United States at a Glance
This experiment in democracy was the first of its kind at the time. Today, more than 240 years later, our country is viewed as the land of liberty by nations and peoples of the world.
S I ZE : Population of 325 million+ The U.S. is the third largest country by population (after China and India) and by size (after Canada and Russia). TOP 5 POPULAT ION CENTERS : 1. New York City 2. Los Angeles 3. Chicago 4. Dallas, Fort Forth 5. Houston 1
This is America’s legacy.
❝ The ultimate rulers of our democracy are not a President and senators and congressmen and government officials, but the voters of this country.
FRANKL IN D. ROOSEVELT, PRES IDENT ( 1933 - 1945 )
VI TAL STATS : Life Expectancy: 78.8 years Median Age: 37.9
Heirs of Our American Heritage
High school graduate or higher: 86.7% Bachelor’s degree or higher: 29.8% 2
Although Americans enjoy many freedoms, with these rights comes great responsibility.
If “We the People” expect to retain these rights, we must pay attention to what is going on in our country. And we must do our civic duty by voting, serving jury duty and obeying our laws.
RAC IAL PERCENTAGES : White (Non-Hispanic): 61.3% Hispanic: 17.8% Black or African-American: 13.3% Asian: 5.7% Two or more races: 2.6% American Indian/Alaska Native: 1.3% Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 0.2% 3
Soon, it will be your generation’s turn to protect and defend this legacy of liberty.
It will be up to you and your peers to preserve the freedoms guaranteed in these founding documents. Of course, first you must read them.
1 Based on 2015 population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. 2 Based on 2015 data from the National Center for Health Statistics. 3 Population estimates as of July 1, 2016, from the U.S. Census Bureau.
That is the purpose of this book — to share America’s legacy with the generation who will lead our country into the future. ✦
AMER I CA’ S LEGACY PRESENTED BY STUDENT GOVERNMENTAL AFFA I RS PROGRAM | 5
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