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What is American?

The concept of "American" as a subject of study spans disciplines ranging from history and sociology to literature and cultural studies. It invites students to examine what defines American identity, society, and values — questions that resist simple answers. Courses in world studies, American history, and cultural analysis regularly ask students to interrogate the idea of America as both a geographic place and an evolving set of ideals. Works like J. Hector St. John de Crèvecoeur's 1782 letter posing the question "What Is an American?" and figures such as Benjamin Franklin and Amiri Baraka serve as anchors for exploring how American identity has been constructed, contested, and redefined across centuries.

Student papers on this topic take a wide range of approaches. Comparative essays examine American values alongside European or Asian counterparts, or place historical periods like the Progressive Era and the New Deal in direct contrast. Other papers use case studies to analyze specific social and political developments — the Abolition Movement, the Americans with Disabilities Act, or the influence of Latin migration on American life. Cultural and media analysis appears as well, with papers exploring pop music in the 1980s, advertising's effect on dietary choices, and the evolution of the cell phone as a lens into American society.

A strong essay on an American studies topic works best when it anchors a broad theme in a specific argument. Effective evidence draws on policy documents, literary texts, historical events, or cultural artifacts rather than vague generalizations about national character. The most common pitfall is treating "America" as a monolith — successful essays acknowledge the diversity of voices, regions, and experiences that shape any aspect of American life.

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Paper Doctorate
Obesity and Adolescent Drug Abuse
The work of Brownson, et al. (2010) states that childhood obesity "…is a serious public health problem." In fact, "obesity rates have increased threefold among U.S. children and adolescents.
Paper Doctorate
Communication history and development
Fans of science fiction are fond of recalling a remark by novelist Arthur C. Clarke, to the effect that any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. I am currently typing these sentences onto a…
Paper Undergraduate
Response to Intervention Effectiveness
Response to instruction and intervention RTI2 is reported as a general approach in education to closing the gap in achievement. RTI2 methods are constructed upon the Response to Intervention (RTI) model that was an option for schools under the ‘Building the Legacy, Idea 2004 reauthorization of the individuals with Disabilities Education Act IDEA. (California Department of Education, 2011) RTI and the expanded RTI2 are reported as being based upon "17 years of practice that has refined continuous progress monitoring as a strategy for keeping students on a path toward success." (California Department of Education, 2011) RTI is reported as a strategy that moves all students through the steps set out in the learning standards and is further more stated to be an approach that views both academic and behavioral achievement of students.
Paper Undergraduate
Chicano movement: history, activism, and cultural impact
Chicano movement is one of the most eminent chapters in the history of Mexican Americans. The Chicano movement reflects a decade's long pursuit of Mexican Americans for their rights. Although it has its roots in 1800s, the movement grew stronger in 1940s. In order to understand what Chicano movement really is, one needs to understand the past events leading to it. It is a common saying in Mexican Americans that we did not crossed the borders, the border crossed us. There have been several treaties signed between Mexicans and Americans which provided a lot of benefits to Mexicans along with citizenship, however when the senate revised these treaties, all these leverages were removed depriving Mexicans of their lands and other properties. Then started the journey of Chicano Movement. There are various individuals and several movements who have played an important role in helping Chicano movement achieve some of its objectives.
Paper Undergraduate
Drones Strikes Is Targeted Killing Illegal?
Abstract The legality of the drone strikes is a disputed matter. A major challenge to the international law and the international system is the US policy of using drones aerially to carry out target killings. According to some reports US drone strikes have killed almost 4,000 people since 2002 in Pakistan, Yemen and other countries. The Congress of United States of America reviews their policy of drone strikes, which had increased to a great deal under the Obama regime, every month. The main problem of using the drone strikes is that it has not been able to stop terrorism. Instead of stopping it, it has given rise to the terrorist activities. This study is a research based on the topic of drone attacks and the legality of targeted attacks. The study is based on information and research. The study includes graphs and charts which are based on reliable sources.
Thesis Masters
1989 Basel Convention Environmental Agreements
The Basal Convention was created to address the illegal shipments of hazardous waste across international boundaries. Since this trade frequently resulted in environmental disasters within the destination countries, which were invariably impoverished, the public and government officials of exporting nations were forced to address this issue through an international treaty. The Basel Convention implemented outright bans on the international trade of hazardous waste between OECD member states and non-member states. It also created a framework for implementing environmentally-sound waste management strategies to lessen the need for an international trade in hazardous waste.
Paper High School
Initial Contacts and Meetings
The essay compares American with Russian business style. There are many similarities in the way that America and Russia conduct business and in their initial business contacts. There are also, however, differences. The main difference may be the fact that Russians are more relaxed than Americans which tends to have both positive and negative ramifications. The great cultural differences need to be taken into account in order for both parties to effectively conduct business with the other
Paper Undergraduate
Toyota Process Improvements Toyota Summary
Toyota has largely had great success over the years but they have definitely stumbled in recent years. Some wild stock swings in 2001 and 2008 have been concerning, although the stock price is on an upward swing now. This paper analyzes three processes within Toyota....how they're doing now and how it could be better.
Research Paper Doctorate
Career Opportunities for African Americans in Aviation Jobs vs. Market Potential and Growth
Flying the friendly skies -- but friendly to whom? The outlook of the airline industry regarding African-American job prospects and the overall future of the airline industry
Paper Undergraduate
Jefferson Views Towards State Rights and Secession
This paper focuses on the overall opinion of Davis on the state rights and secession, it is important to note here that most of his opinions were influenced by other leaders at the time or prior to it aside from Pierce, but also that his leadership in dealing with the war at the time failed too.