Civilisation Amricaine

Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Immigration and Minorities ............................................................................................. 4 I. 1. II. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Immigration ............................................................................................................................ 4 Recent Laws ........................................................................................................................ 4 Minorities ............................................................................................................................... 5 Main Characteristics ........................................................................................................... 5 Black Americans .................................................................................................................. 5 Hispanics ............................................................................................................................ 5 Asians ................................................................................................................................. 5 North American Indians ...................................................................................................... 6

Chapter 2: Work and Social Aspects .................................................................................................. 7 I. 1. 2. a. b. c. d. II. 1. a. b. 2. Work ...................................................................................................................................... 7 The Working Population ..................................................................................................... 7 Working Conditions and Wages .......................................................................................... 7 Work and Holiday ........................................................................................................... 7 Unemployment ............................................................................................................... 8 Jobs for the future in industry ......................................................................................... 8 Protests of American workers ......................................................................................... 8

Social Protection..................................................................................................................... 9 Social Security and Welfare ................................................................................................. 9 The Federal Social Insurances........................................................................................ 10 The Welfare .................................................................................................................. 10 Poverty ............................................................................................................................. 10

III. 3. a. b. c. d. e. IV. 1. 2. 3. 4.

Social Problems ................................................................................................................ 11 Violence and Criminal Behaviour....................................................................................... 11 Present Trends .............................................................................................................. 11 The Guns....................................................................................................................... 12 The Government responses .......................................................................................... 12 Alcoholism .................................................................................................................... 12 Extremism ..................................................................................................................... 13 The American Way of Life ................................................................................................. 13 Daily Home life ................................................................................................................. 13 Leisure Time ..................................................................................................................... 13 Public and other holidays .................................................................................................. 14 Tourism ............................................................................................................................ 15

Chapter 3: Religion .......................................................................................................................... 16 I. 1. 2. II. III. Religion ................................................................................................................................ 16 The Religious Factor .......................................................................................................... 16 Church and State .............................................................................................................. 16 Major Religions..................................................................................................................... 17 Other Religions ................................................................................................................. 18

Chapter 4: Education ....................................................................................................................... 19 I. II. III. IV. Organization ......................................................................................................................... 19 Elementary, primary and Secondary Education ..................................................................... 19 Higher Education .............................................................................................................. 20 School and Segregation ..................................................................................................... 20

Chapter 5: The Media ...................................................................................................................... 22 I. II. 1. The written press.................................................................................................................. 22 The Other Media .................................................................................................................. 22 The radio field................................................................................................................... 22

2. 3.

Television ......................................................................................................................... 23 Internet ............................................................................................................................ 23

Chapter 6: Foreign Policy and the US............................................................................................... 24 I. II. 1. 2. 3. III. Diplomacy and Institutions ................................................................................................... 24 Foreign Policy and Ideology .................................................................................................. 25 The Freedom Policy .......................................................................................................... 25 The Interest Principle ........................................................................................................ 26 The Progress Principle....................................................................................................... 26 The US as a hyper power................................................................................................... 26

Chapter 1: Immigration and Minorities

I. Immigration
The British colonies in America were, from the start, considered for long-term settlement. For all centuries after independence, the US encouraged immigration to meet the urgent demand for labour. Economical expectation was launched. The origins of that immigration are to be found in Western and Northern Europe, generally Britain, Ireland and Scandinavia. A management of immigration was implemented in 1933. The quota system was replaced in the 60 s by a series of categories which insisted on professional skills and family gathering. 1. Recent Laws At the end of the 80 s, an Immigration Reform attempted to curb illegal immigration. The idea was to regularize the presence of illegal immigrants that have lived in the country since the 60 s and secondly, to deter potential employers from hiring illegal workers. Two more laws were voted since. In 1990, the Immigration Act changed the annual ceiling of legal immigration. It eased the requirement for family gathering and it tried to restore the same balance between the origins of the immigrants. In 1996, Illegal Immigration Reform adopted stronger penalties against illegal immigration, streamlining the deportation process they might face, restricting the use of welfare benefit reserved for American citizens. In the last 10 years, the federal laws have been complemented by local initiatives which, in certain states, California for instance, sought to deny illegals any access to education, wealth or social programs. Those reactions show that the debate on immigration is far from being over in the US. The current policy of the half-open door, only serve to ridicule the position of those who believe that the true national wealth lies in racial, linguistic or cultural diversity, and of those who feel threaten by a lack of control over the ethnic mix. Since the beginning of the 90 s, an average of 600 000 immigrants have been admitted yearly, the census of 2000 indicates a slight increase. Some states attract immigrants more than others. The 6 highest ranking: California, New York, Florida, Texas, Illinois, New Jersey. Those states receive between them nearly 70% of the total yearly immigration. The origins of immigrants show that Mexico and Central America on one side, and South-East Asia on the other, send the greatest number, respectively and of all arrivals in the country. The estimated number of illegals on the American soil varies according to services. An average of 7 millions in 2000 seems reasonable. Neither physical barriers nor legal constricts seem to have sold the issue of illegal immigration. 4

II.

Minorities

1. Main Characteristics The concept of minority itself takes into account qualitative rather than quantitative criteria. Yet, it postulates the original primacy of a fairly homogenous group of euro-Americans who were the first to settle on the American land. The melting pot wanted to erase differences and shape one single human type who is the American. But this idea failed, as shows the historic reality. Groups have emerged, based on race, religious or national origins. Those so-called minorities population altogether amount to 87 millions or 31% of the total American population with an increase of 23% in the 90 s. The reasons are linked to job opportunities or family networks. 2. Black Americans They currently number 12% of the population. They rank second among minorities. Their growth rate in the past 10 years has been twice that of Whites. On the poll, they are also younger and more organized. As a minority, they are still confronted to some problems while the percentage of black students in high education has increase. Only 15% of black students received a degree, which compares unfavourably with the national average. The consequences on the job market are disastrous. The unemployment rate is twice higher of that of Whites. Affirmative-actions have declined because it was heavily criticized for promoting reverse discrimination against Whites. But a black middle class has emerged and gathers today about 30% of the black community. 3. Hispanics It is the biggest group. Community based on language rather than ethnicity. It is the first minority with a growth of 60% in the past decade, which is dazzling. As a whole, they are young. Only 5% are over 65. Large families: 30% of households are families of 5. Social and economic states but the unemployment rate stays high and those who live under the poverty line are 3 times number of Whites. The representation of Hispanics in American culture has increase. In political life, however, their representation doesn t match their demographic spread. They are absent of the US Senate and count only 19 representation out of 435 in the House of Representatives. The hope of the future is that Hispanics vote in greater number and thus increase their participation in national politics. 4. Asians Often called the model minority, for their capacity to integrate into American society. Yet, they were not always considered welcome in the US. It is a minority quite diversified. They represent 12 millions or 5% of the US population. Its most current characteristic is its rate of increase: 70% in the last decade, which is the highest among minorities. Social and economic minorities are many. 5

Those groups are tempted to gather together in small enclaves. They find themselves cut off of the rest of the population and they may be rejected by patrons. 5. North American Indians They are native people from North Asia. Their number today is 2.5 millions, which is nearly 1% of the total population. They increase of 15% each year which is a little over the national average. They are quite young, the median age being 28 years old. Half of the continental Indians live in towns or suburbs. They also go on living in official reservations. 30% live under the poverty line. Their education is the worst.

To conclude, when one looks at the evolution of American people, one finds that much improvement is still to ensure the integration of minority groups into one common social order. Significant advances have nevertheless being accomplished in the last 200 years.

Chapter 2: Work and Social Aspects

I. Work
In the US, individual success has always depended on hard work. One of the Government s essential task has being is not to provide full employment, at least to maintain favourable conditions for jobs and business creations whatever the circumstances. Among the best indicators in US economy are to be find the unemployment rate and the number of jobs created. 1. The Working Population The US workforce today counts 142 millions with an increase of 12% in the last 10 years. Workers are now twice as many as in 1960 which prove that the US economy is steadily growing. It also means that 2 Americans out of 3 are currently working. 46% of them are women, or 63 millions, which is 20 millions more than in 1980. Thisincrease of female workers seems to have accelerated in the last 20 years. On the other hand, equality between the men and women characterises the age group under 20. Regarding the racial breakdown, Hispanics are now nearly as many as Blacks among workers. Their share of industrial jobs is sharply increased. Hey are 14 millions in industry. The traditional image of the Hispanic seasonal worker inwestern farms has faded out. Job distribution among the different sectors is revealing. The proportion of workers engaged in agriculture has been constantly decreasing for the past 40 years. Manufacturing jobs fare no better. The decline of basic industries persists. In 2001, there were only 18 million jobs in that sector. Services, on the contrary, are very dynamic. They represent the first occupational sector in industry with a total of 41 million jobs in 2001. That is to say an increase of 45% over the last 10 years. Annual growth for the next decade stands around 3% whereas for manufacturing industry, the estimate is 10 times lower. And mining industries are expected to shrink by at least 5% a year.

2. Working Conditions and Wages a. Work and Holiday The work week in the US is 35 hours. The Government may consider that the working period up to 44 hours. The standard work week can legally be extended up to 99 hours. This amount was set in 1997. In some industrial sector, wages exceed the national average if the work conditions justify it. All these criteria vary from one sector to another so that wages are set by means of collective bargaining, concluded with the unions under federal laws. Disparities between working conditions and salaries are therefore blatant, not only from one sector to another but from one state to another, and even company to the others. The case of holiday pay is really exemplary. The only federal laws on working conditions go back to 1938 and include no provision for the payment of wages during holiday. The length and frequency of 7

vacations depend entirely on the employees good will and on company usage. As a result, the average holiday period is 13 days per year in the US. In comparison, 5 weeks in France and 6 in Italy. Americans generally have to wait 5 years before they can claim a third week of paid holiday and they have to wait 25 years for a fourth week of paid holiday. Part time work has expended over the past 10 years. It encourages work flexibility, in the services sector mostly. Roughly speaking, 23% of the labour force worked part time in 2001, so an increase of 10% in the last 10 years. In industrial jobs, fewer men than women work part time. This is also the case for jobs in agriculture. Family life is the main reason to explain the shift to part time work. b. Unemployment With inflation, the unemployment rate is one of the key indicators for the economy. In the US, that rate experienced a strong growth in the 1980 s and the early 1990 s. Then, it came back to more reasonable levels, close to what it was before the oil shock in 1973. It varies from 4 to 6%; By way of comparison, the rate is more than 9% in France. This is an average rate, which has to be adjusted when dealing with men and women, different age groups, minorities or economic sectors. Unemployment rate are practically identical for both sexes, but young people under 20 suffer from a rate that is 3 times that of their elders. Also, the rate for Blacks is twice that of Whites. c. Jobs for the future in industry 22 million jobs have been created since 1991. This stems from a study yearly economic growth allowing sufficient control of unemployment and of showing national wealth being. Prospects for the future remain optimistic, despite the breakdown entailed by the September 11th 2001 attacks. Until 2008, it is estimated that 20 million additional jobs will be created, especially in the third sector. The fastest growing sector should be the computer related, health, social and human services as well as legal services. Among the sectors with the largest growth, the first should be retail trade, including catering, business services, and services quoted just before. d. Protests of American workers American labour unions are over a century old. Since 1886 and the creation of the first labour union, American workers have been defended by powerful organisations. The presentative innovates to negotiate with the big business on equal footing. Labour unions from the start were not inspired from ideological dogmas. In a society which upholds individualism and the cult of success, and which venerates free enterprise, it may see a miracle that workers could have collectively found efficient means to defend themselves. Despite the advances made by the New Deal, in the 1930 s, the legal protection of workers is still piecemeal at federal levels. It nearly entirely rests on the National Labour Relations Board which

regulates collective bargaining between employers and employees. This agency serves at first level jurisdiction in cases of unfair labour practices, filled ever by employees or employers. You can find unions in almost all professional sectors. The department of labour counts over than 160 of them. The proportion of unionised workers is higher for men than for women. But the gap is closing. 20 years ago, there were twice as many men as women in unions. Today, 15% against 11% for women. Most of the unionised wages earners are to be found in the 45-64 year age group. This promises to raise serious recruiting problems for labour unions in the coming decade. Other serious internal problems recently arose in the Union movement with a fall of membership. There was a 70% of decrease in 20 years and in the private sector, only 9% of wage earners are Union members. Nevertheless, retirement, layoffs, illegal immigration, delocalisation, all of those are changes that US Unions must meet by devising new strategies. It appears that the consensus between Unions and Government, which was based on a common defence of the capitalist profit economy, no longer provides an efficient defence of worker rights.

II.

Social Protection

Even in a country where self-reliance has been turned into a lifestyle, the well-being of individuals and of society as a whole is the business of the Government. The Constitution says no less, in its Article 1, Section 8, which contains the famous General Welfare. A clause that the Congress is supposed to guarantee. What is valid for the nation is valid for each citizen. Therefore, since the days of the New Deal , a series of social laws have been passed, which are meant to provide American citizens with jobs or income security, and with efficient health care. Social programs are today managed by the large department of Health and Human Services, which replaces the department of Health, Education and Welfare in 1990. Social protection includes 3 broad domains: Unemployment compensations, pensions and health. In the US, the Government exercises no mandatory powers over either of this domain. It just determines a frame work within which social policies are conducted. The state does not assume the organisation of social programs. It merely guarantees a minimum social protection, while accepting that the management of social programs be left in the hands of private organisations. The treatment of employment or health issues for a great number of citizens therefore becomes unequal. 1. Social Security and Welfare Public social programs date back to the years of insecurity following the 1929 crash. In 1935, President Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act, which establishes a system of old-aged pensions for workers. In 1939, it was extend to all wage earners and their surviving spouses. The program was founded through payroll taxes. To this old-aged insurance, all the benefits were added over the years: disability insurance, health care for seniors and financial aids for needy people. Today, social protection programs fall into 2 categories:

a. The Federal Social Insurances It is managed by the federal administration and this concerns all contributing wage earners. This offers 3 different programs: * OASDI (Old-Aged Survivors and Disability Insurance) These are federal monthly benefits paid to retired people, to families whose wage earner has died and to workers who are unemployed due to sickness or accident. Workers qualify for this program by having been employed and contributed financially to the program for a minimum length of time. * UI (Unemployment Insurance) A program both federal and state founding which guarantees financial payments to the unemployed. * Medicare A federally funded program of health and hospital insurance for citizens of 65 and older. Eligibility does not depend on income or retirement. Medicare does not provide for payment of prescription drugs. A reform project is being drafted at the moment to correct this deficiency. b. The Welfare This addressees the problems of needy individuals and it deals with health and social integration. * Medic-Aid It was created in the 60 s as a medical assistance program jointly financed by state and federal governments for law-income people, regardless of age, employment or citizenship. Residency in the state where benefits are paid in mandatory. Because of the many frauds that were observed, a 1996 law provided for severe criminal sanctions against frauding beneficiaries. * Food Stamps They were created in the 60 s as well and they concern low income needy individuals, the unemployed, the homeless and so on. Food stamps can be exchanged against groceries in a choice of participating stores. Since 1996, no benefits can be paid to foreigners legally residing in the US. Health coverage for employees is generally paid by the employers. Some private companies also offer insurance programs to wage earners both in the private and public sectors. 2. Poverty Poverty and social inequalities can be observed in the US in spite of the huge wealth-produced by the country s economy. Even though the notion of poverty is relative and uneasy to quantify, the Government has, in the last half century, attempted to improve the conditions of those whom Roosevelt called the forgotten ones . The first measure is to establish a minimum income level, allowing people to avoid social insecurity. This poverty line in now 9000$ a year for a single person and 17000$ for a household of four. Today, 27 million Americans are officially regarded as poor, which represents 11% of the population. After an increase during the Reagan years and the early 90 s due to the economic recession, the percentage has decreased. Since 1993, poverty has declined by nearly 4%. The younger population is the most affected group with 16% against only 9% for the next age group. 10

Single parent families are more likely to be hit by insecurity than couples, especially when the head of family is a woman. Blacks and Hispanics from the largest group of poor people. Historically, their poverty rate has always been more than twice that of Whites. Yet, poverty has really decreased among Blacks and Hispanics in the last 10 years. This points to an improve efficiency of social programs in addition to favourable economic factors.

III.

Social Problems

Poverty is only one example of the difficulties Americans faced when attempting to match technical, economic and social progress with a good quality of life. The link between economic wealth and living standards can t be mandated. The South and the West which are part of the most dynamic production area, the Sunbelt, have a poverty rate that exceed national average, and the West has an unemployment rate which is much higher than the national rate. Urban increase, job insecurity, ethnic identity programs exacerbated by immigration fight, the lack of coordination in education policies greater freedom in lifestyle and the decline of traditional moral values have greatly influenced social relations and indicate serious malfunctions in American social life. 3. Violence and Criminal Behaviour Civil violence is the most dramatic phenomenon in present day American society. Despite measures and hard laws, and the ever growing number of prisons, crime remains a primary concern for government. Young people massively shared in this development since the crime rate for young people under 20 is twice as that of others. Violence has seeped into the American daily life and this is due to several factors: * The right to bear arms * The right to speedy trial * The malfunctioning of the judicial system * The proliferation of gangs * The extension of drug abuse a. Present Trends In 2000, the FBI, which includes 7 types of offenses (homicide, rape, reviled assault, armed robbery, burglary, personal theft and vehicle theft), indicates a 30% annual decrease of all offenses in comparison to the 1991 index. Nevertheless, the total number which is 26 millions, 3 out of 4 offenses in the US is theft. In the country of money, it is other people property which is most coveted. On the other hand, crime is mostly local, committed in the immediate neighbourhood of American dwellings and, to begin with at home, where domestic violence against women is the highest. 6 out of 10 rapes or acts of violence are committed by spouses, parents, friends or acquaintances. In the work place, there is an average of 2 million violent offenses committed each year. From 7% to 10% of higher school students come to school with a weapon, a knife or a gun. Among other broad features, one may notice a higher crime rate in the West part of the country and in inner cities, knowing that the alcohol consumption is linked to 35% of all crimes in the country. 11

b. The Guns Given such conditions of social insecurity, it should come as no surprise that Americans resort to selfdefence mostly by purchasing hand-guns. 51% of yearly crimes are due to the use of weapons against only 13% to knives. Most studies show that hand-guns are used for personal defence, around 2 million times a year by the American population. It is estimated that over 250 million hand-guns now circulate in the US owned by around 90 million citizens. The possession of guns is legitimated by the 2nd amendment to the Constitution which authorizes the people to keep and bear arms. A series of mass murders, for example, the Columbine High School mass murder in Colorado in 1999, which left 13 students dead, widely reported and debated in the Medias, help expert gun laws in the past 20 years. Despite Republicans hesitancies, Congress has been working on bills that would extend the probation period, prior the purchase of guns, that would better control sales to minors and would reduce speedy sales. The debate is still raging on, between defenders of gun control and protectors of individual freedom. c. The Government responses The first solution is the expansion of prisons for the American government. They are filled up with 2 million Americans. The number of prisoners under 18 has declined in the past 10 years but the female population has doubled since 1990. Besides, deterrence through long sentences for murderers including death penalty is inefficient to fight crime. Southern states, which have the highest prison density and the highest number of Blacks incarcerated are those which most often resort to the death penalty. In 2000, 40 people were executed in Texas alone. Today, 38 states authorized the death penalty, most of them by lethal injection. But there remain 4000 convicts on dead row, mostly concentrated in 3 states: California, Texas and Florida. But there are other social issues: d. Alcoholism It has long been seen as a social evil in the US. It is a serious public health issue since 52% of Americans aged 12 and over are occasional drinkers and 15% are heavy drinkers. A few associations, like Alcoholic Anonymous, founded in 1935, take care of those who want to quit the habit. They now number around 2 million members. Concerning drugs, the statistics indicate a critical growth. The number of accidents due to excessive consumption is constantly increasing. They are around 600 000 cases per year and the death total is higher than 10 000 death in 2000. Federal expenses for the fights against drugs have gone on increasing and they reach 18 billion dollars today. A third of this amount is devoted to prevention and medical treatment.

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e. Extremism It is present in American social life. There are around 500 explicitly racist groups in the country, inspired by the Nazi movement or the Skinhead movement. 2 categories of organizations spread racist doctrines: Religious groups and Small political parties. Among religious groups, the most famous are The Nation of Islam which prophesies anti-Semitism and The Christian Identity which uses the Bible to justify racism. There are many political movements, which combine an apology of the White race and work for White supremacy. Intolerance, fear and nationalist reactions were greatly intensified by the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Centre in New York. Immigrants and American Muslims were the first to bear the brunt of the American revived patriotism.

IV.

The American Way of Life

80% of Americans live in cities, preferably in houses, rather than in flats. In 2000, 70 million of Americans were home owners which shows an increase in the last decade. It means that nearly every American family has owned or currently owns a house. Access to property is not restricted to the White majority since 50% of ethnic minorities own their house. Residential areas are built on the same pattern, with their rows houses, open front yards and close back yards, in a natural environment which varies with the social stature of residents. 1. Daily Home life Americans are perfect consumers. Their daily life is punctuated by all kinds of purchases especially in supermarket, where they go more than twice a week. The good performance of food industries should not make forget the disastrous impact of an excessively rich and unbalanced diet on the population health. Almost 300 000 Americans die each year from weight related diseases. 63% of men and 55% of women aged 25 and over are considered over-weight. Costs for the US government are huge, over 100 billion dollars annually. One aggravating factor can be found in a sedentary life style and a lack of physical activity, due in part to an excessive use of cars. Cars are essential to those who live in suburban areas and Americans spend 2 or 3 hours a day commuting to work. The US have the highest rate of car ownership in the world: 750 cars per 1000, far ahead of France, with 442 per 1000. The extension of the highway network encourages a permanent use of private cars. The drive-in culture has spread to many areas of daily life since the 1950 s. In addition to drive-in movies, theatres and fast-food driving, bank tellers and even religious services can now be accessed without leaving one s car. Cars have also encouraged the development of large commercial places known as shopping malls and they perpetuate the tradition of motel aggravation. 2. Leisure Time Adult Americans are often engaged in volunteer work: 44% of them, and they devote to it monthly 24 hours of their free time. Community life is particularly bustling. There exist currently more than 1 million social, charity or cultural organizations in the US. Americans are very generous in this respect since 89% of households give money to these associations. These organizations are heirs to a long13

lasting American philanthropic tradition. They are part of citizens initiative to find solutions to issues which have escape the attention of the government. Their interventions range from educational work, for example the fight against illiteracy, sexual education, first aid assistance, to militant actions like the defence of environment, political campaign or help to the jobless. Older people also take advantage of their excess of free time to engage even further in volunteer work. This kind of involvement can be observed in all ethnic groups and hardly decreases with age. 70% of seniors aged 75 and over are still participating in many volunteer operations. For the younger ones, children and teenagers, leisure activities may be organized by school or left to private initiatives, like the well known summer camps whose number and variety boggle the mind. Some of them, for example, are only reserved for difficult teenagers, some are exclusively for boys or girls and most of them offer open-air activities, sports and handy-craft. All activities seek to encourage human contact, friendship, community living, self-confidence and personal accomplishment. Concerning the leisure time, the use of computers also plays an important part in the Americans home life. 54 million domestic computers are currently being use where not one existed in 1970. And the use of the internet often turns this common appliance into an instrument of leisure. About 40% of the total US population regularly connect to the internet, mostly for commercial usage. Ecommerce produces a volume of sells over 1000 billion dollars annually. The other activities of the Americans depend on their way of life. Regarding sports, more than 50% of American adults practice one sport. This is due to the fact that young Americans engaged in sporting activities very early in their life a school, especially in base-ball and American football. Women sports are less developed, especially teen sports where most of the great stars are men. We must mention that physical exercises stand far ahead from volunteer work or computer use. Yet, 2 out of 3 Americans prefer movie theatre to the stadium. They offer amusement parks which receive each year as many visitors as the total population of the US; about 270 million people go annually to the amusement parks. 3. Public and other holidays Americans love all sorts of celebrations and family celebrations are particularly cared for. Some lucrative commercial activities have spur from this tradition of feast and now tend to multiply. Nearly all states observe national holidays instituted by the Congress. There are 10 legal holidays, 4 of which are set by date: * New Year s Day (January, 1st) * Independence Day (July, 4th), which commemorates the independence of the English colonies of America. * Veterans Day (November, 11th), the day that ended World War I * Christmas Day (December, 25th) The other six are set by a day of the week and month, for instance, Martin Luther King s birthday is celebrated the third Monday in January. Over the years, many celebrations have been added and the commercial aspect has been imposed. One may include the Saint Valentine s Day (February, 14th), Saint Patrick s Day (March, 7th) or Halloween (October, 31st). This represents the eve of All Saints Day. 14

4. Tourism Americans enjoy visiting sites throughout their own country. There are 52 national parks in the US, which cover an area of public land which is equal to half the area of France and which offer tourists all kinds of activities. Americans prefer sunny destinations like Florida or California. Thanks to its casinos, Nevada, and particularly Las Vegas, ranks equal with New York City, the traditional cultural vacation spot. Regarding travelling abroad, Americans favour their neighbours. Mexico and Canada, which receive roughly the same number of American tourists: 17 million yearly. European ranks second with about 13 million visitors to Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Switzerland in that order.

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Chapter 3: Religion
I. Religion
Since the times when the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776, the principle of freedom has been a foundation of the American society. It cannot be separated from the general philosophy of equality and progress, which has always encouraged the people s hope for a better life, being a constant factor for immigration and stimulated a strong desire for novelty and improvement that ported the economic development of the nation. This can t be separated from the defence of poverty that serve as a contrast with the European social building based on hereditary titles to achieve a material well-being based on consumer goods. In its two centuries of existence, the American experiment has developed a production of social success, a model of institutional stability, economic prosperity and individual freedoms which the US would like to see extended to the rest of the world, with the help of God, with whom Americans have constantly and closely associated their individual and rational destinies. 1. The Religious Factor Even though the advent of the Republic in the late 18th century established a secularization of manners in the new world, the religious factor never disappeared from the American Way of Life. It is quite the contrary. Religion is everywhere, in the citizen s daily life as well as in the common political or social speeches. The expression that describes the US is One Nation Under God . The motto is In God We Trust . This motto is engraved in coins and sung in the national anthem which is The Star Spangled Banner . The Oath each new president takes on the Bible on Inauguration Day with its So Help Me God . The existence of evangelical TV channels, all those are signs of a certain religiosity which is part of an attempt to reconcile freedom of opinion and tolerance among American citizens. Moreover, one should note that 53% of Americans look on religion as an important thing in their life, against 16% of British, 14% of French or 13% of Germans. 2. Church and State There is no official separation between Church and State. Yet, the freedom of belief is explicitly upheld in the Bill Of Rights . The first amendment to the Constitution stipulates that Congress shall may no laws respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise . This is called the Establishment Clause . It builds a legal barrier between a religious and political power, in conformity with the views of Thomas Jefferson, for whom the American institutions must provide a security against ignorance. Releasing the state from its institutional responsibility did not prevent the interlinking of political and religious questions. Religious freedom itself and the general toleration that goes with it have brought a variety of spiritual movements whose activities may at those same times have disturbed social order and led to excesses which political bodies had to confront. Beyond the moral debate over such issues, as slavery, the treatment of minorities, corruption or the ethical standing of politicians, is really the relation between the individual and the state, what is more intimate than religious beliefs. On the other hand is maximum tolerance in this field, compatible with the social harmony which the state must protect. The many changes expected by the federal government which some have considered as undignified point towards what might be called a preventionary stator for a freedom religion. There are many overlappings between Church and State which can be classified into 2 major categories. The free exercise of worship or belief and the intervention of the state in religious matters. In the former, will go all problems linked to sects, the 16

right to work or to be educated and in the later, one can place tax for churches or Sunday breaks, school prayer, financial support for education and religious schools. The Supreme Court often had to make decisions about what seems to be social questions while simply exercising its power of judicial control. Most of the cases concerning the separation of Church and State were judged in the last 40 years. One typical example is prayer as an expression of religious belief at school. The Supreme Court here showed consistency in its decision and repeatedly said that the introduction of prayers in educational institutions, schools or universities, was done in violation of the Constitution. The most serious question however seems to be a federal intervention in the financing of schools, public or private. Here, the Supreme Court gave very diverse, even contradictory decisions, so as to preserve the neutrality of the State which is banished from making laws to help one religion over another or forcing individuals to profess any particular faith. The law and the practice of religion represent only half of the problem. The other half being linked with the practice of religion itself and its incompatible with the laws of the nation, starting with the Constitution. Since 1878, when the Court condemned the Mormons for their polygamy, strange cases have been put before the highest tribunal, like the ban on the ritual animal sacrifices imposed by a Florida town. No religious action may violate the general laws of the nation but laws aimed specifically at a particular religious practice will be considered unconstitutional. Yet, some laws that restrict religious freedom may be admitted provided they are equally applied to everyone.

II.

Major Religions

Historically, Americans have always been Protestants, and Protestantism remains the main common religion in the US. In terms of churches, the Roman Catholic Church has the biggest membership with 60 million. The complexity of immigration added to the effect of individualism and the absence of an official religion have introduced an increasing number of small religious groups that give a coloured image of religion in the US. Most of the American religious movements fall into 3 great categories: Protestantism, Catholicism and Judaism. Concerning Protestantism, disagreements between the different currents have engendered conflicts and fragmentation. Today, there are 45 Protestant churches. The main denomination is Baptist, with 30 million members. They are rather conservative. The second denomination is represented by the Methodists, who number 12 million and are rather liberal. Most of these traditional churches are in decline. Regarding Catholics, they today number about 63 million or 23% of the total US population. The historical factors of growth for Catholicism in the US were French colonisations, Spanish missions followed by an important Irish immigration. At a national level, the Hispanic population represents 1/3 of all American Catholics. He Roman Catholic Church ranks first in 36 out of 50 states. It manages a network of schools which includes 3 million students. Judaism is also an important religion in the US. Statistics show a total of 6 million Jewish residing in the US, a 1/3 of whom live in the New York area. In terms of Jewish population, California ranks second, and then comes Florida. Islam is also represented in the US. In size, the Muslim community is quite similar of the Jewish one. Most studies indicate a number between 5 and 6 million. This religion enjoyed the highest growth rate in the past 20 years. of Muslims are immigrants who came after 1970. They settled mostly on the East Coast. 17

III.

Other Religions

Various religions have been introduced as a result of Asian immigration like Hinduism or Buddhism. These religions remain marginal and can t hardly expend in the US. Two recent phenomena stand out in the contemporary evolution of religious practice: the use of Medias to evangelize the masses and the organization of spectacular religious services in very large places of worship. Religious programs experienced a quick growth with TV in the 70 s. The development of satellite transmission helps enlarge the audience of those electronic preachers whose conservative references to the Bible and calls for moral values are a real success. They call for global rejection of contemporary social evils like abortion, homosexuality, communism and so on. In the late 80 s, televangelism was touched by a series of financial scandals and suffered a temporary setback. Yet, the multiplication of TV channels, the use of satellite to globalize the market for preaching gave this movement a second birth. To address this new form of competition, more traditional congregations reacted by offering larger areas for worship to a larger crowd of worshipers. This new phenomenon is known as megachurches , because they regularly accommodated over 2000 people for weekly services. Half of them are concentrated in the South and in California. We have to notice that the audiences are mostly White, at 90%. In conclusion, we can say that a vast majority of Americans remain believers and worshipers. Various forms of religious communities have developed a long classical one. Although some of the techniques used to attract worshipers have been called superficial, those diverse attempts have been successful.

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Chapter 4: Education
Education depends on state and local authorities. There is a wide diversity of organizations and functioning, as well as conditions of inequality and a scattering of responsibility in this complex educational system.

I.

Organization

Administratively, primary and secondary education depend on federal, state and local organizations. The Department of Education was created in Washington, in 1980, to organize budget procedures. It also regularly publishes statistics and general information. Each state has its own Department of Education, headed by a Commissioner of Education, elected by a council called The State Board Of Education . Those Commissioners of Education have to define and implement the state educational policy to manage buildings, to create educational programs and to hire teachers. Primary and secondary education is generally public. Nearly 80% of the schools belong to the public system. In the higher education, despite the development of public college networks, most of the institutions are still private. 60% of colleges and universities belong to the private sector. Education is funded by the federal government, the states and local authorities. The universities, even the private ones, also receive public funds. But there is a clear lack of financial commitment on the part of Washington since educational institutions receive only 11% of their total funding in the form of federal subsidies.

II.

Elementary, primary and Secondary Education

Today, 47 million children go to public schools in the US. 44% of them are involved in elementary and primary schools ad 14 million in high schools. California and Texas together gather of the total. There has been a growth in involvement since 1990. This threatens to increase problems of accommodation for secondary school students in the next decade. The present trend is an increase in early education even if it is not mandatory. Since both parents work most of the time, more and more children spend 4 days at school. Contrary to France, no federal law stipulates the legal length of compulsory education. Depending on the state, schooling begins at age 5, age 6, age 7 or even age 8 in Pennsylvania and Washington. Education ends between 16 and 18. Students go through 3 successive cycles. They leave secondary education with a diploma and they are graduated. In 2000, 3 million students received their high school diploma. Those exams are in the form of tests and the admission to university depends on the result of national examination, generally called the SAT, meaning Scholastic Aptitude Test. Students are offered a wide choice of subjects and they enjoy a personalized orientation. The school week is 5 days long and is divided between course work mainly in the mornings and sports in the afternoons. The school year lasts about 180 days, which is shorter than many other countries. Regarding teachers, most are university graduate. 47% of teachers in secondary education receive a MA (master) or a higher degree. The total amount of teachers in primary and secondary public education is a little over 3 million, while they only number 400 000 in private education. They teach on average 25 hours per week, more than in Europe and yet, they teach smaller groups of students, 20 students per classes on average. Their wages differ from a state to another. The same differences can be observed in private education, with salaries that can be 25% to 70% lower than their public counterparts. 75% of the teachers in primary and secondary education are women.

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III.

Higher Education

There were 4000 public and private higher education institutions in 2000, which shows a 20% increase over the last two decades. They enrol about 15 million students. Public institutions receive federal aids amounting to 15 billion dollars each year and private institutions have their own financial resources. Going into post-secondary, after high school, is not automatic. Admissions to universities depend on academic results and economic criteria, like family income and scholarships. Yearly fees go from a minimum of 5000$ for a state university to over 30000$ for the best private universities. Financing one s high education turns into a major social problem which reveals some inequalities of opportunity that can hardly be ignored. The fees depend on the stators, private or public, of the institutions, on its reputation and on the origins of the students. The students who come from other states usually pay additional fees. To those fees should be added living expenses which vary according to the place and the way of life. Each year, rankings of universities are established by the press in terms of the best value for money. The best institutions are in California and New York. Whatever the institutions, the need for financial support is essential. A fairly wide range of aids are available to students. Bank loans are the least advantaging for students since they must reimburse the money at the end of their studies. Special parents loans are also available for families. There are also many kinds of scholarships. The criteria for federal, state or private universities scholarships are varied. For example, social stators, ethnic origin, academic results or a specific talent. In addition to a scholarship, teaching assistance, a specific teaching employment, may be offered to advanced students to complete their doctorate studies. Regarding the curriculum, a 4 years cycle leads to the Bachelor s Degree. Students are called under-graduate. Those with a Bachelor s Degree have the right to go on the next cycle of studies. There exist a shorter cycle which, after 2 years, may lead to an intermediate degree. A 4 to 5 years cycle leads to 2 successive degrees, the master s degree and the doctorate. The value of such diplomas depends on the prestige of the institutions that deliver them. Universities offer a general curriculum from the Bachelor s Degree to the PHD (=doctorate). They are variously organized. Harvard is a single campus university but the University of California has 8 campuses. They also differ in size. For example, the University of Malibu has an enrolment of 3000 students while the University of Minnesota has 60000. Originally, the private universities which include Harvard, Yale, Princeton and Columbia were supposed to embody the nation s intellectual elite. Other institutions have managed to challenge this regional hegemony, particularly Stanford in California, or Duke in North Carolina. Schools and institutes or colleges are specialized in certain fields with train students for special professions. Institutes are often specialized in scientific and technological studies. Higher education institutions are generally administered by professionals and they are supervised like any private enterprise by a board of administrators. Some of the board members may also have invested some of their own money in the institutions they control. Each campus in a multi-campus system is headed by a Chancellor. These officials have authority over a group of directors who themselves are in charge of faculty members whose total today reaches 1 million and over.

IV.

School and Segregation

Even though all Americans were, are still are, expected to adopt the public school system, some racial minorities were for a long time discriminated against. Until late in the 60 s, school integration often remained a symbolic integration. In the North, segregation in school was rather the consequences of segregation in housing as the population of some districts was predominantly black; the neighbourhood schools had almost exclusively black pupils. That s why the authorities were led 20

to impose busing , which is the transporting of children to a school outside their residential area and this was done in order to re-establish a racial between the schools. Busing was often criticized by white people who tried to evade it by moving to the suburbs or by sending their children to private schools. Some critics deplore that Americans are more committed to integration in theory than in practice. At the university level, affirmative action was expected to erase past injustice and discrimination. From the late 60 s, universities and colleges were urged to increase the number of women and minority students. The relative success of this policy was tarnished by the attacks of many people who argued that preferential admission program was discriminating against men and white people. The Supreme Court declared it unconstitutional to consider race or sex as a factor for university admissions.

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Chapter 5: The Media

The media stand in good place in the US popular culture. It serves two main goals: informing and entertaining. Both the written press and TV greatly influence the American opinion and they accordingly have been described as a sort of 4th branch of the government. TV also offers mass entertainment for all American families. In the field of media, the US has always led the world. It initiated he rapid growth of the radio in the 30 s, of TV in the 60 s, then of satellite TV which allowed world wide information, and lastly of the internet in the last 90 s, with 500 million users across the world today. The US ranks first among industrialized countries for the use of media, whether it is the daily press, there are more than 2000 dailies and over 11000 magazines, the radio, Americans can choose between 9000 stations, or TV since 95 million households have at least one TV set at home. While the constitution upholds the freedom of expression, the media are nevertheless closely monitored because of their influence on public opinion. The courts, especially the Supreme Court, have always tried to preserve the same balance between freedom and excess of expression and condemned government censorship as well as invasion of privacy.

I.

The written press

The written press is the oldest means of information, which sometimes comes into conflict with the so-called electronic media that include the radio, TV and internet communication. It is divided into 3 categories: dailies, weeklies and magazines, and an additional geographical division distinguishes national papers from the others. The public disaffection from the prime media led to the disappearance of some newspapers or to a greater consolidation of a few powerful press groups. These groups have diversified their activities. And they have acquired a wide range of media, not just dailies, but also radio stations and TV channels. To avoid closing-down because of the competition from TV, some papers have tried to innovate. Such is particularly the case for the daily USA Today, launched in 1982 with a new image that include photographs and colors that matches the need of a new readership. There are 4 papers which today have a daily circulation of over 1 million: The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The New York Times and he Los Angeles Times. Regarding weeklies, they have specialized in news including 4 main topics: education, local administration, taxes and community life. A new type of information is now developing, thanks to the internet. Several dailies and magazines offer now an electronic version of their edition, available on the web. Papers have started one after another, sending constantly updated news on the multiple internet sites or adding a complement of their daily edition, with an electronic version.

II.

The Other Media

1. The radio field After a period of prosperity between the wars, the radio suffered from the development of TV in the 50 s. Today, there are over 10 000 radio stations which generate important amounts of money in advertising revenue. A parallel network of public stations exists. They are primarily subsidies by the government and managed by a national organization, in Washington, called The National Public Radio . Lastly, a few radio stations practice cable and satellite broadcasting. In average, 80 million Americans listen to the radio every day. Those FM stations are generally specialized in certain types of programs or music.

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2. Television But TV is by far the most popular means of information and entertainment in the US. The first TV sets appeared in 1927 and the first colour broadcasting happened in 1953. Sales never stopped growing ever since. Today, 98 million American households own at least one TV sets. Americans are fed with images by a total of 1500 stations and watch TV on average 7 hours per day. It is estimated that by the time they leave high schools, young Americans will have spent 28 000 hours watching TV or about twice the time they spend in school. This poses the problem of the social impact of TV. The application of cable technology and satellite in the 80 s completely transformed the TV landscape in the US. The introduction of pay-per-view channels increased the competition between the major networks, especially as the quality of transmission is now perfect. Today, 66 million households are cable subscribers, and they receive channels specialized in music, sport, movies, children s programs or religious programs. To these should be added a few regional stations, which have used cable to broaden their audience. Telecommunication satellite has allowed larger broadcasts to larger audience. The best example of a successful satellite experiment in CNN, which stand for cable news network, born in 1980, the first 24 hours all news channel with an estimated audience of over 100 million viewers. CNN operates 25 agencies throughout the world and covers all the great world events. 3. Internet The internet is the largest, latest media. This tremendous growth goes back to the 90 s. This worldwide network has allowed a multiplication of information and commercial exchanges. Americans have a very good equipment rate, with 182 million computers. They own 30% of the world total, for ahead of Japan, with 54 million, or France, with 25 million. The availability of computers is a prime factor of the widespread use of the internet, of which Americans are high consumers, even though they spend online half the time they spend watching TV. The estimations show that around 100 million Americans are regular internet users. The internet is also an appreciated means of conducting trade. The best schools concerning trade are to be found among tour operators, travel agencies and transport companies. The American use this means mainly to conduct their leisure time.

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Chapter 6: Foreign Policy and the US

Since the end of WWII, the US has played a major international role. Even though its economic or commercial hegemony may have been questioned by some Asian or European competitors, its constant presence on the world scene makes it the most powerful element in the foreign policy of any country.

I.

Diplomacy and Institutions

According to the Constitution, foreign policy powers are shared between the President and Congress. This separation is more a disadvantage than an asset for US diplomacy. The government s responsibility is involved in 5 different domains: - The signing of treaties - Declaration of war - The Defence budget - The assistance to foreign countries - The international trade Concerning treaties, Article 2, Section 2 of the Constitution gives the President power to conclude treaties with the advice and consent of 2/3 of the Senate. The convergence between the Executive and Legislative has hardly ever failed when it came to defending national interest. For example, Congress accepted the celebrated nuclear non proliferation treaty, extended in 1995. In 2002, a new disarmament treaty between Russia and the US seek to reduce 2/3 of the nuclear arsenal of both countries. While the President has to receive consent from the Senate for treaties, he may also avoid legislative obstacle by signing executive orders which he, alone, can initiate. Such actions have often been justified by the President s Constitutional Power, as Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces. Several Presidents, such as Roosevelt, Kennedy, Nixon, Reagan and more recently G.W. Bush, emphasize their concern for national security to reinforce their supremacy in foreign policy making. Concerning declaration of war, Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution gives Congress exclusive powers to start a war but the President, as Chief of the Armies, often takes the initiative and presents Congress with a firm decision. In 1962, Kennedy thus decided to blockade Cuba without asking permission from Congress. The Gulf War, like the Vietnam War, was never officially declared against Iraq. President Bush just asked Congress to approve US intervention to enforce the United Nations Resolution. For the military campaign in Afghanistan, following the attacks of September, the 11th 2001, Congress authorized President Bush 3 days later, on September, the 14th, to use all necessary and appropriate force against the nations that might have used the terrorists. Concerning the defence budget, military expenses must be approved by Congress. In theory, a balance must be kept between military and diplomatic initiative, taken by the White House, and their financing by public money. This is another example of the control exercised by the Legislative power over the Executive. In reality, the President enjoys a large freedom of actions. In addition, the argument that troops engaged in military operations in far-away lands could not be deprived of their financial support is often used to force the hands of Congressmen. 24

Concerning the assistance to foreign nations, in the past few decades, foreign policy has been founded on the dispensing of financial, economic and military aid to foreign countries that had a strategic interest for the US. These can be friendly countries, like Israel, which receives 7 billion $ each year or countries tied to US national security. Only of the 14 billion $ yearly spent for foreign assistance is of a military nature. About 17% is used to resolve conflicts, provide humanitarian aid, help victims of natural disasters and maintain peace forces. Lastly, 1/3 is devoted to development aid through financing international organizations, such as the UNICEF. The geographical area which the US monitors most closely is the Middle East, because of oil production there. Israel and Egypt share about 45% of all US international aid. This distribution of aid answers obvious geopolitical concerns. In the last 15 years, the end of the Cold War, the German Reunification, the Dismantling of the Soviet Empire and the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq led the US to retarget their assistance towards Europe and the Middle East. Direct military aid decreased while humanitarian and development aid went up. Concerning the International Trade, commerce is an essential weapon in the conduct of the US foreign policy. Under the Constitution, Congress is in charge of regulating foreign trade. American commercial policies always wavered between 3 trade and protectionism depending on the party in power and the international situation. Trade allowed the US to preserve part of its economic domination. Thanks to its trade policies, the US could adjust to globalization first by creating a free trade zone with Canada and Mexico, then by sponsoring the world trade organizations in charge of regulating world trade while maintaining freedom in international exchanges. The institutions that implement US foreign policy, apart from the President and Congress, are the Department of State, headed by a Secretary of State, named by the President. A few additional teams of security advisors surround the President and are gathered in 3 main organisms: the National Security Council, where foreign policy is discussed with the President, the Office of the US Trade, which coordinates the country s international trade policy, and since the attacks of September, the 11th, a department of National Security is in the making. The first stage of which is the Office of Homeland Security whose mission is to upgrade the protection of the US territory in relation with the CIA.

II.

Foreign Policy and Ideology

The President of the US is an incarnation of the Nation Law. He can speak on his behalf, especially on the international scene. He gives a direction to US foreign policy and defines the principles of it. 1. The Freedom Policy Since 1945, the US has sought to warranty liberty all over the world. Its conception of freedom is based on a complete adherence to democracy, exactly as Americans themselves enjoy it, with its Republican institutions, its equality of opportunities, its social and economic progress, so the ideology concerning the choice of nation is quite simple. There exist 2 types of countries: those belonging to the free world and those who sided with the Communists. The wars in the Gulf, in Yugoslavia or Afghanistan were all justified by the need to preserve people s liberty. To erase all suspicions of hegemony, the US supports this freedom principle with a network of permanent alliances which helps turn the attempts to liberate people into a collective enterprise. The largest, The United Nations Organisation (UN) was generously financed by the Americans and often served as the executor of US foreign policy.

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2. The Interest Principle The US international strategies serve 2 ends: Security over the National Territory and Defence of American interest. To define those interests may be uneasy so that the links between the interests and security has became confused, especially as international terrorists are now stateless rather than defending nationalist causes, tend to violently challenge the ideology of the richest nations and their symbol, the US. Besides military alliances, international economic organizations were created. These organizations seek first to protect US economic interests but also to extend the country through economic sanctions which the US imposes more frequently nowadays. Indeed, the use of embargo is not a US monopoly nor a novelty in international politics. Such different nations, as Cuba, Iraq or Iran suffered more or less serious economic sanctions. By this means of pressure from the humanitarian view can be as devastating as war without being called so. 3. The Progress Principle It appears that the percentage of international aid the US devotes to military assistance is decreasing. The question of development, especially sustainable development, is becoming a major issue. Migratory flows show how necessary international action has became to promote progress in the poorest nations so as to erase discrepancies between resource level and development level. This also imposes a global coordinated strategy for the management of an environment, for natural resources which, under present conditions of exploitation, may eventually be exhausted. Economic and social progress has an impact on the environment which has so far been hardly evaluated. The US in this particular respect has not proved cooperative. American concerns remain focused on national interest. The refusal to sign the Kyoto protocol in 1997 on global warming and greenhouse effect gas emissions, the US decision to give priority to free trade over environmental problems definitely indicate that the US always links its international initiative to a vision of human progress which mingles with productivity. The image of the US abroad greatly suffers from it.

III.

The US as a hyper power

In the words of former French foreign Minister, Hubert Vdrine, the US has moved from being a super power to a hyper power. It is both in the centre of the international system and the only power to have determining influence on any part of the globe. It exercises multi-pole leaderships, politically, technologically, economically, military and culturally wise. This superiority is bound to raise fear and apprehension. With the events of September, the 11th, Americans were shocked into the awareness that they were not sheltered from the world follies. Worldwide reactions to the events soon exposed the extend and complexity of anti-American feeling. Sympathy was matched with the feeling that, to some extent, Americans deserve their fate. The animosity felt in many parts of the world, including the western world was for many a total shock. This anti-American feeling comes under different forms and is motivated by different kinds of resentment. Some of it targets the US for what it does, its global over-rich, its meddling in everyone else s business and its sometimes questionable foreign politic alliances. Another reason targets the US for what it represents. Both at once a free, prosperous and modern democracy yet with many failings, such as the death penalty, the persistence of racist attitude, inequalities and poverty. To many developing countries, the model conveyed by the American way of life, a mix of materialism and consumerism, is both envied and rejected. In France, the country which claims the paternity of human rights, America has always been criticized. This love-hate relationship is well-documented. The French consider Americans with a mix of irritation and fascination. What does not go down well is that America is often seen as a model setting the pace of the world s destiny and dictating what new frontiers to push and further back. 26

This image irritates because it hits upon nations of national identity, of sovereignty, of political leadership or the lack of it. To recognize the American model as inevitable is also to admit defeat to a country s ability to make its own choices. However, there has always been a division between the man of the street, who has adopted the American way of life and its cultural icons, such as McDonalds, and the advocates of French exceptionalism, annoyed at being considered second best on the world stage. A survey conducted in 2001 showed that hard line anti-American merely represents some 10% of the French population, mostly in political and intellectual circles. Americans will always be blamed either way both for doing too much and for doing too little, for being overdominating yet not present enough when it suit their cause. Always caught in a bind between their rights and their duties, never be able to reconcile all the nations with the legitimate nature of their quest, belief to the secretly writing, the rule of the globalisation gain for their benefit alone, the US is still blamed. Aside from its role of the world policeman, as it has became fashionable to name it, America is also the world ultimate rescuer which steps into places where disorder reigns. AntiAmerican feeling is increasing, motivated by political and economic or ideological reasons. But to some extent, this shows the interest one pays to the American model. ------------------------------------

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