NewGeography.com blogs

Obama’s $800 billion stimulus bill has both policy makers and the public wondering what the bill will actually manage to stimulate. Yet, somewhat surprisingly, a recent study shows that left to fend for itself, the United States is inherently prosperous.

The Legatum Prosperity Index recently released a study of the most prosperous nations, measuring economic growth and quality of life. The study found that the U.S. – despite its current economic situation – ranks fourth out of 104 nations.

The amount of wealth and sense of well-being enjoyed by U.S. citizens is higher than any among large countries, with no other country with more than 100 million inhabitants ranking above the top 10.

The Index measures nations overall by “how well they foster the practices, institutions, and habits that create competitive economies, stable and free political institutions, and social capital.”

When looking at prosperity in this fashion, America and its ability to foster both economic and non-economic progress is what puts it so high on the scale. The US still rewards innovation and entrepreneurship to an extent seen in few other countries. This opportunistic culture provides the basis for successful growth of commerce even in an otherwise weak environment.

The U.S. bests the other top 10 countries on personal income by 40 percent. It scores 38 percent higher than the rest of the world in its ability to “commercialize innovation through patents.”

On the flip side, the US ranks just 7th in economic competitiveness and below average on promoting international trade and investment. The stimulus bill could offer some jolt to the weak economy, but given access to capital, Americans might prove adept in finding their own path to prosperity.

The first in a series of videos about the economic, political, and cultural history and future of East St. Louis, Illinois.

Part II gives views of downtown today, shows how its history can be seen in the city, and explains why the city could still be a good place for new development.

Michael R. Allen is the Assistant Director at Landmarks Association of St. Louis. He edits the blog Ecology of Absence, "a voice for historic preservation and a chronicle of architectural change in St. Louis, Missouri and its region".

Alex Lotz is an undergraduate film student in his final year at Chapman University.

President Obama’s recent executive compensation plan comes on the heels of the revelation that Wall Street firms awarded over $18 billion in bonuses last year. The plan will create a $500,000 pay cap for executives at companies receiving substantial taxpayer bailout money.

While the Wall Street salary cap – certainly well intentioned – mirrors public sentiment nationwide, the Masters of the Universe and their friends are not so pleased. Some feel it is a “killer for New York.” Kathryn Wilde of the Partnership for New York argues the lower salaries on Wall Street will lead to a “critical brain drain” in the industry and “lower tax revenues for the city and state.”

But in the longer run, is this all bad? The so-called “brain drain” of high priced talent – the same folks who got us in trouble in the first place – could be fortuitous if more creative and innovative professionals now arrive on Wall Street. A new breed of Wall Streeter might have the potential to create a sustainable industry rather than the current casino culture. What may be a superficial wound on NYC in the short term may benefit the country as a whole – and even New York – in long run.

In which states do folks tend to stay home? Here's a look at Americans still living in their birth states. New York and Louisiana top the list. Upwards of 82% of the US-born residents living in New York and Louisiana were born there. Looking at the map, you can see that the highest numbers reside in the rust belt and northeast. The most transplants tend to live in natural amenity rich western states, except for California.

More than 72% of US born Californians were born in the state. That number is over 74% in LA county, but only about 60% in San Diego. Other high transplant areas include New Hampshire and Vermont in the northeast, and not surprisingly the Washington DC area, Florida, and Nevada.

Only 41.7% of US born Alaskans were born there. I suppose if you are living in Alaska, you've come there for good reason.

Take a look at an extension of this analysis: Does a low number of home staters mean everyone has left?

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2005-2007 American Community Survey

A recent survey by Pew Research finds that nearly half of Americans (46%) "would rather live in a different type of community from the one they're living in now," with those living in cities expressing the highest desire to live elsewhere.

Even though many Americans say they are interested in giving somewhere new a try, most of us seem to think that our current communities aren't so bad. According to Pew, over 80% of respondents rated their current community as excellent, very good, or good. The survey also reports that "ideal community type" was not dominated by any one class of place, with 30% preferring small towns, 25% suburbs, 23% cities, and 21% rural areas.

Pew also asked those surveyed about their interest in living in specific big cities. Denver came out on top, with 43% of respondents stating that they would be interested in living in its metro area. Other western cities also fared quite well, with seven of the top ten "popular" cities being located in the west. The remainder of the top ten was made up of southern cities. Cities in the north and east lagged behind in popularity, with the rustbelt cities of Detroit and Cleveland registering the lowest popularity. (8% and 10%)