Are Americans - and the rest of the world - still buying the American Dream?
Starting in LA on 10 September, the US08 bus set off to discover what Americans are really talking about, and what the world is saying about their nation.
The first part of the journey went from Los Angeles to Dallas.
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Dallas, Texas
Dallas has old and new types of energy
Although Texas has a reputation for being America's oil heartland, it is also the country's leading source of wind power.
On the way to Dallas, Ros Atkins visited one of the colossal wind farms that tower above the state's plains, near the town of Sweetwater:
Green technology is also having an impact in Dallas itself.
Ros saw how state-of-the-art public transport systems are being put in place to tempt people out of their cars:
Public transport is one area in which the battle between the community and the individual - such a key part of the election - is being played out.
Ros spoke to Tim Simmons of Divided We Fail, who believes the country needs some more community spirit:
Meanwhile, back in New Mexico, an that our bus blogger Jon Kelly conducted with the chair of Bernalillo County Republicans, Fernando de Baca - which has caused a furore:
The bus's time in Dallas was rounded off with a live debate on the World Have Your Say programme about America's role in the world.
Should the US be the world's benefactor, or its policeman?
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Albuquerque, New Mexico
Armed Forces Day saw troops attend Albuquerque's state fair
The bus arrived at New Mexico's state fair - where Armed Forces Day mixed with frozen bananas and poultry competitions.
Entrance prices were cut to boost attendance, reflecting how the wider economy had become the number one issue for people in the country.
Meanwhile Ros explained to Newshour's Owen Bennett-Jones why New Mexico is his favourite of the states the bus has visited so far:
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Santa Fe, New Mexico
In New Mexico's state capital, Ros Atkins met the Democratic Governor Bill Richardson, who spoke about Barack Obama's recent fluctuating performance in the opinion polls, and also on the critical role Hispanic voters will play in the election.
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Truth Or Consequences, New Mexico
The World Have Your Say programme came live from the town formally known as Hot Springs - where the residents liked the quiz show Truth Or Consequences so much they renamed their town.
Ros talked to Lori Montgomery, the mayor of the town of around 6,000 people, about how the ongoing financial turmoil on Wall Street will impact small-town America:
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Tombstone, Arizona
At the southernmost point on the journey, Ros Atkins met the official Tombstone historian - who explained how the battle between Democrats and Republicans was key to the famous Gunfight at the OK Corral.
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Phoenix, Arizona
As well as being the Republican presidential candidate, John McCain is Arizona's Senior Senator.
Arizona is also the state where he began his political career, and it is said that to understand the state is to understand the man.
With that in mind, Ros Atkins gave his first impressions as the bus cruised along the famous Route 66:
In Kingman, Ros hitched a ride along the highway with some local bikers:
Ros then went to the Ben Avery Shooting Range just outside Phoenix to find out why gun ownership is such a fundamental issue for some voters:
Meanwhile there was a discussion on John McCain with Republicans at the home of Susan Bitter Smith in Scottsdale:
During the discussion, Ed Phillips, a meteorologist, gave a powerful view of how he sees modern America:
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Las Vegas, Nevada
On the way to Las Vegas, the bus passed through the small town of Baker, California. Jennifer Copestake recorded her impressions of the place:
Then the bus passes the Statue of Liberty, the Eiffel Tower and a set of Australian strippers as it rolls into the world's gambling capital.
Jennifer Copestake met Otis Williams, a member of the soul group The Temptations, and his manager Shelley Berger, to discuss how the city has changed over the years.
Vegas is where Americans dream of going on holiday - but beyond the booming strip there are big problems. Ros Atkins reports.
By the slot machines of the Orleans Hotel, Ros discusses who Nevada's Latinos will vote for with political professor Kenneth Fernandes.
More than anywhere in the country, Las Vegas and Nevada is being affected by the fallout from the collapse of the sub-prime market.
Last month, 800 people lost their homes in the city alone. Ros Atkins took a journey with a local estate agent.
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Los Angeles, California
Setting off from the West Coast, World Have Your Say presenter Ros Atkins begins the journey with a special debate - with World Service partner station KPCC - on America's place in the world.
Ros also took the time to visit an eco-therapist, who gave him some advice on how to reduce his carbon footprint:
Meanwhile Rajesh Mirchandani took a look at why, politically and economically, California is a state of polar opposites: