The Murphy Institute-Funded State of the Nation Project Publishes New Report

Brittany Doucette | The Murphy Institute

A new report titled State of the States, published by the State of the Nation Project and funded by The Murphy Institute, analyzes more than three decades of data across all 50 states and the District of Columbia to provide a long-term progress report for each state. Released in recognition of the United States’ 250th anniversary, the bipartisan report aims to build consensus around a fundamental question: How are we really doing as a country? 

That question is both urgent and fitting. The report’s authors note that the nation cannot improve without a clear-eyed view of what ails us—and where we are excelling. In the project’s first report, released last year, researchers identified 37 measures across 15 topics, ranging from the economy and education to mental health and violence. This year, the State of the Nation Project turns its focus to individual states and cross-state patterns, comparing trends on 31 of the original measures dating back to 1990. 

Motivated by the idea that the United States functions as a “laboratory of democracy,” the report examines several key questions: 

  • Where is my state excelling and failing? 
  • Where are we getting better or declining? 
  • Are my neighboring states doing something differently that might explain these patterns? 
  • Should my state consider following suit? 

This report, along with its extensive accompanying state profiles, helps illuminate the answers to these critical questions. By offering a clear, comprehensive, and unvarnished picture of where the nation stands and exploring the underlying drivers of both success and failure, the State of the Nation Project aims to inform and inspire action at the local, state, and national levels. 

Read the report: stateofnation.org/sots.