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America
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What is America?

America as a topic of academic study spans nearly every discipline, from history and political science to public health, literature, and cultural studies. Its breadth makes it a common subject in introductory college courses as well as upper-level seminars, where students are asked to examine the nation's political institutions, social tensions, and evolving identity. What makes the topic academically rich is precisely its complexity: the United States has served as a site of competing visions, from debates over economic policy and national power to questions of individual rights and social change. Papers touching on figures like Edward M. Bannister, Sam Patch, and Heather Whitestone illustrate how individual stories can illuminate broader national narratives.

The papers archived under this topic reflect a wide range of approaches. Historical analyses trace developments across defined periods, such as America's rise to world power during the Gilded Age or the military origins of the republic from 1763 to 1789. Policy-focused essays examine specific controversies, including welfare from a libertarian perspective, same-sex marriage, and the Cuba-related Helms-Burton legislation. Other papers take a social or public health angle, addressing issues like childhood obesity or health promotion strategies. Comparative and philosophical approaches also appear, as in contrasting the theories of David Hume and William James within an American intellectual context.

A strong essay on America establishes a focused thesis rather than attempting to survey the entire nation's history or character. Evidence drawn from primary sources, policy documents, historical events, or specific case studies carries more weight than broad generalizations. The most common pitfall is treating "America" as a monolithic subject — the strongest papers define a precise time period, population, or issue and argue a clear, defensible position about it.

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Paper Undergraduate
The evolving role of healthcare professionals in modern nursing practice
Health wise, Oklahoma is a conundrum. It was the 21st largest recipient of medical funding from the federal government in 2005; almost $76 million in immunizations, bioterrorism preparedness and health education being the top areas of focus. However, the rest of the state ranks above the US in the percentage of people with asthma, diabetes, cancer, and hypertension. Even Oklahoma's own Health Department acknowledges that strokes, heart disease, diabetes and chronic lower respiratory diseases are more prevalent in Oklahoma at higher than national average rates – primarily because of the dual issues of obesity and tobacco use. These statistics, in fact, result in a much higher total mortality rate than for the rest of the nation.
Paper Doctorate
Legal rights and social benefits of same-sex parenting
Meezan & Rauch conducted a study on gay parenting in 2005. Legal parenting rights for same-sex couples cannot be fully discussed without discussing marriage rights. According to the author, same-sex marriage would provide three types of benefits to children of same-sex couples. If couples were permitted to marry, their children would have more financial benefits including eligibility for insurance coverage through both parents, disability benefits if a parent becomes disabled, and survivor benefits and inheritance rights if a parent dies. Second, same-sex couples would likely experiences less psychological distress and increased well-being as married rather than co-habituating couples. Finally, children would benefit socially from their parents being able to marry. The authors explain that having the family legitimized would define the family unit in terms with which others could relate. This connects the children's grandparents on both sides of the family to the child, whether or not they are biologically related. The children's daycares, school, and other organizations would have clear dictates for who is responsible for the children. Without legal recognition of all family members, these children do not have basic supports that most children have.
Paper Doctorate
Religious philosophy's influence on American political and social development
¶ … histories of the United States address the matter from a secular point-of-view. The government, the society, the economy and other such matters have been examined and discussed thoroughly but religion and its…
Research Paper Undergraduate
Annotated bibliography on women's rights and suffrage movements
¶ … Women's Rights Movement - Annotated Bibliography
Paper Undergraduate
Olaudah Equiano's dual identity: African and European authenticity
Olaudah Equiano and Gustavus Vassa are of course the same person with two distinct identities. Equiano did not choose Gustavus Vassa as a name; Equiano became known as Gustavus Vassa because an officer in the British…
Paper Undergraduate
Immigration and assimilation in contemporary America
In America today there are nearly 23 million foreign born residents which is about 8.4% of the total population. There are about 32 million residents who do not speak English as their primary language.
Paper Undergraduate
King Philip's War and the deadly conflict in seventeenth-century New England
King Philip's War and the Bloody Birth of New England The path to the formation of the United States of America is littered with the dead of centuries passed. As European colonists occupied the various regions of the…
Paper Doctorate
Racism and human inequality in North American slavery and history
Throughout history racism has been seen as a plight that tends to target vulnerable groups. Racism is the conviction that characteristics and abilities can be attributed to people simply on the basis of their race and…
Paper Doctorate
Psychological effects of racism on minority individuals
When the effects of contemporary racism are discussed, the conversation frequently revolves around the more tangible, practical effects of racism that are evident in large-scale trends. This discussion of society-wide trends, while important, runs the risk of diminishing the individual, psychological effects of racism on minority groups, not only because it abstracts an otherwise immediate and deeply personal issue, but because a discussion of large-scale trends without an accompanying investigation into the smaller-scale constituent factors behind those trends can actually perpetuate racist ideologies. Thus, to better understand the effect of racism on minority groups and further undermine the ignorance that all racism depends on, one must examine the psychological effects of racism, because experiencing racist attitudes and actions can have a variety of detrimental effects that contribute to the larger-scale trends mentioned above.
Research Paper Masters
Police agencies and organizational structure at local, state, and federal levels
This paper examines the organization of the police department including the various types of police agencies at the local, state, and federal level and how each is organized. I also examine the principal roles and functions of police organizations and their role as applicable to the law. The final section identifies and briefly explores the major organizational theories associated with policing.