The United States of Ericah is a very large, safe nation, renowned for its smutty television, strictly enforced bedtime, and ubiquitous missile silos. The hard-nosed, hard-working population of 234 million Ericahians have some civil rights, but not too many, enjoy the freedom to spend their money however they like, to a point, and take part in free and open elections, although not too often.

The relatively small government juggles the competing demands of Defense, Law & Order, and Education. Citizens pay a flat income tax of 18.8%.

The all-consuming Ericahian economy, worth 23.9 trillion dollars a year, is broadly diversified and led by the Retail industry, with significant contributions from Book Publishing, Furniture Restoration, and Arms Manufacturing. Average income is an impressive 102,115 dollars, but there is a significant disparity between incomes, with the richest 10% of citizens earning 372,630 per year while the poor average 19,869, a ratio of 18.8 to 1.

Exports are stamped with "made by the invisible hand you commies", class clowns are frequently listed among the most dangerous criminals in the nation, treaties are taken to be mere rules of thumb, and a girl's success in life is often linked to her performance in beauty pageants. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a capable police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Ericah's national animal is the bald eagle.

Ericah is ranked 279,420^th in the world and 994^th in Concord for Nicest Citizens, with 4.49 average smiles per day.