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CLIFFS NOTES
FOR
AMERICAN CULTURE AND SOCIETY

CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION

1. The United States of America has:
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The Atlantic Ocean in the East, the Pacific Ocean in the __West__,
____Canada___ in the North, and __Mexico__ in the South
__50_ states: __48_ contiguous states, __2_ noncontiguous states
__Hawaii__ and _Alaska_
1 federal district: Washington, District of Columbia_ (the capital)
Several territories and island possessions
_330 million_ people

2. Two significant factors that affect American culture are: (Para 3)
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Its immense __size of the US_
Different _climates_, lifestyle
Its great __ethnic__ __diversity__, including:
Native Americans
Europeans
Hispanic __
Latino Americans_________
Black or African Americans_________

® Cultural _pluralism_
3. A nation of immigrants (Para 7)


__Melting______ pot is the term used to describe American culture because the
dominant American culture has survived and successfully_absorbed vast
numbers________ culture of immigrants throughout its history.
4. The 21st-century immigration pattern (Para 11-12)
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The percentage of _white_ Americans from Europe is growing smaller
More than half of all the new immigrants are from _Latin America_

® _white Americans of European descent_______ communities grow

CHAPTER 2
TRADITIONAL AMERICAN VALUES AND BELIEFS

1. Traditional American values (Para 5)

Six basic values that have become traditional American values:

Dream

Cost

Individual
Freedom

Self-Reliance

Equality of
opportunity

Competition

Material wealth

Hard-work


2. Individual Freedom & Self-reliance (Para 6-7-9)
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In the Constitution, the early settlers decided on:
®The separation of _Church_ and _State_
®No _aristocractic_ society, no ruling class of noblemen

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By _limit__ the power of the __government_ and the _churches_, the
early settlers:
®Create a climate of __freedom_ emphasizing on the _individual_
Ø Individual _freedom_ (individualism)

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As a price, individuals must learn to rely on _themselves_ or risk
_losing_ freedom
®Americans must achieve financial and emotional
_independence__

3. Equality of Opportunity & Competition (Para 13-15-16-18-31)
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Lack of a _hereditary_ aristocracy (Para 13,15)
®People from low social class can still rise to __ social positions

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Each individual should have an _equal_ chance for success (Para 31-16)
®Americans see life as a _race_ for success
®“ _fair_ play”

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As a price, a person must __ with other people (Para 31-18)
®“ __Winner (honored)_” vs “__Losers (dishonored)__”
®The _pressures_ of competition in the life of an American begins in
childhood and continue until retirement from work.

4. Material wealth and hard work
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Most immigrants come to the US to have a better life and raise their
___standard of living__________. (32-21)
®The American Dream: “From rags to _riches_”

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Acquiring and maintaining _a large number of _ _material possessions_
is very important to most Americans. (22-23)
Material wealth is a widely accepted measure of _ _social status_ in the
US.
As a price, Americans must ____godliness_________ (33)
®Material wealth = the natural _reward_ for hard work and evidence of
their _abilities_. (24)

5. The American Dream (34-28-29)
In understanding American culture, it is important to distinguish between
idealism_______ and __reality_____, when keeping in mind how American
ideals still influence almost every facet of life in the US.
CLIFFS NOTES
FOR
AMERICAN CULTURE AND SOCIETY

CHAPTER 3

THE AMERICAN RELIGIOUS HERITAGE
1. Freedom of Religion in the US (Para 1)
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Americans believe in _individual__ __freedom_
○ Believe in the _right_ of individuals to practice their own religion.
○ Religious freedom must be protected
Great ethnic diversity
○ _religious_ _pluralism_
The separation of _Church_______ and ___State_____


○

Forbid the US from ever establishing an _official faith,or a national
church________ _______

2. Christianity in the US (Para 3)
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The majority of Americans are _Christians_
○ More than half are _Protestant_
The Catholic faith was first brought to North America by the _Spanish_
in the 1500s.
In the 1600s, Protestant European settlers, most from _England________,

began establishing colonies in the east coast.

3. Religious Diversity in the US
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Americans believe the _individual_, not the _organized church_, should
be the center of religious life (Para 22)
Encourage a _tolerance_ and acceptance of _all faiths_
Develop religious diversity ® religious diversity is _growing_ (Para 26)
○ The number of _Protestants_ is declining
○ More people strongers__ faiths
○ New religious organization emerge
○ More young Americans are attracted to _Eastern_ religious
teachings.
○ They are looking for a belief system that will help them _grow and
improve_ as individuals, and not interested in participating in a
religion out of _duty_.

CHAPTER 4
THE FRONTIER HERITAGE

1. The impact of the American Frontier (Para 1-3)


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The frontier has been particularly important in shaping American
_values_______.
The frontier experience began when the first colonists settled on the
__east coast _ in the 1600s.
It ended about __1890_ when the last western lands were settled.
The American frontier consisted of the relatively __unsettled_ regions in
the __west_ of the US.
They came to believe that it was their destiny to control all the land
○ _Manifest_ _Destiny_
Many Americans still see the frontier people and beliefs as inspiring
examples of traditional American values. (Para 5)
○ Hard work
○ _Competitiveness_ and sense of adventure
○ _ Individualism _
○ Self-reliance
○ _Equality of opportunities
Americans tend to view the frontier settler as the model of the _free_
individual, because the frontier settlers had more freedom from
__government_ controls. (Para 7)
CLIFFS NOTES
FOR
AMERICAN CULTURE AND SOCIETY

CHAPTER 5
THE HERITAGE OF ABUNDANCE

1. A history of abundance
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America has been criticized as a “_throw-away_” country, where there is
so much abundance that people are viewed as _wasteful_. (Para 1)
This abundance is the gift of _nature_. When the European settlers
arrived in North America, they found a continent with: (Para 2)
· Rich, fertile farmland_


· Abundance of _trees_and _animals_
· _small_ population
· great _undeveloped_ _natural_ resources
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This abundance is increased due to equality of opportunity (Para 5)
· in a nation such as the US, wealth and _social position_ were
not determined by birth _______. (Tocqueville)
®American desire to _increase_ their personal _wealth_ and material
_comforts_
®Increase the nation’s material _abundance_ as quickly as possible
®Love of material things was seen as a _virtue_, a positive incentive to
_work hard_ and a _reward_ for successful efforts. (Para 7)
®American people judge themselves and other people by _materialistic
standards_______.

2. From Producers to Consumers (Para 9)
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In the 1700s and 1800s, most Americans thought of themselves more as
_producers_, like farmers and __workers____________.
Since the 20th century, Americans began to think of themselves as
_consumers than as producers_.
Mass media, such as radio and _television_, enable _mass_ _advertising_
to reinforce the American’s _self-image_ as a consumer.

3. Effects of Mass Advertising (Para 11-12)
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__Sponsors_ have some control over the content of TV _programs_.
Advertising techniques are used to _change_ Americans’ attitudes,
behavior, and _beliefs_.
People are persuaded to _consume_ more and more products.
Consumerism is the reason for American huge _economic_ development.


4. What American Consumers like:
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Comfort (Para 13)
__Cleancliness_
○ Commercials for soap, shampoo, deodorants, mouthwash, etc.
_ Novelty _ (Para 16)
○ Inventing new products and _improving_ old ones
○ Using _credit_ card—“buy now, pay later”
Convenience
Labor-saving devices (Para 17-18)
_Fast-food_ restaurants and _take-out_ services
Convenience food that are packaged_______ ready to cook, or are even
_precooked_

®Products are designed and advertised as such (Para 20)
®Reflect the American busy__ lifestyle

5. An Abundance of Technology (Para 21-22-14)
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Technological revolution
New technologies have increased the _hectic pace_ of life in the US
· Change television viewing _habits_
®From traditional broadcast networks (NBC, CBS, ABC, Fox) and public
TV stations*
®To _cable______ and satellite TV (such as HBO)
· Change the way to get entertainment and _information__
®Personal computers and the Internet
®People no longer depend on major resource_______ for news,

information, and goods for sale.


* Public television has no _advertisements_, and programs are paid for by
_contributions from viewers_____ and government grants.
6. The Decline of American Abundance? (Para 30-31-32-33-34-36)
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During the US’ first 200 years, Americans were always _optimism______
about their wealth and abundance.
This belief was based on their experiences.
○ greatly _reduced______ the conflict between the rich and poor
○ gave strong _support______ to basic national values like freedom,
self-reliance, equality of opportunity, competition and hard work.
Over the last few decades, Americans realize their material abundance
might have a limit_____.
○ the energy crisis and economic recession
○ the rising_______ cost of all things
○ the declining number of high-paying jobs in factories_______
○ Minority_______ populations are often hit the hardest.
Many Americans must _work harder_________ than their parents did to
have the same standard of living. But even that is not enough.
○ Americans are becoming less _wasteful______ and more
protective of their _environment______.
CLIFFS NOTES

FOR
AMERICAN CULTURE AND SOCIETY

CHAPTER 7
GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS IN THE US
1. A suspicion of strong government (Para 1)
The ideal of the ___free____ individual led to American deep
____suspicion_____ of the government.
Many Americans believe that the bigger and stronger the ____government_____
becomes, the more dangerous it is to their ____individual_____
____freedom_____.


2. The organization of the American Government (Para 3-4-5-7-11-12)
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The US ____Constitution_____ is the supreme law of the US. It
established the framework for the American Government.
The provisions of the Constitution are more concerned with keeping the
government from doing ____evil_____ than with _____enabling____ it
to do good.
The national government is divided into THREE ____separate_____
branches, balancing each other through the system of ____checks_____
and ____balances_____.
The legislative branch
(____Congress_____)

The
The judicial
____executive branch
_____ branch
(Federal
(Presidency) ___courts___)

Location The ___Capital______

The ___White
House______

The
_____Supreme_
___ Court

Role

____Enforces
____ the laws

___Interprets___
_ the laws

May
____prevent__
___ a bill
passed by
Congress from
becoming law

- Settle dispute

____Makes_____ the laws

Both houses must
_____agree____ on all
legislation before it goes to the
president

- Determine if a
law is
____Constitutio
n_____


Organiza The
The House of
tion
___Senate__ _Representative
____
s_____

Headed by the Headed by the
___president_ _____Supreme
___
Court____
Includes lower
national court

Election

100
435
__Senators_ _Representative
___
s_____
_2_ Senators divided among
each state
the 50 states by
_Representative
s _____
Every _6_
Every _2_ years
years

Elected
__Indirectly__
_ through the
___electoral
college____

Every _4_
years

No election
Justices are
- appointed by
the President
- approved by

the Senate

The system of checks and balances prevents any branch of the US government
from abusing its power.

3. Bill of Rights (Para 9)
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Is part of the __Constitution___
Is designed to protect specific __individual rights__ and freedoms from
government interference.
Eg: freedom of expression, freedom of religious worship, fair criminal
procedure, etc.

4. The Political parties (18-19-20-23-34-37)
Two main
parties

_Democratic_ Party

__Republican__ Party

(the Democrats)

(the Republicans)


Political

view

Government should do _more_
to solve _social problems_
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Voters

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Members

Government should not
_interfere_ in people’s lives

Make more _regulations_
Spend more on
_economic_ security and
_welfare_ state
_Big_ government

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poorer and less-privileged

Americans
_ethnic
minorities________ and
other nonwhite
_________
women’s rights groups

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The _Liberal_ (left_-wing)

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Make less regulations
give American
business more
_freedom_
_Small_ government
__is supported by
bussiness_ groups
anti-government
Americans

the _Conservative_ (right_wing)

5. Special Interest Groups (Para 26-30-32-33)

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Are often called “lobbying/pressure_ groups”
Are formed by _American_ with similar __special interest groups_ to
more effectively _influence_ the actions of government.
Eg: the NRA, labor unions, farm groups, ethnic groups, etc.
Government and politics are based on reaching compromises with a large
numbers of groups and pleasing as many as possible.
Interest groups have enormous _effect_ on politicians by voting and
contributing large sums of _money_ to _election_ campaigns. Sometimes
this effect is harmful to the United States.