The U.S. health system is a mix of public and private, for-profit and nonprofit insurers and health care providers. The federal government provides funding for the national Medicare program for adults age 65 and older and some people with disabilities as well as for various programs for veterans and low-income people, including Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program. States manage and pay for aspects of local coverage and the safety net. Private insurance, the dominant form of coverage, is provided primarily by employers. The uninsured rate, 8.5 percent of the population, is down from 16 percent in 2010, the year that the landmark Affordable Care Act became law. Public and private insurers set their own benefit packages and cost-sharing structures, within federal and state regulations.
Federal-style homes became popular after the American Revolution and were a refined upgrade to the popular Georgian house style. They have the same recurring shape and symmetry as other Colonial house styles, but their delicate ornamentation sets them apart.
Federal Colonial homes often feature:
- A layout built around a central hall
- An elliptical fanlight and two flanking lights (windows) around the door
- Paladin or tripartite windows
The elliptical fanlights and paladin windows are key distinguishing features from Georgian-style homes.
Prairie-style homes were made famous by the architect Frank Lloyd Wright. These homes celebrate and complement the natural beauty of the Midwestern landscape with low and long shapes in the floor plan and building elements.
Prairie-style houses showcase:
- Long and low-to-the-ground builds
- Flat or shallow roofs with overhanging eaves
- Thin bricks or stucco exteriors to match the house shape
- Minimalist yet stylized ornamentation
Prairie houses inspired the flat planes and natural elements popular in Mid-century houses.
Colonial-style houses are simple rectangular homes that became popular in the 1600s as colonists settled the East Coast. These homes have many variations due to the fact that new communities all over the world built Colonial-style homes to suit their culture.
British Colonial style is the most common and recognizable Colonial home. Its key features include:
- A side-gabled roof
- Two floors
- A centered front door
- Symmetrical windows on either side of the door
The rectangular shape and interest in symmetry are seen in other Colonial house styles, too. Materials and decorative features can vary by region, as some Colonial houses sport brick exteriors and ornate trim, while others showcase shingle siding and simple shutters.
These are also some of the cheapest types of houses to build.
American popular music has had a profound effect on music across the world. The country has seen the rise of popular styles that have had a significant influence on global culture, including ragtime, blues, jazz, swing, rock, bluegrass, country, R&B, doo wop, gospel, soul, funk, punk, disco, house, techno, salsa, grunge and hip hop. In addition, the American music industry is quite diverse, supporting a number of regional styles such as zydeco, klezmer and slack-key.
Distinctive styles of American popular music emerged early in the 19th century, and in the 20th century the American music industry developed a series of new forms of music, using elements of blues and other genres of American folk music. These popular styles included country, R&B, jazz and rock. The 1960s and 1970s saw a number of important changes in American popular music, including the development of a number of new styles, such as heavy metal, punk, soul, and hip hop. Though these styles were not in the sense of mainstream, they were commercially recorded and are thus examples of popular music as opposed to folk or classical music.
The Royal Exchange in London was founded in the 16th century by the merchant Sir Thomas Gresham on the suggestion of his factor Richard Clough to act as a centre of commerce for the City of London.[1] The site was provided by the City of London Corporation and the Worshipful Company of Mercers, who still jointly own the freehold. It is trapezoidal in shape and is flanked by Cornhill and Threadneedle Street, which converge at Bank junction in the heart of the city. It lies in the ward of Cornhill.
It has twice been destroyed by fire and subsequently rebuilt. The present building was designed by Sir William Tite in the 1840s. The site was notably occupied by the Lloyd's insurance market for nearly 150 years. Today the Royal Exchange contains Fortnum & Mason The Bar & Restaurant, luxury shops, and offices.
Traditionally, the steps of the Royal Exchange are the place where certain royal proclamations (such as the dissolution of parliament) are read out by either a herald or a crier. Following the death or abdication of a monarch and the confirmation of the next monarch's accession to the throne by the Accession Council, the Royal Exchange Building is one of the locations where a herald proclaims the new monarch's reign to the public.
Mediterranean home styles are made of stucco, so they’re most common in warm climate states like Arizona and California. These homes grew in popularity in the 1920s and ‘30s after being featured as homes for the rich and famous on the silver screen.
Mediterranean-style homes include Spanish and Italian architectural elements. These key features make them easy to spot:
- Stucco walls painted white or brown
- Classic red tile roofs
- Arched doorways and windows
- Ornamentation including wrought iron, heavy doors, and decorative tiles
Mediterranean homes still carry the feelings of class and luxury they were built with over 100 years ago, with an added element of history and charm.
The French Colonial house style can be seen around the world and has significant variety among its sub-styles.
French Colonial houses have the same symmetry as other Colonial homes with these distinct features:
- Dormer windows, including one centered above the door
- External stairs to enter higher floors
- Iron stairs and balconies
- Slightly raised basements to support the floor
French Colonial houses are most similar to Spanish Colonial houses and easily identified by their elaborate iron balconies, stairs, and entrances.
