ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the United States and Canada. The quintessentially American board game Monopoly expresses the values of the American dream: starting from a level playing field, through luck, strategy, and skill at seizing opportunities, players acquire wealth. Globalization is readily apparent in the daily lives of North Americans. In general, North America has a very mobile and affluent population, much of which lives in huge urban areas. The US dollar is the world's most important reserve currency, and the health of the world economy is inextricably linked with the ups and downs of the US economy. Canada has the eleventh-largest economy in the world and is a partner in the Group of Seven (G7). International studies largely focus on issues beyond the borders of North America, but it is helpful to understand the politics, economics, geography, and history of the United States and Canada to compare them to the other regions.
