Politics Continued

Update after attacks:
The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States was formed by the New Jersey Governor Thomas Kean in late 2002. This included a full account of the circumstances that surrounded the attacks. It summarized the preparedness of the attacks and the immediate responses.

Unemployment Rates in 2002

The official unemployment rate jumped to six percent in October. Teenagers, adult men, and black workers are continually losing jobs. The size of increase shocked commentators. This forced President Bush to shake up his cabinet and go to Treasury Secretary Paul O’Neill and his economic advisor Larry Lindsey. After cutting about 40,000 jobs in one month, it put the US at the highest unemployment rate since July 1994. Similarly, in December the household wealth in the US dropped to its lowest level since 1995.



What does this mean?

Government was not sure where this would take us in the next couple of months. Some believed that it was a down turn to the economy and will cause it to topple over again. Household wealth decreased due to the shrinking assets and increasing debts.

US President




What the World Thinks in 2002: (Click for full text)
-This is a survey taken by multiple countries on how we view our lives, the world, and America
-Some "notable facts" found from the survey in 2002 are,
* Unlike many publics, the Russians have a much better opinion of the United States than they had in 2000. Six-in-ten Russian respondents have a favorable view of the U.S. now, compared with 37% two years ago.
* For all of the French criticism of U.S. policies, America's image in France has not declined over the past two years. Still, French ratings of the United States continue to be among the lowest in Europe.
* There remains a substantial gap in personal satisfaction in Germany, with respondents in former West Germany more positive about their lives than their counterparts in the East. But former West Germans are the sole European public that showed no increase in personal satisfaction since the early 1990s.
* The post-communist generation in Eastern Europe is much more upbeat about their lives than those age 35 and older.
* Despite deep dissatisfaction and pessimism about their lives and country, an unusually high proportion of Japanese say they have no major personal concerns.
* People in the West express more satisfaction with their lives than do those in emerging nations. But this pattern is reversed when respondents are asked about the future of their nation's children. Asians, in particular, are much more optimistic about prospects for the next generation than are Americans or Europeans.
* Publics all around the world are more satisfied with their family lives than with their incomes or jobs. But people in several countries – in Africa, the Middle East/Conflict Area and Eastern Europe – voice significant discontent with their family lives.
* While crime is a top national problem all around the world, it ranks high as a pressing personal concern in Latin American countries, especially in Honduras.
* Fully 15% of Americans say there have been times in the past year they have been unable to afford food – the highest proportion in any advanced economy. But levels of reported deprivation in Angola are highest in the world; 86% of Angolans report being unable to afford food at some point in the last 12 months.
* Africa is the only region in which a significant minority volunteers hunger as a personal problem.
* Canada is the only country in the West in which a majority of those surveyed express satisfaction with national conditions.

Important Events/Headlines in 2002
-Sniper attacks draws the attention of the US
-Federal Court ruling that "One nation, under God" could not be said in the Pledge of Allegiance; rated third highest story of the year
-Iraq war was the top interest for people under 30
-Public priorities shifted by recession and war
-American's struggle with religion's role at home and abroad
-Bush's ratings improve in April, but is still seen as a "Unilateralist"
-Democrat's less pleases by party's
-Support for military action decreases to 55%



Politics
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