Vorwort

The Constitution of the United States 1

Historical Background 1
The Declaration of Independence 4
The Constitution 9
The Bill of Rights 11

The System of Government 15

Creating a Federal Government 15
The Executive Branch 16
The Legislative Branch 20
The Judiciary Branch 22
The System of Checks and Balances 24
Political Parties 26

Presidential Elections 31

The American Electoral System 31
Stages of the US Presidential Elections 31

Immigration and Population 39

A Nation of Immigrants 39
Reasons for Immigration 40
The "Huddled Masses" 42
The American Dream 45
The Frontier 46
The Fate of the Native Americans 48
20th Century Immigration and Newcomers Today 50
Melting Pot or Salad Bowl? 53

The Civil Rights Movement in the USA 55

What is the Civil Rights Movement? 55
The Beginnings of Slavery and Segregation 55
Winds of Change after World War II 57
Martin Luther King and the Civil Rights Movement 58
The Militant Black Power Movement 61
Where Does the Civil Rights Movement Stand Today? 62

Education 65

Education in the Information Age 65
Decentralised School System 65
US Schools 70

Religion 77

The United States — a Religious Society 77
Separation of Church and State 78
Religious Groups 81
Religious Movements and their Impact an Society 88

Media 93

The Press 93
Television 98
The Internet and Social Media 101

Economy 103

Agriculture 103
Industry 108
Information Technology 114
Finance 117

Sports 119

American Sports Inventions 121
American Sports Legends 125

The USA — A World Power 127

Different Views of the United States 127
America's Rise to World Power 128
Conflicts Abroad and at Home 132
From the End of the Cold War to the 21st Century 135

Stichwortverzeichnis 139
Bildnachweis 147