Top Companies Owned by Amazon.com, Inc.

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IMDb.com

Alexa.com

Audible.com

 Zappos

 Annapurna Labs

 AbeBooks

 Goodreads

 Twitch.tv

 Kiva Systems

 Whole Foods Market

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About UN Membership

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How does a country become a Member of the United Nations? Membership in the Organization, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, “is open to all peace-loving States that accept the obligations contained in the United Nations Charter and, in the judgment of the Organization, are able to carry out these obligations”. States are admitted to membership in the United Nations by the decision of the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council. How does a new State or Government obtain recognition by the United Nations? The recognition of a new State or Government is an act that only other States and Governments may grant or withhold. It generally implies the readiness to assume diplomatic relations. The United Nations is neither a State nor a Government, and therefore does not possess any authority to recognize either a State or a Government. As an organization of independent States, it may admit a new State to its membership or accept the credentia...
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Part-1: 2020 US Presidential Election Prediction

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Historical View: In the last five presidential elections, Barack Obama's 2008 victory was a huge victory with the highest number of electoral college votes. George W. Bush's 2000 election victory was very competitive with a very narrow victory. Florida played an important role in each presidential election. 2016 2012 2008 2004 2000 Trump (R) Hillary (D) Obama (D) Romney (R) Obama (D) McCain (R) GWBush (R) Kerry (D) GWBush (R) AlGore (D) 304 227 332 206 365 173 286 251 271 266 Some states always vote for one particular party; it is a trend in the last five presidential elections. For example, Texas always vote for Republican candidates and California always vote for Democrats. Here is a list of states voted for Republican candidates in last five presidential elections. (Number of Electoral College votes) State Votes Alabama 9 Alaska 3 Arizona 11 Arkansas 6 Georgia 16 Idaho 4 Kansas 6 Kentucky 8 Louisiana 8 Mississippi 6 Missouri 10 Montana 3 Nebr...
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Nixon shock and the rise of America

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America (the United States of America) is a superpower in the world. It is not the nuclear bombing of Japan at the end of World War II (1945) that gave America the superpower status. The main player is the "Nixon Shock." On August 15, 1971, President Richard M Nixon announced his new economic policy, a program known colloquially as the “Nixon Shock,” the initiative marked the beginning of the end for the Bretton Woods system of fixed exchange rates established at the end of World War II. Under the Bretton Woods system, the external values of foreign currencies were fixed in relation to the U.S. dollar, whose value was in turn expressed in gold at the congressionally-set price of $35 per ounce. By the 1960s, a surplus of U.S. dollars caused by foreign aid, military spending, and foreign investment threatened this system, as the United States did not have enough gold to cover the volume of dollars in worldwide circulation at the rate of $35 per ounce; as a result, the doll...
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Part-1: United States (US) House of Representatives Seats by State

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The first Congress (1789-91) had 65 House members, the number provided for in the Constitution until the first census could be held. Based on an estimated population for the 13 states of 3.7 million, there was one representative for every 57,169 people. :(Source: Pew Research) Presently, there are 435 house seats that spread across 50 states as a proportion of their population. The 1929 law authorizing that census also capped the size of the House at 435. In 1929, the population of the United States was 121 million. In 2017, the population is 325 million. The house seats remain the same for the last 80 years. Montana’s 1,050,493 people have just one House member; Rhode Island has slightly more people (1,059,639), but that’s enough to give it two representatives; one for every 529,820 Rhode Islanders. State Population Representatives Population/Representative Montana 1,050,493 1 1,050,493 Delaware 961,939 1 961,939 South Dakota 869,666 1 869,666 Idaho 1,716,943 2 858,...
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Part 4: The Constitution of the United States

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The Constitution: Amendments 11-27 Constitutional Amendments 1-10 make up what is known as The Bill of Rights. Amendments 11-27 are listed below. AMENDMENT XI Passed by Congress March 4, 1794. Ratified February 7, 1795. Note: Article III, section 2, of the Constitution was modified by amendment 11. The Judicial power of the United States shall not be construed to extend to any suit in law or equity, commenced or prosecuted against one of the United States by Citizens of another State, or by Citizens or Subjects of any Foreign State. AMENDMENT XII Passed by Congress December 9, 1803. Ratified June 15, 1804. Note: A portion of Article II, section 1 of the Constitution was superseded by the 12th amendment. The Electors shall meet in their respective states and vote by ballot for President and Vice-President, one of whom, at least, shall not be an inhabitant of the same state with themselves; they shall name in their ballots the person voted for as President, and in distinct...
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The Eurozone Crisis: Italy Next?

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First Greece -- then Ireland, Italy, Spain and Portugal: The European common currency has come under pressure from large national debts and the effects of the global financial crisis, ultimately requiring a rescue package close to a trillion euros. Fears are growing that the euro crisis may soon return. Italy could spark a chain reaction if it doesn't yield to the European Union's demand that it rein in its planned deficit spending. Concern is rising in Brussels and on the financial markets. The erstwhile bailout fund known as the European Stability Mechanism may soon be granted far-reaching new powers, including the kinds of functions currently possessed by the IMF. But there's a hitch. Italy can only manage its current crisis with German help. And Germany needs Italy to keep Europe stable. While there is no simple solution, a new form of assistance could help.
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Part 2: U.S. History & American History

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Declaration of Independence The Declaration of Independence is one of the most important documents in the history of the United States.  Fast Facts It took Thomas Jefferson 17 days to write the Declaration of Independence. On July 2, 1776, Congress voted to declare independence from Great Britain. On July 4, 1776, Congress voted to accept the Declaration of Independence, marking July 4 as Independence Day. U.S. Constitution The foundation of the American Government, its purpose, form, and structure, are in the Constitution of the United States. The Constitutional Convention adopted the Constitution on September 17, 1787.   The Bill of Rights is the first 10 amendments to the Constitution. It guarantees greater constitutional protection for individual liberties and lists specific prohibitions on government power. There are 27 Constitutional Amendments in all. The 27th Amendment, which was originally...
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Venezuela Crisis: The Oil Rich Country in Trouble

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The proven oil reserves in Venezuela are recognized as the largest in the world, totaling 299 billion barrels whereas Saudi Arabia has 266 billion barrels in its stock. Despite being an oil-rich country, Venezuela is facing severe socioeconomic and political crisis. Crime and violence are also widespread. In 2016, 27,479 people were killed - an all-time high - according to the independent group the Venezuelan Violence Observatory. A socioeconomic and political crisis has been taking place in Venezuela since 2010 under the presidency of Hugo Chávez and has continued into the current presidency of Nicolás Maduro. The opposition accuses President Nicolas Maduro of moving towards a dictatorship, and want him to resign. But Maduro says the opposition is conspiring with foreign entities, specifically the United States, to destabilize the country. In 2016, opposition lawmakers took a majority in the legislature—the National Assembly—for the first time in nearly two decades. ...
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US Crime Statistics

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Pew Research Center Report: Violent crime in the U.S. has fallen sharply over the past quarter-century. The two most commonly cited sources of crime statistics in the U.S. both show a substantial decline in the violent crime rate since it peaked in the early 1990s. One is an annual report by the FBI of serious crimes reported to police in approximately 18,000 jurisdictions around the country. The other is an annual survey of more than 90,000 households conducted by the Bureau of Justice Statistics, which asks Americans ages 12 and older whether they were victims of crime, regardless of whether they reported those crimes to the police. Using the FBI numbers, the violent crime rate fell 48% between 1993 and 2016. Using the BJS data, the rate fell 74% during that span. (For both studies, 2016 is the most recent full year of data.) It’s important to note that the FBI reported a 7% increase in the violent crime rate between 2014 and 2016, including a 20% rise in the murder rate —from 4...
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Part 4: U.S. History & American History

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How the Federal Government Creates and Manages Its Budget Every year, Congress begins work on a federal budget for the next fiscal year. The federal government’s fiscal year runs from October 1 of one calendar year through September 30 of the next. The work actually begins in the executive branch the year before the budget is to go into effect. Federal agencies create budget requests and submit them to the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB). OMB refers to the agency requests as it develops the president’s budget proposal. The president submits his budget proposal to Congress early the next year. Then Congress, which the Constitution puts in charge of spending and borrowing, starts its work. Annual Funding Areas The annual budget covers three spending areas: Federal agency funding, called discretionary spending—the area Congress sets annually. Discretionary spending typically accounts for around a third of all funding. Interest on the debt,...
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