The+Text+Rationale

I began the text book by analyzing the past five years. I looked at what stuck out, what was most important. I asked myself what overall themes encompassed the last half of the decade that possibly included a few events. Finally I whittled it down to about five main themes: politics, technology, the environment, social themes, and economics. Within each topic, I progressed to determine exactly what events most shaped them and affected the people.

Much has changed in the way of United States politics. There was so much information that I decided to focus on key points. When researching political events from 2005 to 2010, it was obvious to me that the democrats seemed to dominate most of the politics. Thusly, I featured the election of Nancy Pelosi, the democratic majority in the House and Senate, and mostly the election of 2008. I thought of these events as a story, one leading to the other starting with the democrats gaining majority. The people of the U.S. obviously wanted a change in Washington, so much that they shifted the political make-up in Congress. Barrack Obama inspired many and his story and presence really affected people and the culture. Since his influence was so great, this justified a key spot in the text book. I specifically left out many details of McCain and his campaign because in hindsight, since Obama won the election, he did not leave too big of an impression.

In the past few years, concern has certainly grown over the environment. Ads on T.V. implore people to “Go Green” and more energy efficient cars are stressed in society. I believe this to be a direct result of the efforts of people like Al Gore who warned people of the negativity of global warming. Being environmentally friendly is so important in United States culture now, pervading popular culture, all different industries, and becoming a key topic in U.S. politics. Former Vice-President Al Gore remained a figurehead for the movement against global warming and therefore was highlighted in the text book.

Technology is certainly a definitive part of the 21st century. In an era where almost everything is in High-Definition; the pencil and notebook has been replaced by laptop computers; and millions of people walk around with earphones connected to iPods or talking on their iPhones, we are a nation somewhat defined by our technology. In the last five years in particular, touch screen has been the next step forward in terms of futuristic technology. Because it too influences almost every part of society, it should be mentioned in a text book.

In terms of social history, one story stood out to me that I thought should definitely be mentioned. The struggle of homosexuals to gain the same rights and acceptance became a main topic of discussion; the president himself even thought it important enough to address personally. Gay marriage or Civil Unions are a frequent topic in political debates and questions for Congressmen. Likewise, the recession worked as a piece of social history in addition to economics. Emotions flared over both topics but the recession in particular since it affected a lot more than the minority of same sex couples. The financial crisis weighed down on the entire country and continues to into 2010. People still wonder if and when they will find work again and be able to support their families. Both issues certainly deserved to be mentioned in the text book.

One issue that I left out that may seem controversial is the Iraq war. However, even though soldiers lay their life on the line everyday to defend the world against Terror, after 2005 it did not remain as big a concern to the public. Every year or so, one or two films are made that bring the war to the surface to discussion again, but for the most part, national news does not report on it as heavily. Similarly, I made a choice to initially include the swine flu virus but then decided not to. Though at the time, people made a big fuss about H1N1 in the news, it was a relatively short span. People talked about it in conversation but it gradually became less and less of a concern especially when doctors revealed it not to be as severe as once thought.