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Infographic: A Turning Point for Gay Marriage?
Thirty-four times since 1998, states have voted on gay marriage ballot measures. Thirty-three of those times, opponents of gay marriage have won. But with polls showing support for gay marriage building in recent years, that near-perfect record of voter opposition will be seriously tested this year. The first test this year came on Tuesday, May […]
Infographic: How a European Recession Could Hit State Economies
Economists are increasingly concerned that Europe’s debt crisis will result in economic contraction across the continent. Will the fiscal pain impact U.S. states? Some states more than others, concludes a recent report by Wells Fargo Securities. The report looks at exports of goods from the 50 states to Europe — not a perfect measure of state […]
Infographic: Southern Strength
Read the related story “Democrats face a reckoning in Deep South legislatures”.
Infographic: Local Government By The Numbers
More than two centuries of American democracy have resulted in a profusion of governments at the local level, not only cities and counties but villages and townships, park districts and sanitary districts and a host of others. To those trying desperately to bring a state’s budget into balance, many of these are useless anachronisms incapable […]
Infographic: State Cuts in Funding to Localities, Fiscal Year 2012
In fiscal terms, this has been the year local governments have feared ever since the Great Recession began — the year states voted for drastic cutbacks in the aid they provide to cities, counties and townships. Many of these local governments already had begun reductions several years ago; the loss of state money has forced […]
Infographic: The Aging States of America
As the baby boomers grow older, America is getting older, too. According to the 2010 census, the nation’s median age has increased to 37.2, up from 35.3 in 2000. The aging trend held up in every state — only the District of Columbia has a younger median age now than a decade ago. For states, […]
Infographic: ‘Frontloading’ of Primaries and Caucuses Eases in 2012
If you wanted to be a major-party presidential nominee three years ago, you would have been well-advised to pack a thick parka and extra-long underwear. In 2008, Democrats and Republicans in nearly three dozen states held a primary election or caucus in January or February. Those winter votes represented the culmination of a decades-long trend toward […]
Infographic: A Brief History of S&P’s State Credit Ratings
Last week, Standard & Poor’s downgraded the federal government’s AAA credit rating. While Washington had never experienced the sting of a downgrade before, California, Illinois, Michigan and New Jersey are all too familiar with the feeling, as this Stateline look at the past ten years of S&P state credit ratings actions shows. Overall, however, states […]
Infographic: The Rise and Fall of State Revenues
Go to related story “Rising revenues explained: Are states really getting a windfall?”
Infographic: Aging Boomers
Go to related story “Driving services help senior mobility without spending public money”
Infographic: How a Federal Default Would Hit States
If the federal government begins defaulting on its obligations next week, it will clearly have some impact on states. The question nobody knows the answer to is: How much? A lot would depend on how the U.S. Treasury decides to prioritize its payments, as this analysis from the Bipartisan Policy Center makes clear. In some […]