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With President Bush set to leave the White House less than two weeks from now, here's a "Then and Now" to show what the United States looked like when Bush was entering office and what it looks like now as he's leaving.
The "Then" is the best-available figure as Bush was taking office in 2001. The "Now" is the most recent figure.
UNEMPLOYMENT RATE
Then: 4.2% (
Bureau of Labor Statistics, January 2001)
Now: 6.7% (
Bureau of Labor Statistics, November 2008)
DOW JONES INDUSTRIAL AVERAGE
Then: 10,587 (
close of Friday, Jan. 19, 2001)
Now: 9,015 (
close of Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2009)
BUSH FAVORABILITY RATING
Then: 50% (1/01 NBC/WSJ poll)
Now: 31% (12/08 NBC/WSJ poll)
CHENEY FAVORABILITY RATING
Then: 49% (1/01 NBC/WSJ poll)
Now: 21% (12/08 NBC/WSJ poll)
CONGRESS APPROVAL RATING
Then: 48% (1/01 NBC/WSJ poll)
Now: 21% (12/08 NBC/WSJ poll)
SATISFIED WITH THE NATION'S DIRECTION
Then: 45% (1/01 NBC/WSJ poll)
Now: 26% (12/08 NBC/WSJ poll)
CONSUMER CONFIDENCE (1985=100)
Then: 115.7 (Conference Board, January 2001)
Now: 38.0, which is an all-time low (
Conference Board, December 2008)
FAMILIES LIVING IN POVERTY
Then: 6.4 million (
Census numbers for 2000)
Now: 7.6 million (
Census numbers for 2007 -- most recent numbers available)
AMERICANS WITHOUT HEALTH INSURANCE
Then: 39.8 million (
Census numbers for 2000)
Now: 45.7 million (
Census numbers for 2007 -- most recent available)
U.S. BUDGET
Then: +236.2 billion (
2000, Congressional Budget Office)
Now: -$1.2 trillion (
projected figure for 2009, Congressional Budget Office)
