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To identify the states with the best and worst economies, 24/7 Wall Street reviewed for each state average annual GDP growth between 2012 and 2017 from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the poverty rate from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2016 American Community Survey, the unemployment rate in June 2018 from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, average annual employment growth rates between 2012 and 2017, and the percentage of adults (age 25+) with at least a bachelor’s degree.
Not sure what people having bachelor's degrees has to do with the economy.
Here is Texas - which by ourselves is among the top oil producing nations in the world - were 21st, and it says this.
Having the fifth fastest economic growth was not enough to push Texas into the ranks of the 20 best economies, largely because it has a below average adult educational attainment rate and one of the higher poverty rates among states.
You see how it works? They have to throw in the education factor (which has absolutely nothing to do with the economy) to skew the numbers, and lift up their preferred states.
Consider
Hawaii is ranked 6th - with a $75 billion GDP and an 1.5% increase over 5 years
Texas is ranked 21st - with a $1.5 trillion GDP and a 2.5% increase over 5 years
The increase in Texas is almost larger than their entire GDP.
... yet Hawaii's economy is better than Texas. Give me a break.
About the GDP size (using your numbers) $1.5trillion / $75 billion = 20. Do you know what else is 20? Yes, the ratio of populations.
The fact that Texas isn't in the top 10 for whatever your definition of 'economy' is points to this being fake news
Ah yes, anything that doesn't fit your preconceived view of something is fake news.
Here is the info they gave on Texas, all you had to do was click on the link.
Quote:
5 yr. GDP annual growth rate: +2.5% (5th largest increase)
2017 GDP: $1.5 trillion (2nd largest)
June 2018 Unemployment: 4.0% (tied -- 23rd highest)
5 yr. annual employment growth: +1.9% (12th largest increase)
Unlike many other U.S. states with substantial exports, the economy of Texas is relatively diverse. Despite weak oil prices for most of the last five years, state GDP still increased at an annual average rate of 2.5%, fifth best in the nation.
Having the fifth fastest economic growth was not enough to push Texas into the ranks of the 20 best economies, largely because it has a below average adult educational attainment rate and one of the higher poverty rates among states.
The unemployment rate is in the middle of the pack, and employment growth, while strong, was still only 12th. As a result they ended up only 21st. That's still in the top half.
Remind me why we have the electoral college again?
OT: Ha! Its an interesting discussion to be sure. Historically, based on the words of the men who devised this experiment it was at least two fold.
1. Madison's fear of "factions". What later coined the term "tyranny of the majority"
2. Hamilton's line in the Federalist Papers about preserving the sense of the people.
Beyond those two lines of thought, there is one, unmistakable aspect of it, and Madison made this argument directly at the Philadelphia convention.
"The right of suffrage was much more diffusive in the Northern than the Southern States; and the latter could have no influence in the election on the score of Neg***s.”*
The EC ensured that the North could never fully over power the South in Federal Elections. Direct Election would have allowed it to happen theoretically, but with the EC and slaves counting for 3/5ths a White Man for representation purposes, it gave the slave states that extra card in their pocket. I mean, didn't a Virginian (who got a big bump from the slave population) make up the first 7 of 11 POTUS'?
My personal two cents, the "winner take all" aspect of the EC, which is not set by law, is the problem. Some form built on what ME and NE do probably makes it more representative than a "first passed the pole" method. Award 2 EC votes for the the Party that wins the state, then the remainder of the EC votes are determined by each Congressional Districts Popular vote. Although that raises the specter of Gerrymandering which is another issue (as it is in my new district here in NC)
* I have censored the last line in Madison's quote
Ah yes, anything that doesn't fit your preconceived view of something is fake news.
Here is the info they gave on Texas, all you had to do was click on the link.
The unemployment rate is in the middle of the pack, and employment growth, while strong, was still only 12th. As a result they ended up only 21st. That's still in the top half.
Shocking, you used the growth % (which will be incredibly low comparable to other states due to sheer size of the economy), and not actual GDP (which, as you noted, is 2nd largest)
something something pre-conceived notions
Claiming that Hawaii is a 'higher' economy than Texas is laughable, factually erroneous, and purposefully misleading, and you know better
Yes, even Massachusetts went red twice in the 80's.
If we can go back really really far then I might as well claim every state but 6 are blue states, because, after all, every state but 6 went blue in 1964.
Obviously I'm referring to, say, the past 3-5 elections. As do 90% of the people on this forum when referring to red states or blue states.
Shocking, you used the growth % (which will be incredibly low comparable to other states due to sheer size of the economy), and not actual GDP (which, as you noted, is 2nd largest)
something something pre-conceived notions
Claiming that Hawaii is a 'higher' economy than Texas is laughable, factually erroneous, and purposefully misleading, and you know better
Do you know what "population" is? Clearly you don't.
Hey guys, let's all move to CA because of its wonderful top 10 economy
Hey guys, let's all move to WV because of its wonderful red state economy.
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