# Making America Great Again -- Data **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 21, 2017, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-america-great-again-data/777740 "2017-01-21T18:09:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-america-great-again-data/777740/1 "2017-01-21T18:09:08Z")
Here are some numbers I gathered this morning: [ul][li][U.S. unemployment rate:](https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/LNS14000000) 4.7%[/li][li][DJIA:](http://money.cnn.com/data/markets/dow/) 19,827.25[/li][li][NASDAQ:](http://money.cnn.com/data/markets/nasdaq/) 5,555.33[/li][li][U.S. average price of gas:](http://www.eia.gov/petroleum/gasdiesel/) $2.36/gallon[/ul][/li] Why am I posting in MPSIMS? Because I don’t want this thread to be a debate. I don’t want it to be political bickering. I don’t want it to be flame-fest. The numbers are factual data from reputable sites, and not opinion. All of the numbers will change. They’ll all go up, and they’ll all go down. I’m using them as a baseline as of today, as sort of a ‘time capsule’ that we can look back on in a few years to see how the country fares. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-america-great-again-data/777740/2 "2017-01-21T20:06:07Z")
America was never a great country, except to those who measure it only by its wealth and power. In other words, the Trump yardstick. It is a long time since America has ever been admired for its moral or spiritual values. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-america-great-again-data/777740/3 "2017-01-21T20:37:07Z")
I think crime rates or teen pregnancy rates or literacy rates or student debt load or infant mortality rates would be good additions. ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-america-great-again-data/777740/4 "2017-01-21T22:08:40Z")
U-6 for January isn’t posted yet, but I think this is a static link > **[Table A-15. Alternative measures of labor underutilization - 2023 M03 Results](https://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.t15.htm)** For December it was 9.2 Since it’s common for people to start yammering about “real unemployment” whenever someone brings up the low U-3 Seasonally-adjusted real manufacturing output (normalized to 2009) has hovered around 129, last updated Q3 2016 > **[Manufacturing Sector: Real Sectoral Output for All Workers](https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/OUTMS)** > > Manufacturing Sector: Real Sectoral Output for All Workers ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-america-great-again-data/777740/5 "2017-01-21T22:41:42Z")
Just out of curiosity, wonder if anyone could dig up similar data for 8 yrs ago. Hope this link works - but a friend of mine posted some [similar data](http://my.chicagotribune.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-92373933/) in a column last week. This morning he mentioned he might try to dig up the 8 yrs ago numbers. I’ll post it if he does. ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-america-great-again-data/777740/6 "2017-01-21T22:55:30Z")
No digging required. My links go back farther. For the numbers in the OP, just punching the labels into your favorite search engine should be good enough. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-america-great-again-data/777740/7 "2017-01-21T23:55:39Z")
> [@Ruken](#): > > No digging required. My links go back farther. For the numbers in the OP, just punching the labels into your favorite search engine should be good enough. As I said, I don’t want this thread to be filled with bickering. But I’m curious, which government website did you get your unemployment figures from? (Mine is from the U.S. Dept. of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.) ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2017, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-america-great-again-data/777740/8 "2017-01-22T00:17:34Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Why am I posting in MPSIMS? Because I don’t want this thread to be a debate. I don’t want it to be political bickering. I don’t want it to be flame-fest. Good luck with that. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2017, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-america-great-again-data/777740/9 "2017-01-22T02:15:22Z")
We’ll know when America is great again, [because Trump’s gonna tell us](https://www.washingtonpost.com/video/politics/donald-trumps-interview-about-make-america-great-again-in-6-parts/2017/01/18/3056868a-dd39-11e6-8902-610fe486791c_video.html)! (9:48 in the clip) The full interview’s pretty hilarious to listen to though. He also reveals, and trademarks (during the interview) his slogan for '20: “Keep America Great!” - with an exclamation point! ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2017, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-america-great-again-data/777740/10 "2017-01-22T04:31:42Z")
The problem is those numbers do not catch the economic factors that people care about. [ul] [li]Can you afford a vacation[/li][li]Can you afford health care[/li][li]Can you afford college education[/li][li]Do you have an emergency fund[/li][li]Do you feel your job is stable and reliable[/li][li]If you lose your job, do you think you could find another one[/li][li]Would the new job pay as well or better than your current job[/li][li]Do you think your children will experience a better economic world than you[/li][li]Do you think you have enough saved for retirement[/li][/ul] People more care about those issues than the unemployment rate or stock market. Having said that, I think this thread is a good idea. Those values listed in the OP will change. Adding U-6 as someone else said is also a good idea. ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2017, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-america-great-again-data/777740/11 "2017-01-22T13:22:58Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > As I said, I don’t want this thread to be filled with bickering. But I’m curious, which government website did you get your unemployment figures from? This question is baffling. Read my post; the .gov URL isn’t hidden. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2017, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-america-great-again-data/777740/12 "2017-01-22T13:30:33Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > America was never a great country, except to those who measure it only by its wealth and power. In other words, the Trump yardstick. It is a long time since America has ever been admired for its moral or spiritual values. So “never” = “it is a long time since”? ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2017, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-america-great-again-data/777740/13 "2017-01-22T14:16:32Z")
CDC has life expectancy data but I’m not finding anything more recent than 2014 (78.8). > **[FastStats](https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/life-expectancy.htm)** > > FastStats is an official application from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) and puts access to topic-specific statistics at your fingertips. ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2017, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-america-great-again-data/777740/14 "2017-01-22T14:20:44Z")
We might want to include percent of people, children, etc. covered by health insurance. I’m not sure how to capture health insurance quality. ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2017, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-america-great-again-data/777740/15 "2017-01-22T14:21:57Z")
Infant mortality is another one. ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2017, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-america-great-again-data/777740/16 "2017-01-22T14:28:45Z")
Broadband access? Energy use per GDP per capital. Emissions. Sorry I’m brainstorming here and typing one handed while cooking pancakes. I’ll have to look all this stuff up. I imagine many measures we’re going to have to wait for Q4 2016 or Jan 2017 numbers to be published. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2017, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-america-great-again-data/777740/17 "2017-01-22T14:38:47Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#): > > So “never” = “it is a long time since”? I used “never” and “long time since” to describe two different conditions. But it is heartening to know that you agree with everything I said, leaving only a nitpick to object to. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2017, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-america-great-again-data/777740/18 "2017-01-22T15:46:41Z")
My time capsule, my parameters. I chose four parameters that are commonly used to gauge the health of the economy. Those are the ones I’ll be looking at going forward. ---
**Author:** ![WildBlueYonder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ce7236/32.png) [@WildBlueYonder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildBlueYonder)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2017, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-america-great-again-data/777740/19 "2017-01-23T17:48:07Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > I’m using them as a baseline as of today, as sort of a ‘time capsule’ that we can look back on in a few years to see how the country fares. Good idea 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2017, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-america-great-again-data/777740/20 "2017-01-23T21:19:13Z")
Horoscopes and political slogans - both too generic to prove wrong.