LOCATION & SIZE Bordered by Canada and Mexico Half the size of Russia & larger than China 9,826,675 sq. miles 50 states

GOVERNMENT Democracy – 3 branches President: Barack Obama Vice President: Joe Biden

ECONOMY Exports: trillion (2012) - agriculture product, industrial supplies, capital goods, consumer goods. Imports: trillion (2012) - agriculture product, industrial supplies, capital goods, consumer goods. GDP: 49,800.

ETHNICITY

HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES Prison Conditions & Death Penalty Racial Disparities in the Criminal Justice System Sexual Orientation & Gender Identity. Women’s & Girls’ rights Counterterrorism

PRISON CONDITIONS & DEATH PENALTY The US incarcerates more people than any other country in the world. 33 states continue to allow this Downward trend since 2000 “Three-strikes” law, determining how long the sentencing will be the number of prisoners 65 or older grew 94 times faster than total incarcerated population. Prisons are ill-equipped to handle this

RACIAL DISPARITIES IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM African Americans represent 28.4 of all arrests. Because they are more likely to have a criminal record, they are discriminated against when trying to get housing, employment, education, public benefits, jury service and the right to vote. Whites, Latinos and African Americans have comparable rates of drug use, but prosecuted at vastly different rates.

In 2008, African American motorists were more likely to be searched during a traffic stop than any other race. In New York City 86% of people stopped and “frisked” were African Americans 89% of those stopped were innocent of any wrong- doing.

SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND GENDER IDENTITY RIGHTS Public attitudes about gay marriage seem to be shifting. Although US law provides no protection against discrimination based on sexual orientation. In Dec Obama signed the “Don’t Ask, Don’t tell Repeal Act of 2010” which repealed the policy on barring gays from serving openly in the military. The Defense of Marriage act continues to bar recognition of same-sex marriage at federal level.

The DOJ (Department of Justice) informed congress that I wouldn’t continue defending in the courts – the constitutionality of the provision that defines marriage as a legal union between man and woman. Same sex marriages are not recognized or performed in 41 states. Wisconsin banned transgender inmates from receiving hormone therapy even when medically necessary.

COUNTERTERRORISM There is over whelming evidence that Senior Bush administration approved illegal interrogation methods involving torture after September 11, However, President Obama and his officials failed to investigate it any further. In Guantanamo, suspects are being held, designated for detention or for trial but not yet facing charges. Lybia suspects tortured, CIA agrees to participate knowing that.

MLA WORKS SITED “United States of America.” Amnesty International. Amnesty International, Web. 10 April “United States.” Human Rights Watch. Human Rights Watch, n.d. Web. 10 April Central Intelligence Agency. “North America: United States.” The World Factbook Fact Monster. 2000–2007 Pearson Education, publishing as Fact Monster. 23 Apr. 2013