leading to a sustainable energy future.



• College and University Education in the United States,
  eJournal USA, November 2005
  Through this journal, prospective international students and their parents and advisors will learn about the American system of higher education and academic and student life at U.S. colleges and universities.
  The U.S. system of higher education is unlike most others in that there is no national system. The U.S. Constitution reserves for the states all government functions not specifically described as federal. The states are, therefore, principally responsible for the establishment, governance, and regulation of universities and other institutions of higher learning. The journal includes descriptions of various types of U.S. institutions of higher learning, followed by articles that feature more detailed information about individual university programs, as well as articles about the concept of a "major," college life, and the American styles of instruction. Numerous photos and a video are included to enhance the written descriptions.



• Community Colleges in the United States
  Electronic Journal, June 2002
  In the United States, universal elementary and secondary education enhances and enriches society as a whole. Higher education, too, is part of the daily experience for millions of men and women, as they stride towards vocational, technical, business, professional and intellectual careers.
  Within higher education, the community college system of two-year programs is taking on a greater significance as time goes on. A century after the movement's creation with the establishment of Joliet (Illinois) Junior College, these schools are pivotal in workforce development, continuing education and the expansion of civic communal responsibility on a local level.



• The Constitution of the United States of America



• Contemporary U.S. Literature: Multicultural Perspectives
  Electronic Journal, February 2000
  Today, American literature is rich in newer traditions - and some that have been transformed. Venues, sensibilities, themes have changed as well. In considering developments within Arab American, Asian American, black American, Hispanic American and Native American writing, this journal introduces a global audience to the continuously evolving multicultural literature in our day, and to a selection of gifted creative talents, as the process of renewal continues in U.S. literature in the new century.



• *Countering the Terrorist Mentality
  eJournal USA, May 2007
  This edition of eJournal USA, "Countering the Terrorist Mentality," provides a look at the complex, global problem of terrorism. Several of the world's leading scholars in this field, including Walter Laqueur, Bruce Hoffman, Jerrold Post, David Kilcullen, Mohammed Hafez, and Mia Bloom, examine the motivations of those who carry out terrorist attacks and the techniques terrorist organizations like al-Qaida use to recruit and motivate them.



• Criminal Justice in the U.S.
  Electronic Journal, July 2001
  This electronic journal focuses on criminal justice in the U.S. A recurring theme in all of our articles is the inherent tension between the need to swiftly and effectively prosecute crimes and the equally important need to protect the rights of all citizens. The presumption of innocence is at the heart of the U.S. system. Any defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt - the standard for all criminal trials in the U.S.
  As Professor James B. Jacobs documents in our opening article, the nation's criminal law system has evolved significantly since the founding of the Republic. Jacobs, Warren E. Burger professor of law at New York University and director of its center for Research in Crime and Justice, explains the federal-state demarcation, criminal procedure, and the system of sentencing and appeals. Importantly, he also documents how the rights of Americans under the criminal justice system have expanded over the years, particularly during the last century.



• The Declaration of Independence



• *Democracy in Brief
  December 2007
  Democracy may be a word familiar to most, but it is a concept still misunderstood and misused at a time when dictators, single-party regimes, and military coup leaders alike assert popular support by claiming the mantle of democracy. Yet the power of the democratic idea has prevailed through a long and turbulent history, and democratic government, despite continuing challenges, continues to evolve and flourish throughout the world.



• *Disability and Ability
  eJournal USA, November 2006
  Opening with President Bush's proclamation on the 16th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, this edition of eJournal USA follows three themes from his speech; Guarding the Rights of Others, Building on the Progress, and Celebrating the Contributions.



• *Dynamic English
  eJournal USA, August 2007
  This edition of eJournal USA, Dynamic English, discusses forces that shape and change everyday English. From cultural and international influences, such as words that come directly, or in a changed form from another language, to popular media, including movies, music and sports, to changes arising from technological developments, the authors present examples of ways English changes daily. Other articles describe the process of language change, and tips for deciphering slang.



• Education in the United States: The Pre-University Years
  Electronic Journal, June 2000
  This journal presents a portrait of the current U.S. primary and secondary education landscape, offering resources for further exploration of the subject. The themes the various articles explore, when taken together, reflect a nation that honors accessibility in its educational system and benefits from its substance, even as citizens seek imaginative ways of resolving familiar and unanticipated challenges.



• Elections 2004 (pdf)
  September 2003
  This publication provides an introductory overview of the American electoral process for people who are not familiar with U.S. election practices and traditions. For "U.S. Elections 2004," seven experts were asked, mostly political scientists, to explain significant aspects of the upcoming elections to international audiences who may have different ways of electing their government.



• *The Electoral College
  eJournal USA, September 2008
  More than 100 million voters are likely to cast ballots in nationwide U.S. elections November 4. But only 538 men and women will elect the next president of the United States, and those elections will take place in 50 state capitals and in Washington, D.C., December 15. This indirect election system, called the Electoral College and devised in 1787 by the framers of the Constitution, puzzles Americans and non-Americans alike. It reflects the federal governing system of allocating powers not only to a national government and to the people but also to the states. We hope that this issue of eJournal USA will improve your understanding of the historical reasons for the Electoral College system and how it functions.



• *Energy Efficiency: The First Fuel
  eJournal USA, April 2009
  Increasing the efficient use of existing energy supplies is widely acknowledged as the fastest, cheapest, and cleanest way to meet future energy needs. Energy Efficiency: The First Fuel examines the strong U.S. record of tapping efficiency as a resource, and the accelerated efforts by individuals, organizations, and governments to squeeze greater productivity from all energy sources.



• * Focus On: Intellectual Property Rights
  January 2006
  Essays by government, academic, and industry experts introduce intellectual property rights issues and key concepts -- patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, and new forms of IP. Articles also explain why countries need effective intellectual property systems, and what governments in each region are doing to enforce IPR. Includes a glossary of IP terms, a list of print and Internet IP resources, and a separate resource list for children and young adults.



• Foundations of Democracy
  eJournal USA, December 2005
  This journal focuses on several key components of genuine democracies and the experiences of various nations in fashioning the form of democracy that suits their cultures, protects minority populations, and helps all citizens fulfill their aspirations.
  As democracy spreads throughout the world, nations in transition will look to existing democracies for guidance. They must keep in mind that there is no simple model and that no one framework is applicable in its entirety to all countries. Some of the topics-how democracies respect the differences within their populations, the importance of a fair judicial process, economic freedom, and a free press-are, however, critical factors in any democratic society.



• * Free At Last - The U.S. Civil Rights Movement
  January 2009
  This book recounts how African-American slaves and their descendants struggled to win — both in law and in practice — the civil rights enjoyed by other Americans. It is a story of dignified persistence and struggle, a story that produced great heroes and heroines, and one that ultimately succeeded by forcing Americans to confront squarely the shameful gap between their universal principles of equality and justice and the inequality, injustice, and oppression faced by millions of their fellow citizens.



• *Freedom of Faith
  eJournal USA, August 2008
  The principle of religious freedom is a cherished right in the United States, one that has historical roots older than the formation of the nation itself. In the 21st century, the United States pulses with a unique cultural chemistry brought on by a wave of immigration which has brought followers of more diverse faiths to many communities. This edition of eJournal USA examines how the nation adjusts to these demographic changes to remain true to the principles of freedom of faith.



• Generation of Change. The Civil Rights Movement in America
  Provides a history of the civil rights movement, together with a look at contemporary black America. The publication includes a brief profile of King and excerpts from his speeches and writings.



• Giving: U.S. Philanthropy
  eJournal USA, May 2006
  This journal highlights several forms of giving and the activities of a wide variety of philanthropic organizations, some under the patronage of the rich and famous, others created and operated by ordinary people. It also contains valuable resources for those who want to learn about nonprofit management, grant writing, and other topics related to modern philanthropy.



• *The Global Financial System
  eJournal USA, May 2009
  Experts describe the mechanics of the global financial system presenting their views concerning the cyclical nature of markets, the interdependence of global trade relationships, and the role of regulation.



• The Global War on Terrorist Finance
  eJournal USA, September 2004
  A key element of terrorist networks that was largely undisturbed prior to 9/11 is the global financial infrastructure that facilitates the rise of groups such as al-Qaida and funds attacks against the United States and its global partners.
  The work to track and shut down the financial network of terror is one of the most critical efforts facing us today, and the U.S. has achieved important successes in the mission to bankrupt the financial underpinnings of terrorism. Raising and moving money is now harder, costlier, and riskier for al-Qaida and like-minded terrorist groups.



• *The Greening of U.S. Corporations (pdf)
  eJournal USA, March 2008
  This issue of eJournal USA delves into what those familiar with the history of the environmental movement in the United States might see as a surprising trend - the way U.S. corporations in recent years have embraced environmentally friendly ways of doing business. What prompts a corporation to "go green"?



• Growing Up Healthy
  eJournal USA, January 2005
  This edition of eJournal USA examines many of the latest findings about the risks and challenges that young people face today and strategies and solutions for dealing with them. Experts discuss the medical, social, and environmental conditions that can harm our youths. And some famous young athletes who have fresh memories of adolescence tell us how they coped with problems they encountered on the journey to adulthood. The journal also provides rich bibliographic and Internet resources for additional exploration of the issue.



• *Handbook of Independent Journalism
  July 2006
  This handbook covers the ins and outs of what every professional journalist should know - from how to research, write, and edit a story to how to write headlines, choose graphics, and select quotes and sound bites. Print, radio, TV, and Web-based or online journalism forms are discussed in detail, as well as the skills required in beat reporting. One chapter focuses on ethical principles, codes, community standards, and internationally endorsed journalism norms. The "Journalism Resources" section lists membership groups, resource sites for reporting and editing, and sample ethics codes. The author, Deborah Potter, is the director of NewsLab in Washington, D.C., and a former network correspondent for CBS News and CNN.



• *Historians on America
  September 2007
  Historians on America is a series of individual essays that selects specific moments, decisions, and intellectual or legislative or legal developments and explains how they altered the course of U.S. history. The book consists of 11 separate essays by major historians, ranging from The Trial of John Peter Zenger in 1735 to The Immigration Act of 1965.



• How U.S. Courts Work
  Electronic Journal, September 1999
  This journal focuses not so much on judicial independence nor, more broadly, on the role of the judiciary in the U.S. system of government. Rather, it is a guide to how the U.S. court system works in practice - the system's players, its structure, its functions, and its ethical safeguards. But it is important to understand that the U.S. courts exist in an overall constitutional framework that guarantees their independence.



• *Human Rights in Brief
  March 2008
  In all civilized nations, attempts are made to defi ne and buttress human rights. The core of the concept is the same everywhere: Human rights are the rights that one has simply because one is human. They are universal and equal. Human rights are also inalienable. They may be suspended, rightly or wrongly, at various places and times, but the idea of inherent rights cannot be taken away. One can no more lose these rights than one can stop being a human being.



• *If You Want to Study in the U.S.: Undergraduate Study (pdf)
  This booklet gives information on how to choose and apply to U.S. bachelor's and associate degree programs, plus information on technical and vocational educational opportunities in the United States.



• *If You Want to Study in the U.S.: Graduate and Professional Study and Research (pdf)
  This booklet gives information on how to research and apply to U.S. master's, doctoral degree, and postdoctoral programs, plus information on certification and licensing procedures for professionals who wish to further their education or practice in the United States.



• *If You Want to Study in the U.S.: Short-Term Study, English-Language Programs, Distance Education and Accreditation (pdf)
  This booklet contains information on opportunities to study in the United States for up to one year, plus an overview of studying towards a degree, diploma, or certificate from outside the United States through distance education programs. The booklet also includes detailed information on accreditation of U.S. higher education institutions.



• *If You Want to Study in the U.S.: Getting Ready to Go - Practical Information for Living and Studying in the United States (pdf)
  This booklet helps with planning your move to the United States after you have been accepted to a U.S. university or college. It also provides invaluable advice on applying for a visa, moving to the United States, and what to expect when you arrive on campus.



• *Immigrants Joining the Mainstream
  eJournal USA, February 2008
  Immigrants made the United States what it is. Being an American depends on acceptance of certain American ideals, not on the place of birth of a person or of his or her ancestors. This edition of eJournal USA tells the story of immigration and diversity as it has played out through the centuries and continues to play out now.



• *Indigenous People Today: Living in Two Worlds
  eJournal USA, June 2009
  The June 2009 edition of eJournal USA provides insight into Native Americans and other indigenous peoples. Articles provide historical background and look at issues surrounding their languages and culture, their legal status, and how they are networking around the world.



• Lifesaving Vaccines
  eJournal USA, March 2007
  Vaccines can prevent disease, prolong life, and even eradicate scourges that have plagued people since prehistory. Knowledge of vaccine effectiveness is decades old, but children in developing nations are still dying from vaccine preventable diseases. The United States and international partners have been working together for more than 30 years to expand the benefits of vaccines to children everywhere. The story of their efforts is told in this edition of eJournalUSA.



• The Long Campaign: U.S. Elections 2008
  eJournal USA, October 2007
  This edition of eJournal USA presents an introduction to the upcoming 2008 U.S. elections. In these elections, U.S. voters will have the opportunity to vote for president and vice president, congressional representatives, state and local officials, and ballot initiatives. The journal describes aspects of this election which make it different from most recent elections and includes a pro-con debate of the Electoral College.



• Making a Difference in the U.S.A.: Women in Politics
  March 2008
  This publication offers the stories of women who believed that they could make a difference by participating in politics and government, and forged ahead to do so.



• *Markets and Democracy
  eJournal USA, June 2008
  The connection between markets and democracy has never been a straight line. Since the 1700s economic thinkers have been debating this complex relationship. Is it possible to have free markets without democracy? Which develops first? Can the incentive of economic growth lead to greater democracy in countries that are not democratic?
  The 12 international experts we've assembled in this issue take up different aspects of the conundrum and offer their answers to these questions. Our goal, however, is not to resolve a centuries-old intellectual debate but to deepen our readers' understanding about the nuances of what is undeniably a matter of importance for everybody in the world today.



• The Marshall Plan: Rebuilding Europe
  May 2007
  June 5, 2007, marks the 60th anniversary of the unveiling of the Marshall Plan, the U.S. program of assistance to the countries of Europe in the wake of World War II. This publication presents the story behind this joint European-American venture, from its conception by then Secretary of State George C. Marshall to its eventual success in laying out the economic and political basis for the renewal of countries like Britain, Germany, Turkey, and Italy.



• *Media Emerging
  eJournal USA, March 2006
  Experts and pioneers in these changing technologies share their thoughts on the following pages, describing the innovations unfolding and offering a vision of what may lie ahead. Dale Peskin and Andrew Nachison of the American Press Institute's Media Center envision a collaborative information society in a model they call "We Media." Blogging pioneer Dan Gillmor describes how a new form of journalism influences public events. Television veteran Jeff Gralnick looks around the corner to the next new thing. Daniel Larkin explains how the U.S. government's Internet Crime Complaint Center pursues complaints about fraudulent and criminal activity online, which has burgeoned at the same pace as new media and technological innovation.
  These and other experts share their thoughts in this e-journal.



• *Media Making Change
  eJournal USA, December 2007
  New media technologies give average citizens access to vast amounts of information and broad networks of people. People can use these tools to pursue social and political agendas of their own making. This edition of eJournal USA shows how this new empowerment is influencing nations in various parts of the world.



• *The Movie Business Today
  eJournal USA, June 2007
  This issue of eJournal USA analyzes the increasing internationalization of the film industry, both in terms of audiences and filmmaking talent; the rise of a more personal style of independent filmmaking in recent years; the market for foreign-produced films in the United States; and the effects of the Internet and the digital revolution on how movies get made and distributed. Shorter pieces focus on film festivals like Sundance that seed young talent and some film studios' efforts to go green in making movies.



• *Multicultural Literature in the United States Today
  eJournal USA, February 2009
  The United States is enriched culturally by immigrants from many nations. This edition of eJournal USA focuses on distinguished American writers from various ethnic backgrounds who add immeasurably to mutual understanding and appreciation through tales of their native lands and their experiences as Americans.



• *National Parks, National Legacy
  eJournal USA, July 2008
  The people of the United States own and protect a sprawling system of national parks, including seashores, trails, monuments, and battlefields. All American citizens are, in a sense, stewards of sites where history unfolded, where mountains soar, and where rivers run. They keep these parks for the future, and they treasure them today. As former President Franklin Delano Roosevelt said, "There is nothing so American as our national parks. The scenery and wildlife are native. The fundamental idea behind the parks is native. It is, in brief, that the country belongs to the people." This edition of eJournalUSA presents glorious views of the national parks, the history of this vast system, and its mission of conservation and public access.



• *New Directions in American Literary Scholarship, 1980-2002 (Currents in American Scholarship Series, Vol. 3) (pdf) By Emory Elliott and Crait Svonkin/University of California/Riverside
  March 2004
  Any limited survey of the state of literary scholarship in the United States is bound to exclude much worthy work that does not fit into the categories, paradigms, and areas of investigation selected by the authors of such an overview. An essay that attempts to review the most important movements and trends in American literary scholarship risks the criticism of having recognized some trends and ignored others. Recognizing such limitations, we hope that this essay may be a useful starting point for students and researchers of the literatures of the United States who are seeking an understanding of what have been the most significant directions of scholarship since the 1980s.



• *The Next New Thing
  eJournal USA, January 2008
  Innovation is the art of creating something new, and everyday in the U.S. and around the world, scientists, students, and everyday people are working to bring to life an idea that it theirs alone. This edition of eJournal USA tells the story of innovators and their creations.



• *Nonviolent Paths to Social Change
  eJournal USA, March 2009
  The past 30 years have seen a surge of nonviolent, “people power” movements around the world advancing human rights and toppling repressive rulers. This edition of eJournal USA demonstrates that nonviolent actions can be more powerful than armed insurrections in bringing about social change.



• *Obama in His Own Words, U.S. Department of State, January 2009
  This book includes the complete text of the 44th President’s Inaugural Address. Also featured are extended excerpts from eight other significant campaign and pre-presidential speeches.



• *The Olympic Experience
  eJournal USA, April 2008
  The Olympic Games remind us of certain universal human values. Every Olympian has a story that echoes the shared human struggle for excellence and our devotion to pursue purpose in life. In this issue of eJournal USA, we celebrate the Olympics through the individual experiences and insights of athletes who share their memories of the Olympic Experience.



• An Outline of American Geography
  November 1998
  Considers the physical environment of the United States - landforms, climate, soils, and vegetation - in terms of its impact on the country's cultural, regional, and political development.



• Outline of American Literature
  December 2006
  Follows the path taken by American literature as it has moved from the pre-colonial days of orally transmitted tales of Native American cultures, through the periods of realism, romanticism, and experimentation, to the prose and poetry of the past 50 years.



• An Outline of the U.S. Economy
  February 2001
  How labor, agriculture, small businesses, large corporations, the Federal Reserve System, and the government have interacted to produce the U.S. economic system.



• Outline of U.S. Government
  September 2000
  What makes U.S. government uniquely American...its Constitution, the separation of powers, the concept of "checks and balances," the decentralized roles of state and local governments, and a citizenry with wide opportunity to be part of it all.



• Outline of U.S. History
  November 2005
  How the United States has been transformed from its origins as an obscure set of colonies on the Atlantic coast a little more than 200 years ago into what one political analyst terms "the first universal nation."



• Outline of the U.S. Legal System
  December 2004
  This Outline covers the history and organization of the federal and state judicial systems; the criminal and civil court processes; the background, qualifications, and selection of federal judges; the role of other participants (lawyers, defendants, interest groups) in the judicial process; and the implementation and impact of judicial policies. It is based on the Congressional Quarterly Press' Judicial Process in America, 5th edition, by political science professors Robert A. Carp and Ronald Stidham.



• Portrait of the U.S.A.
  May 2003
  An introduction, in words and pictures, to the United States - people, geography, history, government, business, education, science and medicine, religion, social services, the arts, sports and entertainment, and the media.



• *Principles of Democracy
  April 2005
  Although the term is ubiquitous in today's world, explaining "democracy" can be challenging. This series of one-page primers on the fundamentals of democracy provides the reader with an overview paper and then breaks down the specific elements of democratic governance into individual topics. Each paper in the series reflects both the thinking of mainstream theorists and common practices of the many free societies now flourishing under systems of democratic governance.



• *Rachel Carson: Pen Against Poison
  March 2007
  Rachel Carson was a quiet woman who stirred extraordinary controversy that persists decades after her death. Her 1962 book Silent Spring brought worldwide attention to the harm to human health and the environment wrought by mishandling of a powerful pesticide, fomenting the environmental movement. In the 100th anniversary year of Carson's birth, this publication examines how occasionally in history a book with a powerful idea can bring about peaceful but dramatic change in a democratic society.



• Rebuilding and Resilience - Five Years After 9/11
  eJournal USA, August 2006

This journal examines how the United States has rebounded and how the international community has rebuilt and come together to condemn terrorism in the five years since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Highlights include articles about the rebuilding of the area around the World Trade Center, U.S. government efforts to facilitate travel to the United States, an interfaith roundtable, planned 9/11 memorials, and how survivors are rebuilding their lives.


• Religious Freedom as a Human Right
  Electronic Journal, November 2001
  In his farewell address to the nation in 1789, George Washington reminded his fellow citizens that religion as well as government is a part of the fabric of life. "Religion and Morality are indispensable supports," he said. "In vain would that man claim the tribute of Patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of Men and Citizens."
  Washington saw that as well as good governance, there must also be the right of the people to practice the faith that they deemed necessary for the "great pillars of human happiness."
  This electronic journal takes Washington's premise one step further and looks at religious freedom as a universal human right.



• *A Responsible Press Office
  September 2001
  This booklet has been written as a sort of pocket guide for government leaders and public information officials who want to create an effective mechanism of communication between the press and the government. The choice of material reflects issues raised by these spokespersons, both in terms of the specific topics addressed and the level of detail provided. The questions discussed here are certainly not unique to any one part of the world. How do I deal with the press during a crisis situation? How do I develop the message that the government official for whom I work wants people to understand and accept? How do I assess an interview request? How do I set up a press conference? How do I combine a press office's need for a long-term communications strategy with its responsibility for working with the press on a daily basis? How friendly can and should government spokespersons and journalists be?



• *Rethinking International Aid
  eJournal USA, November 2007
  This edition of eJournal USA describes how U.S. foreign aid - directed through government and faith-based organizations, through individuals, businesses, and a multiplicity of partnerships - has developed, how it fits into foreign affairs, and how it is related to advancing altruistic objectives.



• Rights of the People - Individual Freedom and the Bill of Rights
December 2003
"Rights of the People" is a history of American law and justice, written by Constitutional historian Melvin Urofsky. By focusing on the Bill of Rights to the U.S. Constitution, and the legal interpretations, many of them written by America's finest jurists, that refined and expanded the Bill of Rights, Urofsky presents a history of the United States from the standpoint of individual liberty.


• *See You in the U.S.A.
  eJournal USA, September 2005
  This eJournal USA brings together the information you need to make your trip to the United States as easy as possible. It also defines the acronyms of U.S. government travel programs and explains how these fit in with those of other nations.



• *Seeking Free & Responsible Media
  Electronic Journal, September 2002
  It has long been the policy of the U.S. government to support the development of open and responsible media abroad and to assist in building the infrastructure needed for a free press to operate - legislative infrastructure, financial independence, transparency in government, and journalists trained in objective and fair reporting. Achieving a free and responsible media is a constant, challenging, vital, and ongoing activity. We must continue to work at it, adapting to new conditions and challenges. We must keep in sight the ultimate objective - a citizenry able to make informed decisions that shape their lives.



• September 11: One Year Later
  Electronic Journal, February 2003
  Over the past year, Americans have responded to the president's charge, showing their resolve and demonstrating their values in thousands of different ways. This journal examines some of the ways Americans have reacted to the events of September 11 - one of the greatest tragedies, challenges and unifying events in the nation's history.



• Shared Oceans, Shared Future
  Electronic Journal, April 2004
  Technological and financial resources devoted to research have not been adequate to accomplish all that scientists want to learn about our oceans, but attempts are being made in many quarters in the United States to address the situation. We examine many of them in this edition of Global Issues. We hope that this electronic journal will inform readers as well as encourage them to learn more about the oceans and about how we can all work together to preserve this resource so vital to us all.



• *Sharing Science: Global Partnerships
  eJournal USA, October 2006
  This edition of eJournal USA focuses on science as an inherently international undertaking in which researchers share the results of their work with a scientific community that spans the planet, through a growing array of collaborative efforts, technical journals, conferences, the Internet, and dedicated high-bandwidth data networks for research and education. The eJournal has many examples of U.S. participation and leadership in these international undertakings.



• Significant Events in U.S. Foreign Relations (1900 - 2001)
  eJournal USA, April 2006
  This edition, conceived as a teaching tool, is specifically intended to acquaint foreign students in high school and college programs with events of the 20th century that were of historic significance in shaping U.S. foreign relations. The journal includes articles by leading diplomatic historians and political scientists, archival photographs and a bibliography and listing of key Internet resources. Special features in this edition of eJournal USA include several short video excerpts on historical events including President Reagan's famous "Mr. Gorbachev, Tear Down This Wall!" speech and President Kennedy during the Cuban Missile Crisis.



• *Sixty Years: Celebrating the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
  eJournal USA, November 2008
  This issue of eJournal USA celebrates the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It explores the document’s origins, sites it within humanity’s common intellectual heritage, and explains how it has bettered the lives of individuals in every corner of the globe.



• * Sketchbook USA
  December 2008
  Sketchbook USA lavishly illustrates many aspects of American life. These excerpts depict Americans at work, at play, and engaging in civic activities.



• Snapshot USA
  eJournal USA, June 2006
  This edition of eJournal USA is designed to provide a central resource for information about the United States. It is but an introduction, tailored to the current generation of young people around the world, containing many facts and statistics, but also essays which describe a little of how Americans think about their country and the world.



• Sports in America
  Electronic Journal, December 2003
  This journal attempts to relate some of the poetry and prose, so to speak, of sports in America. Three distinguished essayists - Roger Rosenblatt, John Edgar Wideman, and Joseph Epstein - bring unique and very personal observations to the meaning and value of the games that Americans play. Other writers provide contrasting views of the influence of sports across the American landscape and around the world. Some current social trends and developments, such as the growing involvement of women and persons with disabilities in competitive athletics, an outgrowth of federal legislation and an expanding national consciousness are explored. Hopefully this will provide readers not only with interesting information about sports in America, but new insights as well into American culture and society.



• The State Department at Work in the 21st Century: Global Actions
  eJournal USA, February 2007
  This edition of eJournal USA presents descriptions of how several State Department offices and bureaus work together to accomplish the department's mission-"to create a more secure, democratic, and prosperous world for the benefit of the American people and the international community." The "regional" bureaus described in the September 2006 eJournal USA have responsibility for particular regions of the world; these "functional" bureaus have worldwide responsibility for particular issues. This journal provides a picture of the "global actions" of these bureaus and their role in furthering U.S. policies.



• *The Supreme Court of the United States: Highest Court in the Land
  eJournal USA, April 2005
  The United States is sometimes known as a society of laws. The phrase reflects Americans' ability to conduct our business and personal affairs and to exercise the rights guaranteed to us by the U.S. Constitution against a background of predictable and peaceably enforceable legal norms.
  The ultimate interpreter of American law and the American Constitution itself is the United States Supreme Court. Nearly 220 years old, the Court has grown dramatically in stature and authority. Today, Americans may disagree-and often do-volubly and with great zest, with one or another of the Court's decisions, but defying the Court is simply beyond the bounds of political, even social, legitimacy.
  This journal is a collection of essays that explain how the Court functions. They also illustrate how it commands the respect of Americans and plays a vital role in the constitutional system. We are fortunate to feature an introduction by Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist, and contributions by a number of the nation's premier legal scholars.



• *Transforming the Culture of Corruption
  eJournal USA, December 2006
  In recent years, through a series of international agreements, a global framework for combating corruption has begun to emerge. Individual countries can now make their anticorruption efforts more effective by vigorously implementing anti-corruption commitments and relying on international cooperation. This issue of eJournal USA highlights the important roles that the public sector, private sector, and non-governmental organizations play in promoting, preventing, and working to eradicate corruption worldwide.



• *Twentieth Century United States History (Currents in American Scholarship Series, Vol. 4) (pdf) By James T. Patterson, Robert Fleegler and Andrew Huebner/Brown University
  October 2004
  Historical writing about the United States in the twentieth century has mushroomed over the years, reflecting great interest among American readers and students in books concerned with the recent past. University courses concerned with twentiethcentury American life are frequently very large and rely on a wealth of sources-not only books and articles but also published and unpublished archival materials, films, documentaries, recordings, statistical information, and oral accounts-that have enabled scholars to explore a wide range of issues and historical controversies.



• *USA Economy in Brief
  July 2007
  This mini-publication discusses the factors that make the U.S. economy the world's most productive, competitive, and influential. It focuses on workers and productivity, small and large business, the service economy, goods and services, the role of government, and the concept of "creative destruction," the process where jobs, companies, entire industries come and go because of their success or failure in the marketplace. USA Economy in Brief includes colorful charts to illustrate, for instance, U.S. annual exports and imports and the U.S. trade deficit.



• *USA Education in Brief
  September 2008
  USA Education in Brief covers the development of the public school movement, beginning with "common school," (the iconic little red schoolhouse) in the 18th century, through the Land-Grant university movement to the G.I. Bill of Rights and the civil rights movement which expanded educational opportunity to all U.S. citizens. Additional topics include 21st century challenges; civic, bilingual, and special education; foreign exchanges; and teaching democracy to a new generation.



• *USA Elections in Brief
  January 2008
  Free and fair elections are the keystone of any democracy. They are essential for the peaceful transfer of power.
  When voters elect representatives, they elect the leaders who will shape the future of their society. This is why elections empower ordinary citizens: they allow them to influence the future policies of their government, and thus, their own future.
  The United States has been a representative democracy since the ratification of the U.S. Constitution in 1787 - although the electoral tradition began during the Colonial era and had its roots in British history. This book discusses the nature of the modern American electoral process, and how it works at the federal, state, and local levels. The process, complicated and sometimes confusing, has evolved to ensure universal suffrage to all men and women who are U.S. citizens - 18 years-of-age, or older.



• *USA History in Brief
  March 2007
  The first title in the new "In Brief" series, this publication summarizes in a few thousand words the history of how the United States was founded and the forces and events that shaped the dynamic and varied country that it has become today.



• *USA Literature in Brief
  May 2007
  USA Literature in Brief pinpoints and describes the contributions to American literature of some of the best-recognized American poets, novelists, philosophers and dramatists from pre-Colonial days through the present. Major literary figures are discussed in detail, as are their major works. Brief discussions of cultural periods and movements such as romanticism, transcendentalism, and modernism put individuals in context and lend perspective. This condensed version of Outline of American Literature highlights major achievers and important works in the canon.



• *USA Map with Facts in Brief
  October 2007
  This brochure features a full-color map of the United States. It includes plenty of facts and statistics about the United States - its government, geography, environment, sports and entertainment, the economy and employment, education, transportation, and population.



• *U.S. Food Aid: Reducing World Hunger
  eJournal USA, September 2007
  It is estimated that some 850 million people around the world suffer from hunger and malnutrition. Through articles written by NGO representatives and U.S. government officials, this edition of eJournal USA describes some of the ways in which the United States government works through its agencies and in conjunction with international organizations and NGOs to provide food and assistance to save lives and to help hungry people feed themselves.



• U.S. Foreign Policy in the 21st Century - Regional Issues
  eJournal USA, September 2006
  Introduced by Secretary Rice, this electronic journal features essays by each regional bureau Assistant Secretary outlining U.S. policy in that region. Each essay also explains the Assistant Secretary's personal vision for that region, and outlines how the Secretary's "transformational diplomacy" will help our international partners build and sustain democratic, well-governed states.



• *U.S. Presidential Transitions
  eJournal USA, January 2009
  We often read or hear about turmoil before, during, or after elections around the world. An important characteristic of democracy in the United States, however, is the regularly recurring peaceful transfer of power from one president to the next. Americans know when the next presidential election will take place – the Tuesday after the first Monday in November every four years. And power will be transferred to the newly elected (or re-elected) president on January 20 of the following year.



• The United States in 2005: Who We Are Today
  eJournal USA, December 2004
  The United States in 2005 - who are we? Since there are almost 300 million U.S. citizens, there are millions of answers to this question. We, as editors, have taken on the near impossible with this journal: to describe in less than fifty pages who the people of the United States are today.



• The United States of America and UNESCO: Building Knowledge, Bridging Cultures
  August 2003
  This pamphlet, commemorating the return on October 1, 2003, of the United States to a reformed UNESCO, lays out the U.S. priorities for working with this international institution to expand and improve education, promote scientific progress and press freedom, enhance understanding, and protect cultural heritage around the world. Color photographs highlight U.S. and UNESCO projects that promote education, press freedom, science and cultural preservation. The pamphlet includes a brief history of the U.S. participation in the creation of UNESCO, the reasons behind the decision to withdraw in 1984, and the reforms undertaken by UNESCO since then that prompted the U.S. decision to rejoin.



• *Venture Capital Meets Hi-Tech
  eJournal USA, May 2008
  This eJournal explores the phenomenon that drives uncounted Americans - and now citizens of other nations - to create fledgling "start-up" businesses that explore and exploit the latest developments in high technology. It also investigates the closely related "venture capital" phenomenon. How investors match their funds to (hopefully) winning ideas is a big part of the start-up story.



• *Women of Influence
  November 2006
  In recent years more and more societies all over the world have begun to recognize the vital contributions of women to commerce, their communities, and civic life. Whether it be Afghan women voting in a presidential election or women starting micro-businesses in Ethiopia, the worldwide trend toward greater equality is clear. Yet "the denial of women's basic human rights is persistent and widespread," as a 2005 United Nations Population Fund statement put it.
  To commemorate International Women's Day, March 8, and National Women's History Month, we have created an electronic publication that highlights the achievements of some notable women in American history and their role in shaping today's democratic society in the United States. These women - from the Native-American Sacagawea, who guided white settlers through a vast wilderness, to Sojourner Truth, who fought for the end of slavery and equal rights for all, to Jeannette Rankin, who spoke for the health of women and children in Congress - believed that they had a contribution to make and did not shrink from the obstacles in their way. This account of their accomplishments is a reminder that all societies benefit from the talents and expertise of their women.



• *World Youth Building a Future
  eJournal USA, July 2007
  This edition of eJournal USA, "World Youth Building a Future," opens a window on the real life experiences of young people who have left home and family to participate in an international exchange program. Young American adults offer first-person accounts of their discoveries in educational programs abroad, and exchange students from various other countries share their insights about adjusting to life and family customs in the United States.



• Writers on America
  December 2002
  Presents 15 essays by a diverse group of contemporary American writers, poets, essayists, and intellectuals, on how being an American has affected their decision to write and what they have written during successful careers. Their meditations illuminate in an interesting way certain American values -- freedom, diversity, democracy, in the context of individual development. Frequently, for this group of writers, the sense of home means an immigrant culture, with a parent or grandparent from another land; however, the central concept for many of these authors, no matter what their backgrounds, is "possibility," both in personal and creative terms.