How much paid vacation time is required by law in the United States?
CENTER FOR ECONOMIC AND POLICY RESEARCH
AP US Government and Politics
Critical Analysis
Find answers to the following questions using the visual above, any links below, your big brain, and your knowledge of American government and politics:
Based on the visual above, how many paid holidays and vacation days does the U.S. government mandate by law?
What was most surprising about this information?
What is the big story this chart tells?
Why do you think the US has such a low level of vacation time compared to all other wealthy nations?
Imagine that the U.S. Congress wanted to pass a law mandating paid time off. Identify three places where this paid vacation bill could be killed.
Do you think that Donald Trump’s administration will increase government mandated paid time off?
What about U.S. history or the U.S. political system, or American political culture and values help explain why American policy on mandatory paid vacation time is so different from the rest of the wealthy world?
If the U.S. president wanted to stop a mandatory paid vacation bill from becoming law, what steps could he take?
Describe the different ways liberals and conservatives might react to this chart:
In the comments section, Based on paid vacation time, explain which country from this list would you most like to live in:
Write and Discuss
Take ten minutes to write about the question at the top of the page and then discuss with your classmates.
Act on your Learning
Contact your congressional representative and let them know what you think about the fact that the U.S. is the only economically advanced nation that gets 0 paid vacation time.
Get Creative
I asked AI to compose a limerick about American paid leave and it came up with this:
In the US, time off's quite a plight,
Paid leave is a worker's lost right.
While other lands boast,
A break at no cost,
Americans toil day and through the night.
Ask AI to compose a sonnet, gangsta rap, or country song about American paid leave.
Learning Extension
You can read the entire report on our non-vacation nation from the Center for Economic and Policy Research
AP US Government and Politics