Comparative analysis of the United States and China

¶ … Culture and the United States

Comparative Analysis of a World Culture and the United States

Comparative Analysis of the United States and China

In 1492, Christopher Columbus explored the area now included in the United States. The chief nations that established their colonies in the present United States were England, Spain, and France. The Spaniard Pedro Menendez de Aviles founded the first permanent settlement in the present America in 1565 whereas it was in 1607 that the first permanent English settlement was made at Jamestown (Virginia). The American Revolution (1775 -- 1783) resulted in the freedom of the Thirteen Colonies and also expanded governmental representation. The Revolution also "advanced the movement for separation of church and state in America, increased opportunities for westward expansion, and brought the abolition of the remnants of feudal land tenure" ("United States," 2009).

The history of China is usually examined as an uninterrupted development with definite monotonous tendencies. The Shang dynasty (c.1523 -- 1027 B.C.) is the first in known Chinese history. Other notable dynasties include Chou dynasty, Confucius, Lao Tzu, Mencius, Tsin, Sui, T'ang, Sung and Ming. The centralized imperial system was first established by the semi-barbarous Ch'in dynasty (221 -- 206 B.C.) during which the construction of The Great Wall began. The period under Han dynasty (202 B.C. -- A.D. 220) is distinguished "for long peaceable rule, expansionist policies, and great artistic achievement" ("China," 2009).

Government

The Constitution of the United States (adopted by the 1787 Constitutional Convention) supports a federal republic as the government of the United States. The power is divided between the federal government and the state governments. There are 3 branches in the federal government i.e. The executive, the legislative, and the judicial. The President of the country has the executive power and in case of the incapacity of the President, the Vice President has this power. The President (executive authority) carries out the governmental business of the country supported by a cabinet that consists of "the Attorney General and the Secretaries of the Departments of State; Treasury; Defense; Interior; Agriculture; Commerce; Labor; Health and Human Services; Education; Housing and Urban Development; Transportation; Energy; and Veterans' Affairs" ("United States," 2009). The legislative branch of the government i.e. The Congress is bicameral and is consisted of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Supreme Court of the United States heads the judicial branch which is structured by the federal courts ("United States," 2009).

On the other hand, China is a one-party state wherein the genuine authority lies with the Chinese Communist party. The 1982 Constitution is followed in the country. The National People's Congress (NPC) is the unicameral legislature. It consists of deputies who are elected to a period of 5 years indirectly. The National People's Congress has the authority to make decisions related to the national economic strategy. It also holds the power to vote for or confiscate high officeholders. Moreover, the NPC can also change the country's constitution. The President is the head of state and the Premier is the head of government and they are included in the executive branch. The NPC elects the President for a term of 5 years whereas the President nominates the premier who is then approved by the NPC ("China," 2009).

Economy, Energy and Infrastructure

The United States of America has remarkable mineral and agricultural resources. In the past, the country was almost self-reliant. However, the continuous and escalating consumption of energy has made America reliant on certain imports. Yet, it is the largest producer of both electrical and nuclear energy in the world. It is also recognized as the chief producer of "copper, gold, coal, crude oil, nitrogen, iron ore, silver, uranium, lead, zinc, mica, molybdenum, and magnesium" ("United States," 2009). As far as the agriculture is concerned, America leads the world in "cheese, corn, soybeans, and tobacco" ("United States," 2009) production. Moreover, America is also the leading exporter of wheat and corn in the world and is the third biggest exporter of rice. The economic development of the United States has been driven by the boom of a compound communications network that includes railways, highways, domestic waterways, air, telephone, radio, television, and computer (Internet). This infrastructure has promoted the growth of agriculture and manufacture industries. Moreover, it is also one of the reasons why the United States holds a leading position in world tourism revenues ("United States," 2009).

As far as China is concerned, it is still a country that is developing with a moderately low per capita income. However, ever since 1970s, China has experienced incredible financial growth. As an outcome of the policies of economic liberalization, the GDP of China increased tenfold amid 1978-2006 with the soaring of foreign investment during the 1990s. China replaced Germany and became the third largest economy in the world in 2007. By a long way, agriculture is the leading occupation in China that involves approximately fifty percent of the population. It is the leading producer of rice and wheat in the world "and a major producer of potatoes, corn, peanuts, millet, barley, apples, sweet potatoes, sorghum, and soybeans" ("China," 2009). Moreover, the country is the world's chief producer of cotton and tobacco.. Besides being a major producer of coal and iron ore, China is the chief exporter of "tungsten, antimony, tin, magnesium, molybdenum, mercury, manganese, barite, and salt" ("China," 2009). Even though the economy of China is supported by liberal economic policies, it still has got meagerness in transportation, communique, and energy resources ("China," 2009)

Religion and Culture

The United States allows religious freedom to its people. However, the majority of its populace is Christian. About 2.5% of citizens are Jews whereas 1 -- 2% is Muslims ("United States," 2009). Americans have a westernized culture and also have unique subcultures within it. Various types of food are served and are mostly dependent upon the area of the country and the own cultural heritage of the family. America is also renowned all over the world for the production of films, shows, and musical performances. American language is the primary language along with Spanish, Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Tagalog as the important languages (Frost)

Majority of the population in China follows Atheism. It has got the oldest art in the world with its origins in outlying olden times ("Chinese Art," 2009). Chinese literature is composed of two styles i.e. The literary language and the vernacular style ("Chinese Literature," 2009). The music and philosophy of China cannot be separated and are bound with each other. Presently, the Chinese music is actively using the western concepts of harmony ("Chinese Music," 2009). As far as the food is concerned, the people in China love eating as eating is one of the major aspects of Chinese life.

Conclusion

The cultural heritage of both United States of America and China is really diverse. However, the Chinese culture is richer than that present in the America.