What IF I Told you America is Greater than Ever Before?

[Livermore]

Interesting article I came across in the WSJ that highlights the disconnect between perception and reality (at least in terms of living standards).

Some highlights:

When was America at its best?

Put the question to voters and many will point as far back as the 1960s. Put the question to economists and they identify a much more recent peak in U.S. living standards.

Forecasters in The Wall Street Journal’s monthly survey of business, academic and financial economists were asked to rate whether U.S. living standards were higher today or at various points in the past. Around 80% say those standards are higher today than during the 1990s or earlier.

.....

The Pew Research Center recently polled voters on the question “Compared with 50 years ago, life for people like you in America is better or worse?” A plurality of 46% said things were worse now. Only 34% said life today is better than in the 1960s.

A Morning Consult poll asked voters whether the 1960s or 1980s were better than today. In that survey, 31% said the ‘60s were better and 37% said the 1980s were better.

By contrast, 88% of economists said the U.S. is better today than in 1960 and 87% see today as better than 1980.

.....

By many of the measures economists are inclined to look at, it is not a close call. In 1960, the life expectancy of the average American was a full decade shorter than it is today, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The median personal income, after adjusting for inflation, is 55% higher today than in 1960, according to the Census Bureau. These measures of overall well-being continued to rise throughout the 1980s and 1990s.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/economi...-u-s-worse-off-today-than-in-1960s-1463061602

The article goes on to try and explain why so many voters perceive things to be worse now than in prior decades. They point to things like the deterioration of wages and work for less educated individuals, greater uncertainty than anticipated in labor markets, and the fact that we lived through the “first decade where the average worker lost ground.”

Whatever the reasons, I always find the disconnect between perception and reality to be interesting. Whats the WR think?

 

[HOLA]

I think much of the disconnect stems from right-wing talk radio, and the echo chamber of hyperventilating panic maniacs on the Internet.

Years and years of hearing we're in a downward spiral, that our country is being taken away from us, and that we're nearing some cataclysm have their effect on people.

There are also legitimate concerns, but of course these don't get addressed as they should, because people are attacking windmills.

 

[RespectableDenizen]

We definitely have the best standards of living but the trade off IMO is cost of living and the ability to get a good job easily. Keep in mind this is totally the opinion of a non-economist, I'm just going by what I hear from my parents generation. Although I'm pretty sure we have a higher cost of living than ever.

 

[silicavaginitis]

I think if America was greater than ever before,we would still have a triple A credit rating......

 

[HOLA]

I think if America was greater than ever before,we would still have a triple A credit rating......

Yeah, rating agencies really have a great reputation. Giving triple A to insolvent companies that go bankrupt should fill you in.

 

[Livermore]

I think if America was greater than ever before,we would still have a triple A credit rating......

We don't? That's news to me.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_credit_rating#Standard_.26_Poors

 

[silicavaginitis]

We don't? That's news to me.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_credit_rating#Standard_.26_Poors

I guess it would be news to you...read the link you supplied again.
S&P.......

 

[uncommon]

Civil asset forfeiture
Patriot act
National defense authorization act
2nd ammendment at risk
Safe spaces
Sanctuary cities
Government spending
Trade imbalance
Money in politics
Political correctness in military

 

[Rex Kwon Do]

The author's lack of self-awareness is very illustrative. What you have is a plurality of actual Americans saying things are worse and some eggheads responding, "no, your life is better, here I can prove it!" Lol. If ~half the country says things are worse, clearly they're not very happy, and if they aren't very happy, well, there's a problem there. Saying they live a little longer and make a little more money is not the end all be all. There's more to living well than that.

 

[5H3RD0G]

Trillions in debt is not the best time to celebrate. There are Americans and A Merry Cans, unfortunately most are of the latter thought process.

 

[SouthoftheAndes]

I think at times that the 1920s was the best in terms of future optimism.

 

[SouthoftheAndes]

Civil asset forfeiture
Patriot act
National defense authorization act
2nd ammendment at risk
Safe spaces
Sanctuary cities
Government spending
Trade imbalance
Money in politics
Political correctness in military

Culturally I an worried at times.

Trillions in debt is not the best time to celebrate. Americans.

Debt isn't bad nor does it operate like personal house hold debt. I am more concerned about trade and culture stuff.

 

[7437]

Civil asset forfeiture
Patriot act
National defense authorization act
2nd ammendment at risk
Safe spaces
Sanctuary cities
Government spending
Trade imbalance
Money in politics
Political correctness in military

America being better than ever before does not mean it is a utopia with no problems. What time period was better?

 

[dissolved]

The slow-cooking frog is in the final stages of comfort.

"This is fine" meme

 

[Senkoy]

People like to bitch about everything. I bet if you went back in time to the 60s, people would be complaining that things were better in the 30s or whatever.

 

[SouthoftheAndes]

People like to bitch about everything. I bet if you went back in time to the 60s, people would be complaining that things were better in the 30s or whatever.

Well things were better in the 1920s than 1930s. You also, seen to be unaware of how things can be better or worse.

 

[LucasWithLidOff]

Just about every house has indoor plumbing here. People don't know how good they have it now compared to the 1950's.

 

[silicavaginitis]

Just about every house has indoor plumbing here. People don't know how good they have it now compared to the 1950's.

To hear the left tell it,you would think Obama invented plumbing.

 

[ObsoleteSoul]

Social wackiness aside, we are doing fairly great as a country right now. I wouldn't want to live in the 50s over the times we are in. I like luxuries like plumbing and AC. Video games are pretty sweet too.

 

[Diamond Jim]

Make America Great Again is not new to politics at all. It's been used several times. The past is always remembered for something better than it actually was.