The United States has evolved over the last few centuries, this has had consequences to its people. The geography of the United States is important, particularly demographically with the different areas. Regions of America all have different political, socio-economic orders. It is important to think about politics and how where states are situated impacts on what the country is like politically. The United States has undergone massive demographic changes from the 13 original colonies to independence from the British monarchy, until now. When thinking about the US demographics, it is also necessary to consider the changes to the American population, the fact that people are living longer and such large numbers of migrants bring different politics all the time. Immigration is a key issue impacting the demographics in America today. More specifically, how immigration policy, and legal and illegal migration are impacting the ethnic groups in America. Finally, one has to examine the US economy and how this has affected the US population. The United States’ economy has transformed and so has its structure, with less influence on agricultural businesses and industry and more focus on service jobs. Albeit this change, one cannot ignore the detrimental social impact of economic inequality and poverty.
The United States today, being the largest country in the world geographically, has large international and national implications for the country. One has to note that United States has very different politics depending on where you are. Whether its Southern, Northern, Eastern, Western, all of these different areas have differing political and cultural stances. Firstly, thinking about the United States in four parts has some merit, David Mckay alludes to this regional social structure. Mckay argues that during the 19th century, the South was cut off from the other areas of the United States. Throughout history, South-North relations have been rocky. Since 1865, the South has been separated from America society norms. Ideologically, the South had a different outlook to the North, a less liberal approach to politics and society. The existence of slavery and the governing of their economy by segregation has made the South arguably racist and separate from the states in the North with more progressive policy. However, Mckay also notes during the Civil Rights years in the 1960s, the South has changed greatly due to economic increase, increase of urban areas and increasing immigration. Albeit this, Southern states still have those distinctive qualities of being racist in particular areas and out of touch with society. Mckay also notes the West Coast states, in contrast to the South, are much more liberal. Washington, Oregon and California are historically Democratic states with urban centres and are all politically progressive. The ‘West’, Mckay explains, is different completely as well, being far more conservative than the pacific states and the climate and rural environment makes it demographically so different to any other part of the US. The Midwest is also mostly conservative, in contrast to the Northern states and New England which are mainly democratic. Albeit this strong difference in state-policy and socio-economic factors, ultimately American values are paramount and the states still have a common and shared ideals of being American. William Hudson also alludes to this idea of American Individualism, which is unique set of ideals shared by Americans. Hudson argues that due to the lack of shared history, religion or a common race, nationalism as most countries know it, does not have the same meaning in America. Instead, due to the
wide range of cultures, a strong sense of American Individualism is present in the United States. Overall, the individual states in the United States are so different, one can’t necessarily think of them as a collective. Instead, it is important to consider that they have their own legislature and they are all very different in terms of placing, their environment and environmental and political climate.
The geography of the United States has changed significantly since the 17th century. In early America, well before American independence, America looked much different. At that time, with only the original 13 colonies, America has evolved so much demographically since then. From the late 17th century to the late 18th century, America was evolving, with increase in settlers from Europe and the South saw the rise of slave population. Elizabeth Cobbs comments on the nature of America is the 18th century. She says that in the beginning of the 18th century, 260,000 settlers were in America and then over 2 million by 1770. She also notes that slavery grew significantly during this period and so did the number of slaves. Virginia was made up of 30% slave population in 1720. The settlers moved to the North and South of America which did not come without conflict, they faced Indians, French and Spanish colonists and in some cases missionaries. These conflicts were at a peak during the Seven-Years War, whereby the British conquered the French. Despite this win for the colonists, the British government clamped down on them as they were worried about native american relations getting persistently worse. Throughout the 18th century, a series of Repressive Acts from the British led to the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. In terms of expanding territory, America has changed vastly. Michael Cox argues in Governing America, The Politics of a Divided Democracy that the Louisiana purchase in 1803 was a huge gain for America as now they had a much larger portion of the continent. Up until this purchase, America only had control over the East of America. Overall these geographic factors are very important to consider when viewing the demographics of the United States.
The United States Population is increasing exponentially, as of 1st October 2018, the current population is 328.7 million. America is a not only a diverse population but it is also an ageing population. This Ageing population is significant to America politics as the 55-100 age bracket is the largest percentage of the population in America today. Michael Cox talks about America as an ever growing nation, which accounts for the change demographically. Cox discusses this dramatic exponential increase, saying that the United States in 1800 went from a population of 5 million to 1914 when America had a population of 100 million. Cox argues that America was the most common destination for European migration. Cox does not ignore the fact that due to this new build up of immigrants, people adopted an American doctrine of life. This resulted in political consequences in the 1900s because ethnic groups created difficulties internationally so foreign policy was challenging at this time. Therefore, immigration increasing could also shift not only votes but foreign policy. Increase in population directly affects voting, in other words more people in certain states could shift politics nationally. To assess the demographics in America, one has to understand the relationship between population growth and other factors such as immigration. Historically, the United States as been known as a Nation of Immigrants as has always been full of different cultures, religions and races. Eric Kaufmann notes the changing ethnic scene in America. Kaufmann notes that at the time of American Independence in 1776, the population was mostly white, specifically 80% white and then the other 20% was black, mostly from the slave trade. Overtime, throughout the 19th century, immigrants from Ireland, Britain and German poured in. America was a more growing immigrant nation than other colonies like Canada or Australia, with more worldwide Immigration, Hispanics came to California and New Mexico.
American Immigration is paramount when one studies the demographics in the country. To understand why United States migration has changed one must understand the economic change. The economy has changed vastly, from the shift from the years of industrial and agriculture growth to the new years of service jobs. The decline in manufacture and agriculture is articulated by Mckay. This gave rise to the Manufacturing decline in the North East of America and then the rapidly increasing energy industry in the South. Mckay notes the significance of the shift between Colonial America in the years before the 19th century with a large white community to the1970s, whereby the white population has been depleting. Furthermore, the he alludes to the notion that immigration is very significant in America and its ideology surrounded around it. He goes on to give reasons for the immigration, European immigrants specifically came to America to escape war and exploitative nations and also the sense of free land and opportunity. This saw rise of German, Irish and Eastern and southern european immigrants and then in recent years, the rise of latino community, asian and caribbean in America. Mckay also looks at the backlash towards immigrants, and the prejudices against alien ethnic groups. Racist acts such as the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act, which was oppressive towards the Asian community in America and the 1924 Immigration Act which limited immigration and was also racist in nature, favouring Canadian and European immigrants. This racist, political approach to immigration was changed somewhat by the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s. This brought rise to more humane and liberal immigration policy, specifically the 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act. In general, legal migration is increasing although there were some dips throughout the 20th century. More recently, in the last 40 years or so, the ‘alien’ culture has been the idea of illegal immigrants. The rise of illegal immigrants from Mexico has tried and tested governments, notably during the Obama administration. Mckay notes a particular example in Arizona state in 2010 when they clamped down on immigration policy to demand proof of citizenship to anyone who was suspectedly an illegal immigrant. This sparked retaliation from Latino’s and then national policy changed since this law. The issue of illegal immigrants causes great controversy in the United States today. There are around 11 or 12 million illegal immigrants in the United States. In Obama’s presidency, he was one of many who tried and failed to pass the Dream Act, which would have allowed rights for illegal immigrants and hopefully allow them to live in the United States legally as well as granting them citizenship. Unfortunately, the Dream act was not passed due to Republican opposition due to their deep hatred of amnesty for illegal immigrants. In 2012 as a response to this failure, Barack Obama introduced DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) which gives rights to the children of illegal immigrants. Mckay notes the significance of the large proportions of Latinos in America, making up 18 percent of the population a 2015 study showed, as well as the African American community making up 13.2%. The repression that certain immigrants, particularly illegal, receive from government and society is very important to the changing demographics of the United States.
The Economy in the United States has many layers to it; how it is structured, how equal it is and how this relates to the groups in society and their livelihood. David Mckay argues that the United States’ economy has evolved, from the 19th century to the post war years, it has grown rapidly. Mckay also notes the significant change in the type of economy, the 19th century saw agriculture and industry as the largest part of economy, but by 2015, agricultural employment only made up 0.6% of the workforce. In 21st century America, service jobs govern the economy and agricultural and manufacturing are nowhere near as influential. Michael Cox argues that globalisation of the USA led to great economic instability. In the post-cold war era, along with Russia, America became known as a superpower and when America defeated the USSR, this new system of order was implemented. This world order is known as globalisation. During the 1990s, the US was growing rapidly as a ‘superpower’. Cox notes that political realists believed that other powers would outrun the USA. However, the reality is that the United States is that US still held its superpower status or hegemony during the new millenium. On an international level, the US is still highly influential globally but Cox questions whether there is need for Global hegemony rather than US hegemony. This in mind, due to the fact that it is assumed that the US still has somewhat superpower status, its economy is important in this fact. Cox also argues that when Barack Obama came to be president, the United States had a major financial crisis. Furthermore, the economic crisis of 2008 was highly problematic for the United States and Obama seemed like a better option than the past Republican government. America had not experienced such economic turmoil since the The Great Depression. Obama tried to implement reforms to foreign policy to help the US government following George W. Bush’s presidency. Unfortunately, Cox notes, Obama’s hard work did not have long standing impact to undo the problems left by the post 9/11 and Iraq War climate. Cox finalises his argument with the notion that this economic devastation from 2008 has resulted in the United States economy being in a fragile place. Furthering on from this, this raises the question of how equal is the United States? The United States, in William Hudson’s opinion has large economic inequality. Hudson argues that the super rich or the 1 percent who had caused the 2008 financial crash were fine by 2011, but the rest of the country suffered the consequences of this economic failure. This growing economic inequality in the United States supports the argument that today the USA is very rich country but is largely unequal in terms of income and wealth distribution. Furthermore, Hudson argues that economic inequality has been increasing since the 1970s and also he notes it jeopardises American democracy. Hudson also comments on the pressing debate between “equality of opportunity and equality of condition”. As seen, this polarising debate about economic inequality makes political writers like Hudson question American ideology behind this inequality. Alberto Alesina and Edward Glaeser discuss the relationship between race and poverty in the United States. Alesina and Glaeser argue that the US ethnically diverse and is known for poverty being defined by the most obvious minorities. Successful welfare reform has been harder to achieve as racist tendencies have led to blame on ethnic minorities for the issues.
To conclude, the change in American demographics is defined by the ever changing and polarising society. The geography in the United States is relevant as regional demographics have impacted politics and how society sees separate regions in America, most interestingly, the South and the stereotypes that sound this region of the country. Furthermore, the fact that America has grown so much in size since the first 13 colonies until now. The united States population is growing and more diverse than ever, this rapid population increase shows that America still faces great changes politically as these people can change the voting scene. Immigration also has a part to play in population change and could equally shift votes. Immigration policy has changed dramatically over the past two decades and is still such a controversial topic in America today, the question of not only legal immigrants but illegal ones is very relevant to Trump’s administration. Finally, economic policy and the economy in general has evolved over time. The structure has changed, a shift from industry and agriculture to services. Albeit this, there are great economic inequalities in America and also poverty is a pressing issue, these both have particular consequence to ethnic minorities in the United States today.