Higher education in the USA

After high school over 40% of the graduates receive higher education in colleges and universities. Nearly every state has at least one university supported by public funds. There are also public community colleges, also called junior colleges which offer a two-year program in a variety of disciplines and state teacher colleges which specialize in training school teachers.

All university students must pay tuition fees, has to pay for books and room and board. Deserving students may receive scholarships of various types that offset the high costs of higher education. Admission to universities and colleges is based on scholastic achievement in high school and performance of standardized national tests (the SAT or ACT).

SAT – the Scholastic Aptitude Tests – a two-part examination which must be taken by all students who wish to attend US universities. Students in their senior year (twelfth grade) take the SATs and have the results sent to the colleges they want t attend. In addition, colleges and universities may require applicants to submit samples of their writing.

Acceptance into the universities is based on a written application, submission of a transcript showing all grades from all courses in previously-attended educational institutions, evidence that the student satisfactorily completed all requirements at the previously-attended institutions and sometimes an oral interview at the school which the student desires to attend. Different schools may have different standards of acceptance: some may require excellent grades on the SAT, while others may have less strict requirements. Smaller schools usually like to orally interview the students.

To graduate from a university requires a student to complete requirements of the university, to achieve the min allowable grade in the required courses and to spend the min time at the university. The students are to pass a certain number of credits.

The most common method consists of four years of study leading to a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), a Bachelor of Science (B.S.), or sometimes another bachelor's degree such as Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.), Bachelor of Social Work (B.S.W.), Bachelor of Engineering (B.Eng.,) or Bachelor of Philosophy (B.Phil.) Five-Year Professional Architecture programs offer the Bachelor of Architecture Degree (B.Arch.).

Professional degrees such as law, medicine, pharmacy, and dentistry are offered as graduate study after earning at least three years of undergraduate schooling.

Graduate study, conducted after obtaining an initial degree and sometimes after several years of professional work, leads to a more advanced degree such as a master's degree, which could be a Master of Arts (MA), Master of Science (MS), Master of Business Administration (MBA), or other less common master's degrees such as Master of Education (MEd), and Master of Fine Arts (MFA) or after earning a bachelor's degree depending on the program.

After additional years of study and sometimes in conjunction with the completion of a master's degree and/or Ed.S. degree, students may earn a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), a first professional degree. Entrance into graduate programs usually depends upon a student's undergraduate academic performance or professional experience as well as their score on a standardized entrance exam.

QUESTIONS FOR CONTROL:

1. What do you know from the history of education in the USA?

2. Name the stages of education in the country.

3. What are usually taught in the elementary school?

4. What are the peculiarities of education in the middle school?

5. What are the testing system in the USA schools?

6. Is it easy to enter the university in the USA?

7. What is the procedure of entering the university?

8. What is SAT?

9. What universities of the USA do you know?

10. What degrees may be obtained in the US universities?

THEME 9 DEVELOPMENT OF ECONOMY in THE USA. HOLIDAYS AND TRADITIONS

Plan:

1. The New Deal.

2. Economy of the USA.

3. Social programmes in the United States.

4. Holidays and traditions of the USA.

The New Deal

In American history there were a number of severe depressions. These periods were characterized by the collapse of banks, business bankruptcies, a decline in wages and prices and high rates of unemployment.

To stimulate economic growth the federal and state governments international activity during these years in the economy the administration started a programme of westward expansion, western settlement and promotion of agriculture. Government financed roads and railroads construction. By 1850 the US had nearly 9000 miles of railroads and by 1860 – about 31000. The north was developing rapidly. In the South, the years from 1800 to 1860 were a time of growth and prosperity; new lands were settled and new states peopled.

In the first quarter of the 20^th century the beliefs that individuals were responsible for their own condition and that unemployment or poverty was the result of personal failing were widespread. The role of government was relatively limited. Business people often used this system in their own interests. Equal opportunity was often denied to Americans who were non-white or female.

On October 24, 1924 stock prices dropped dramatically. The nation was in panic. The money crash caused a devastating depression. The agricultural sector was characterized by overproduction, so that prices for farm products were declining; debts were mounting; there were bankruptcies and small banks failures.

Some industries, like coal, railroads, construction and textiles were in distress long before 1929. Finally, low wages resulted in underconsumption.

In the 1930s the Depression came about because too many people were spending more money than they had. Their income did not keep up with the money they spent. They borrowed money from banks that they couldn’t repay. People took their savings from banks. Soon many banks had to close because they had no more money.

Over 4000 banks closed between 1929 and 1932. Without money, people couldn’t buy new things. If businesses could not sell goods, they would close. And if businesses closed, people lost jobs. By 1933, one out of four American workers had lost their jobs. During the Great depression thousands of people were left with no money, no homes, no food.

A great change took place with the election of Franklin Delano Roosevelt as president in March 1933 (32^nd president, from Democratic Party). He took active measures to stabilize banking and put right agricultural production by paying subsidies to farmers. He introduced a system of regulated prices for corn, cotton, wheat, rice, hogs and dairy productions. He proposed a plan for public workers and relief payments to the needed citizens. Fifteen major pieces of legislation were enacted within 100 days. As a result unemployment dropped from 13 million people in 1933 to 9 million in 1936. All the measures taken together were called the New Deal.

Roosevelt summarized the New Deal on June 10, 1935 by saying: “The social objective (of the administration) I should say, remains just what it was, which is to do what any honest government of any country would do: to try to increase the security and the happiness of a large number of people in all occupations of life and in all parts of the country; to get them more of the good things of life, to get them a great distribution of not only wealth in the narrow terms, but of wealth in the wider terms; to give them places to go in the summer time – recreation; to give them assurance that they’re not going to starve in old age; to give honest business a chance to go ahead and make a reasonable profit, and to give everyone a chance to earn a living”.

The New Deal was criticized and even threatened by the Supreme Court on the grounds that it gave excessive legislative power to the White House. Roosevelt caused government to create jobs and grant of the types of aid to people. Soon millions were back to work for the federal government on jobs such as forestry projects and the building of dams, parks, sewers, schools, airports, roads and public buildings. Artists, writers, singers and dancers were aided by money from the government. Farmers were given more help. The labour union movement was encouraged to grow.

Roosevelt’s efforts were well thought of by most people. He was reelected three times - in 1936, 1940 and 1944. He is the only person ever to have been elected to more than two terms as President.

By 1940, the Depression was easing. But it was not over. Large numbers of Americans still did not have work. The World War II put Americans back to work. The U.S. came out of this war as the most powerful nation in the world.

American industry is changing. Old industries, like steel, textiles and shoes are losing their places in the international market. Many new industries such as those that use computer techniques do not need to employ many people. As a result, people who worked in the factories of ten years ago are working in restaurants, offices or airlines today.

Economy of the USA

The principal aim of business in America is to make financial profit. There are two main kinds of business institutions in the United States – private and governmental. Private businesses include large companies whose capital is represented in shares which are held by individual shareholders who earn dividends. In addition, there are non-profit organizations. These are called charitable organizations. Private businesses are more respected by Americans than government agencies which they consider more bureaucratic.

Americans believe that in private business the American ideas of free competition, individual freedom equality of opportunity are more expressed. Competition is the major source of progress and prosperity. They believe that only fair competition based on hard work and a high level of competence ensures success. A great number of small and medium-sized businesses exist in the United States today. Often, when one fails, another comes to take its place. There are numerous companies with fewer than 20 employees. These companies account for about 60% of American business.

The United States have the world's largest national economy in nominal terms and second largest according to purchasing power parity (PPP), representing 22% of nominal global GDP and 17% of gross world product (GWP).In 2015 the United States' GDP was estimated to be $17.914 trillion The U.S. dollar is the currency most used in international transactions and is the world's foremost reserve currency. Several countries use it as their official currency, and in many others it is the de facto currency. The United States has a mixed economy and has maintained a stable overall GDP growth rate, a moderate unemployment rate, and high levels of research and capital investment. Its seven largest trading partners are Canada, China, Mexico, Japan, Germany, South Korea, and the United Kingdom.

The public debt of the USA is about $19.268 trillion that is 102% of GDP in 2015.

Most Americans consider themselves members of the middle economic class and relatively few are extremely wealthy or poor. The medium annual income for all American families is about $28000.

Americans live in a variety of housing that includes single detached homes (62%), they also live in apartments, town-houses and mobile homes. About 3,6% of all Americas live in public housing.

The US federal government has supported the development of transport. It checked the purity of food and drugs, insures bank deposits and guarantees loans.

About 63% of the population over the age of 16 are in labour force. Women constitute more than half of America’s total work force. Only 55% of all workers have full-time jobs, the other - part-time. Americans industries are more service oriented. About 79,7% of Americans are employed in services, 19,2% - in industries, 1,1% - in agriculture.

The climate of the USA is suitable for production of large amount of wheat. There are considerable oil resources in the country but it prefers to import large quantities of oil for economic reasons.

The US government tries to control the imports and exports of the country. The reason is that a country enjoys an advantage if it exports more than it imports. So US government has specialized programme to encourage exports. There are programmes that provide marketing information, establish trade missions, subsidize exports and provide benefits and incentives. But nowadays the fact that America imports more than it exports means that the profits of the foreign manufactured goods sold go into the pockets of the foreign manufacturers. The foreign companies are able to sell their products for less money than similar American firms.

Unemployment in the USA at the beginning of 2015 was 4,7% though it was about 7% at the beginning of the 20^th century. The government provides short-term unemployment compensation (from 20 to 39 weeks depending on economic conditions) to replace wages lost between jobs. About 80% of expenses are covered by unemployment insurance. In addition, both the government and private industry provide job training to help unemployed and disadvantaged Americans.