Definitions of Indicators

Crime Rates (Violent and Property Crime):

Definition: Crime Rates measure the incidence of violent and property crimes per 100,000 people.

Value in 2023: Violent Crime Rate: 380.7 offenses per 100,000 inhabitants Property Crime Rate: 2,109.9 offenses per 100,000 inhabitants
(Source: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program)

Defense Spending by European Union Countries:

Definition: Total defense spending by all member states of the European Union.

Value in 2024: €326 billion (approximately $348 billion).
(Source: European Defence Agency)

Education Performance (Graduation Rates and Test Scores):

Definition: Education Performance measures the effectiveness of the education system, often through graduation rates and standardized test scores.

Value in 2024: A high school graduation rate of 87%.
(Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES))

Federal Spending:

Definition: Total amount of money the federal government spends in a given year.

Value in 2024: $6.9 trillion.
(Source: Center on Budget and Policy Priorities)

GDP Growth Rate:

Definition: The GDP Growth Rate measures the annual percentage increase in a country's Gross Domestic Product.

Value in 2024: 2.1%.
(Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA))

Healthcare Access and Life Expectancy:

Definition: Healthcare Access refers to the availability of medical services, and Life Expectancy is the average number of years a person is expected to live.

Value in 2024: 79 years.
(Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC))

Illegal Border Crossings:

Definition: Illegal Border Crossings measure the number of individuals apprehended while attempting to cross a country's border without authorization.

Value in 2024: 140,641 arrests between official ports of entry.
(Source: U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP))

Income Inequality (Gini Index):

Definition: The Gini Index measures income inequality within a population, with 0 representing perfect equality and 1 representing perfect inequality.

Value in 2024: 0.41 for the United States.
(Source: World Bank)

Inflation Rate (Consumer Price Index - CPI):

Definition: The Inflation Rate, measured by the Consumer Price Index, indicates the annual percentage change in the cost of a basket of goods and services.

Value in 2024: 2.3%.
(Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS))

Infrastructure Quality (Transportation, Internet, Energy):

Definition: Infrastructure Quality assesses the condition and efficiency of transportation, internet, and energy systems.

Value in 2024: A grade of C+.
(Source: American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE))

National Debt and Budget Deficit/Surplus:

Definition: National Debt refers to the total amount of money that a country's government has borrowed, while the Budget Deficit/Surplus is the difference between government revenues and expenditures in a given year.

National Debt in 2024: $31.4 trillion.
(Source: Department of the Treasury)

Budget Deficit in 2024: $1.8 trillion.
(Source: Congressional Budget Office)

Public Trust in Government and Institutions:

Definition: Public Trust in Government and Institutions measures the level of confidence citizens have in their government and public institutions.

Value in 2024: 40%.
(Source: Gallup)

Salary or Income Appreciation:

Definition: Salary or Income Appreciation measures the percentage increase in average salaries or incomes over a specific period.

Value in 2024: 3.5%.
(Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS))

Size of the Federal Government:

Definition: The Size of the Federal Government refers to the total number of employees, including civil servants, contractors, and military personnel.

Value in 2024: Approximately 9.1 million employees.
(Source: Office of Personnel Management (OPM))

Stock Market Index (SandP 500):

Definition: The SandP 500 is a stock market index that measures the stock performance of 500 large companies listed on stock exchanges in the United States.

Value in 2024: The SandP 500 gained 23.3% in 2024.
(Source: SandP Dow Jones Indices)

Unemployment Rate:

Definition: The Unemployment Rate is the percentage of the labor force that is jobless and actively seeking employment.

Value in 2024: 4.5%.
(Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS))