ARE CALIFORNIANS BETTER OFF? The Answer is Yesùand No
The average American is interested in the state of the national economy, crime and pollution in that these are regularly reported in the news and may even provide a barometer for the nation's performance. But the average American is far more interested in local issues since those are the statistics that have a real-world impact on his or her life. This research examines ten such issues and considers whether Californians are better off than the rest of the country as a whole.
One of the most common statistics used to measure the economy is the real gross domestic product (real GDP). The following chart illustrates that the national real GDP has been increasing over the past six quarters, which means that the American economy is producing more goods and services in each successive quarter; the data presented in this graph is compiled by the federal government (Table 1.2, 2001, p. 1):
Although real GPD is increasing (although the rate of increase is slowing), the national unemployment picture is not as optimistic. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), unemployment reached the 4.9 percent level in September 2001, compared to an annual rate of 4.0 percent for 2000 (Latest Numbers, 2001, p. 1). This 4.9 percent level (the same level was reached in August 2001) is the highest unemployment figure since 1997 (Labor Force Statistics, 2001, p. 1).
The Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) technique used by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and other law enforcement agencies to collect crime statistics has developed the Crime Index as a way to compare criminal activity across the country and over time. The crime index includes murder, forcible rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny-theft and motor vehicle theft. In 2000 (the most recent year for which figures are available), violent crime increased by a small (0.1 percent) amount across the nation...