Category Archives: Regions

Population of California 2014

Based on the total number of births, total number of deaths, net migration rate in the state, and the population of 2013, the current population of California is estimated to be about 39,309,017, which makes up 12.2% of the total population of the United States. As a result, California is the most populous state in the country, ahead of Texas and New York. As of July 1, 2013, the population was estimated to be about 38,332,521. Thus, since July of 2013, the population has grown by 976,496 people or a growth rate of 2.55%. Since the census was conducted in 2010, which recorded the California population at 37,253,956, the population has grown by 2,055,061 or 5.5% growth rate. Based on the total land area and the total population, the population density of 92.72 people per square kilometer or 240.13 people per square mile.

Government of California 2014

The government of California is considered to be a republic, made up of three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial. The executive branch consists of the Governor and other elected officials. They serve four-year terms and can only be re-elected once. The current Governor of California is Democrat Jerry Brown. The state legislature has forty members in the Senate and eighty members in the Assembly. The members in the Senate can only serve two terms and members in the Assembly can only serve three terms. The judicial system is based on English common law, but has some similar features to Spanish civil law. The state allows for capital punishment and even has the largest death row population in the country. The judicial system is also the largest judicial system in the country, supervised by the justices of the Supreme Court of California. The Governor appoints the justices of the Supreme Court, but the voters decide whether to keep or replace the justices every twelve years. Throughout the past couple of decades, the state has moved from the Republican Party towards the Democratic Party. It tends to be known as a more liberal state along the political spectrum. Lastly, in October 2012, approximately 18.2 million out of 23.8 million eligible voters were actually registered to vote. Registered Democrats represent the largest registered group of voters.

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Rights in California 2014

California has consistently been one of the biggest battlegrounds and most progressive states in terms of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender rights. Same-sex sexual activity has been legal in the state since 1976. In November of 2008, the voters chose to ban the legalization of same-sex marriage, colloquially known as Proposition 8. However, in June of 2013, the Supreme Court of the United States issued a ruling that essentially struck down the ban of Proposition 8, which thus allowed same-sex marriage to take place in California. Another recent effort in this progressive movement is the School Success and Opportunity Act, which took place in January of 2014. The Act that all classes and activities in California schools must take into regard the gender identity of the student instead of the physical gender identity, which includes the use of gender-specific bathrooms and the inclusion in gender-specific sports teams. Lastly, as of August 29, 2013, there is a ban that prohibits sexual orientation change efforts, otherwise known as conversion therapy.

Education in California 2014

California passed an amendment to the Constitution in 1988 that required a certain percentage of the budget every year to be allocated to education for grades K-12. The level of funding is based upon three tests: from 1988 to 1989, education must be 39% of the budget; in times of economic growth, spending must be equal to the previous year’s spending plus per capita growth and student enrollment adjustment; and in times of weak economic growth, spending must be equal to the previous year’s spending plus adjustment for enrollment growth, changes in per capita general fund revenues, and an increase by 0.5% in state general funds. An education reform group, StudentsFirst, has studied the education systems of the states. As of 2013, on a 4.0 scale similar to the grading scale in schools, StudentsFirst gave California a 0.69 grade-point average and ranked 41st out of the 50 states. The organization gave a failing grade to the California schools for the ability to empower parents and the ability to improve the teaching profession. They also gave the schools a D for education spending and their efficiency and ability to intervene in low-performing schools. Lastly, the Dropout Recovery and Prevention Act is a law passed by the government intended to help lower the high school dropout rate. Due to its success, they expanded the law in 2004 in order to help motivate students, give them alternatives to traditional education, and to help improve their reading and writing abilities to empower students.

Water in California 2014

The water system in California is considered to be one of the largest in the world, managing over 40,000,000 acre-feet of water every year. The system also irrigates over 5,680,000 acres of farmland. Water comes from two main sources in the state: surface water and groundwater. Surface water is considered the water that gathers or travels on the ground, while groundwater is the water that has been pumped out from the ground. The six main infrastructure systems are the State Water Project, the Central Valley Project, Colorado River Delivery System, Los Angeles Aqueduct, Tuolumne River/Hetch Hetchy System, and the Mokelumne Aqueduct. Some controversies surrounding water usage included the California Water Wars and the O’Shaughnessy Dam. The California Water Wars involved the purchase of 300,000 acres of water by the city of Los Angeles from the Owens Valley. As a result, the Owens Valley is no longer arable and farmable. Lastly, because of the projections of the populations in California, many people are worried about the water supply and about whether or not it will be an adequate supply for the large population.

Dream Big in California 2014

Energy Usage in California 2014

Due to the large population in California, California is also a large user of energy. However, between the high, energy rates, mandates due to conservation efforts, and an environmental movement, the energy usage per capita is actually one of the smallest in the country (in 2010, it ranked 48th). But, as of 2011, the country ranked third in the country in terms of crude oil production and refining capacity. The transportation sector uses the highest level of energy (38.3%), followed by the industrial sector (22.8%). The residential sector consumes 19.3% of the total energy in the state. Also, the industrial electricity prices are 73% higher than the average cost in the United States. The residential electricity prices are 39% higher than the average cost in the United States. Lastly, the state has two major nuclear plants, but the voters have consistently voted against new plants over the course of the last fifty years. Some cities are even declared as nuclear-free zones.

Other Resources

California Population 2013

Population of Alaska 2014

Based on the total number of births, the total number of deaths, and net migration rate, the most recent calculation of the population of Alaska estimates that, as of July 31, 2013, the population is 736,399 which makes up 0.23% of the total population of the nation. Alaska is the 47th most populous state in the United States. The 2010 Census indicated that the population of Alaska was 710,231. Thus, since the census, the population has grown by over 26,168 people or a growth rate of 3.7%. In fact, Alaska is considered to be the fastest growing state in the country. The 2000 Census indicated that the population of Alaska was 626,858. Thus, since the census in 2000, the population has grown by over 109,541 people or a growth rate of 17.5%. Over the course of the last four years, the population has grown by an average of 6,542 people every year; over the course of the last fourteen years, the population has grown by an average of 7,824.4 people every year. Based on the total population and the total land area of the state, the population density of Alaska is estimated to be about 1.29 people per square mile or 0.5 people per square kilometer.

Government of Alaska 2014

The government of Alaska is organized as a republic, which is made up of three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial branch. The executive branch consists of the Governor of Alaska, the Lieutenant Governor, and other constitutional officers that are elected by the people. Since July of 2009, the Governor of Alaska has been Sean Parnell, a member of the Republican Party. The legislative branch is a bicameral legislation, made up of the Alaska House of Representatives and Alaska Senate. The House of Representatives consists of forty members that serve two-year terms, and the Senate consists of twenty members that serve four-year terms. Since January of 2009, the Speaker of the House has been Mike Chenault, a member of the Republican Party. Since January of 2013, the President of the Senate has been Charlie Huggins, a member of the Republican Party. The judicial branch has four levels: the Alaska Supreme Court, the Alaska Court of Appeals, the superior courts, and the district courts. Since July of 2012, the Chief Justice has been Dana Fabe. Traditionally, Alaska is considered to lean Republican in its politics and election results. In fact, no other state has voted for a Democratic presidential candidate fewer times.

Education in Alaska 2014

The Alaska Department of Education and Early Development administers the public primary and secondary schools throughout the majority of districts. StudentsFirst is an organization that evaluates the performance and productivity of education systems throughout the country. On a 4.0 scale, the state of Alaska received an overall grade point average of 1.21, which ranks 33rd in the nation. The organization ranks the states in three categories: elevating the teaching profession, empowering parents, and spending wisely and governing well. Alaska ranks 30th in the category of elevating the teaching profession. One weakness in this category is the decision to lay off non-tenured professors before laying off tenured professors, solely due to seniority and not efficiency and effectiveness. In the category of empowering parents, Alaska ranks 37th, but also received a failing grade. One thing that Alaska does not do is they do not give each school an annual report card, which grades the school on an A-F scale based on the overall student achievement. However, the state has begun a similar process by initiating a report card of the schools on a 100-point scale. It is also difficult for parents to petition to turn around any school that is not performing very well. There are also a very limited number of quality school options in Alaska. However, while the state struggles with the first two categories, Alaska ranks 9th in its ability to spend wisely and govern the schools well. The main reason for this high ranking is the state’s ability to make teacher pensions affordable and fair. Alaska is the leading state in its ability to provide newly hired teachers reasonable and fair retirement options. However, over the course of the past year, the state has begun to put teacher and principal evaluation processes in place in order to help fix the inefficiency and ineffectiveness in schools. Another issue that the Alaskan education system struggles with is the higher academic achievers in the state tend to leave the state without returning due to the lack of higher educational opportunities. Lastly, the percentage of incoming high school students that graduate in four years is 75.5%, which is an improvement from 64.1% of students five years ago. Lastly, the infant mortality rate has decreased over the course of the past year from 6.3 deaths per 1,000 infants to 5.2 deaths per 1,000 infants.

Health of Alaska 2014

As of January of 2014, the total uninsured population of Alaska was about 129,000, or 17.5% of the population. Some challenges that the state faces in terms of its health are the high violent crime rate, the high incidence of Chlamydia infections, and the low immunization coverage among children. However, in 2013, the violent crime rate decreased from 688 offenses per 100,000 people in 2007 to 603 offenses per 100,000 people. But, in the past year, immunization coverage for children decreased from 64.7% to 59.5% of the children aged 19 to 35 months. The strengths of health in Alaska include low levels of air pollution, a low prevalence of low birth weight, and a small disparity in health status by educational attainment. In fact, 54% of adults in Alaska over the age of 25 years with at least a high school education indicated that they felt their health was either very good or excellent, in comparison to the 34.3% of adults with less than a high school education that indicated that they had very good or excellent health. About 15% of the Alaskan adult population smokes. Over the course of the past year, binge drinking has decreased from 20.8% of the population to 16.8% of the population.

Attractions in Alaska

Language in Alaska 2014

Currently, the only official language of the state of Alaska is English. However, this past January, state legislators proposed a bill that would add twenty native indigenous languages to the list of official languages. The bill is intended to prevent these languages, which are important to the culture of the native tribes, from becoming obsolete and forgotten. In fact, a total of 5.2% of the population speaks at least one of the twenty-two native languages, which belong to the Eskmo-Aleut and Na-Dene language families. As of 2007, about 85% of people over the age of five solely spoke English at home, 3.5% solely Spoke Spanish, and about 2.2% solely spoke some Indo-European language.

Cost of Living in Alaska 2014

The Anchorage Consumer Price Index is the only cost of living measurement in the state of Alaska. However, it is the state’s most important measurement and can predict the statewide inflation rate. From 2011 to 2012, there was only a 2.2% change in the consumer price index in Anchorage, which was a decrease in the change from 2010 to 2011. Overall, the Anchorage CPI tends to be less than the United States average. However, the energy costs in Alaska tend to be much higher than the United States average. Lastly, due to the introduction of big-box stores, the prices of many common goods fell.

Other Resources

Alaska Population 2013

Population of Ohio 2014

Based on the total number of births, total number of deaths, net migration rate, previous growth rates, and the population of 2013, the estimated population of Ohio in 2014 is about 11,582,243, which makes up about 3.6% of the country’s total population. Ohio is ranked 7th in the population rankings among the states in the United States, behind Pennsylvania, but ahead of Georgia. As of July 1, 2013, the population was recorded as an estimated 11,570,808. Thus, since last July, the population will have grown by 11,435 or by a growth rate of 0.099%. One of the major factors of the current population growth is, even though more Ohio citizens are moving to other states, many international migrants are moving to Ohio, which accounts for the population growth. The 2010 Census recorded the population as 11,536,504. Therefore, since the last census, the population will have grown by about 45,739 or by a growth rate of 0.4%. The 2000 Census recorded the population as 11,353,140. Therefore, since this census, the population will have grown by about 229,103 or by a growth rate of 2.02%. Based on the total land area and the total population of the state, the population density of Ohio is about 283 people per square mile or 109.27 people per square kilometer.

Government of Ohio 2014

The Ohio Constitution establishes the framework for the Ohio government, which is made up of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches. Governor John Kasich, a member of the Republican Party, currently heads the executive branch with the assistance of Lieutenant Governor Mary Taylor, also a member of the Republican Party. The legislative branch, known as the Ohio General Assembly, consists of the Ohio Senate and the Ohio House of Representatives. The Senate consists of 33 districts and thus has 33 state senators; the House of Representatives consists of 99 members. Keith Faber is the current President of the Senate and is a member of the Republican Party. William G. Batchelder is the current Speaker of the House and is also a member of the Republican Party. Not only are the Governor and the Lieutenant Governor both members of the Republican Party, but the Republican Party also holds a majority in both chambers of the Assembly. The three levels of the Ohio judicial system are the Court of Common Pleas, the district court system, and the Ohio Supreme Court. All seven justices on the Ohio Supreme Court serve a six-year term. The current Chief Justice is Maureen O’Connor. Traditionally over the years, Ohio has been considered a swing state in the presidential election; however, currently, the voter demographic leans towards the Democratic Party as there are more Ohio voters registered for the Democratic Party than the Republican Party.

Poverty in Ohio 2014

According to the Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity, the overall poverty rate in Ohio is 16.3% and the overall extreme poverty rate is 7.6%. 24% of children in Ohio live in poverty, while only 10% of senior citizens live in poverty. 15.9% of women in Ohio live in poverty. Also, 38% of single-parent families with children live in poverty. The unemployment rate is 7.4%The minimum wage for employers that gross over $292,000 annually is $7.95. 31.8% of low-income families are working and 23.8% of jobs are low-wage jobs. Lastly, over 734,000 children receive food stamps and over 144,000 adults and children receive welfare.

Education in Ohio 2014

88.1% of adults in Ohio have a high school degree, while 25.5% of adults have a four-year college degree. The average college debt in Ohio is $29,037. 8% of Ohio teenagers from the ages 16 to 19 are currently not attending school and not working. Also, the high school graduation rate is 81.4%. StudentsFirst is an organization that evaluates the performance and productivity of education systems throughout the country. On a 4.0 scale, the state of Ohio received an overall grade point average of 1.92, which ranks 10th in the nation. The organization ranks the states in three categories: elevating the teaching profession, empowering parents, and spending wisely and governing well. Ohio is ranked 28th in elevating the teaching profession. While the state has adopted effective teacher evaluations and policies that take action against ineffective teachers, the state still compensates teacher based on seniority and degrees, instead of effectiveness, and they also will not fire teachers if they have tenure. Ohio is ranked 2nd in empowering parents. The state has many different publicly funded options for schools, including many scholarship opportunities and charter school options. The one thing that the state must work on is improving the quality of the charter schools. Lastly, Ohio is ranked 9th in spending wisely and governing well due to its ability to allow the state to intervene in low performing schools and districts. In fact, the Mayor of Cleveland even has some ability to step in when times are needed. There is also some spending flexibility and transparency. However, there is not enough teacher retirement security throughout the state.

Health in Ohio 2014

According to the United Health Foundation’s Annual Report of America’s Health Rankings, Ohio is ranked 40th in terms of overall health. The incidence of pertussis decreased from 15.7 to 6.7 cases per 100,000. The level of violent crime decreased by 15% over the past five years from 343 to 300 offenses per 100,000. While there is a low percentage of uninsured citizens, only 14% of the population, there is a high percentage of smokers and diabetes. Even though the prevalence of smoking has decreased by 8% over the last year, there are still over 2 million adults that smoke, making up around 23.3% of the population. Also, the portion of the state with diabetes increased over the past year from 10% to 11.7% of adults and 25% of adults remain physically inactive. The percentage of children with immunization coverage decreased from 74.7% to 66.8% of children between the ages of 15 to 35 months. Lastly, while 52.7% of adults ages 25 years or older with at least a high school degree report that they have very good health, only 22.9% of adults without a high school degree report such health.

How To Feed A Growing Population?

Prison Population in Ohio 2014

In 2013, there was recorded to be 50,419 prison inmates in the state of Ohio, which was a 1.4% increase in the total amount of inmates and a 2.9% increase in new inmates. However, in 2014, the total number of inmates is expected to reach a record high. The prediction for the number of inmates by June 30 of 2014 is 51,601, which is a 0.23% increase from 2013. While some focus on the fact that this may signal an increase in crime, it is also important to note that the state’s 28 prison were built to house 38,579 inmates. Thus, there is an overcrowding problem in the prisons, which could result in early release due to the lack of available cells. In fact, some fear that Ohio is slowly making its way towards California’s situation, where a court ruled that their overpopulation prisons were depriving the inmates of basic medical and mental health care. Thus, the prison system in Ohio is looking to alternatives, such as rehabilitation programs, in order to help the prisoners and the overcrowding problem.

Other Resources

Ohio Population 2013

Population of New York 2014

Based on the total number of births, total number of deaths, net migration rate, the population of 2013, and the previous growth rate, the current population of New York is estimated to be about 19,742,832, which makes up about 6.14% of the country’s total population. As a result, New York is currently the 4th most populous state in the United States, behind Florida, but ahead of Illinois. As of July 1, 2013, the population of New York was estimated to be about 19,651,127. Thus, since last July, the population has grown by 91,705 or by a growth rate of 0.47%. The 2010 Census indicated that the population was 19,378,102. So, since the last census, the population has grown by 364,730 or by a growth rate of 1.88%. The 2000 Census indicated that that population was 18,976,457. So, since that census, the population has grown by 766,375 or by a growth rate of 4.04%. Based on the total land area and the total population of the state, the population density of New York is approximately 418.36 people per square mile or 161.53 people per square kilometer.

Government of New York 2014

The New York State Constitution is the basis for the state government, which is made up of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches. The Governor of New York is the head of the executive and receives assistance from the Lieutenant Governor. Since 2011, the Governor of New York has been Andrew Cuomo, a member of the Democratic Party, and the Lieutenant Governor has been Robert Duffy, also a member of the Democratic Party. The Governor and Lieutenant Governor are elected on the same ticket. The legislative branch consists of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly. Currently, the Senate has 63 members, but normally the number in the Senate varies. But, the Assembly always has 150 members. Not only does the Lieutenant Governor serve in the executive branch, but he also serves in the legislative branch as the President of the Senate. So, Robert Duffy is the current President of the Senate. The Speaker of the Assembly is Sheldon Silver, a member of the Democratic Party; Silver has served as the Speaker since February of 1994. The judicial branch is known as the New York State Unified Court System. The highest court of appeal is the New York Court of Appeals; however, the highest court in terms of felony trials is the New York State Supreme Court. The largest local court system in the state is the New York City Court System. Lastly, since the 1960 Presidential Election, the state has elected a Republican presidential candidate only three times. Thus, while the state has some Republican populations, the state tends to lean mainly Democratic.

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, or Transgender (LGBT) Rights in New York 2014

As part of the results from a survey published by Gallup in 2013, about 3.8% of the population of New York identifies as either lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. Thus, based on the current estimated population of the state, about 750,228 citizens of New York identify as such. On June 24, 2011, same-sex marriages were legalized in New York with the signing of the Marriage Equality Act and it became the fifth-state to do so. According to the Mayor of New York City, Michael Bloomberg, the legalization of same-sex marriages created about $260 million in economic impact and $16 million in city revenues. As of May 2012, the New York Appellate Division ruled that referring to someone as gay or homosexual is no longer considered defamation. Lastly, the New York State Legislature has been working to pass the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Bill, which would add gender identity and expression to the list of ways by which a person cannot be discriminated.

Health in New York 2014

Based on the United Health Foundation’s Annual Report of America’s Health Rankings in 2013, New York’s overall health ranks 15th in the nation. The state has one of the lowest obesity rates in the country at 23.6% of the adult population. It also has a low prevalence of smoking among its adult population. There is high per capita public health funding, along with a ready availability of primary care physicians and dentists. The state has also witnessed a decrease in air pollution over the course of the past five years and a decrease in deaths as a result of cardiovascular disease over the past ten years. Also, only 14% of New York citizens are uninsured. However, the state has low immunization coverage among children. Lastly, while 54.6% of adults of the ages 25 years or older with at least a high school degree claim that they have very good health, only 25.1% of those adults with less than such an education claim to have very good health.

Education in New York 2014

As of 2013, 84.9% of the population has a high school degree, while only 33.4% of the population has a four-year college degree. About 8% of teenagers from the ages of 16 to 19 are not attending school and are not working. Also, the high school graduation rate is 76%. StudentsFirst is an organization that evaluates the performance and productivity of education systems throughout the country. On a 4.0 scale, the state of New York received an overall grade point average of 1.29, which ranks 28th in the nation. The organization ranks the states in three categories: elevating the teaching profession, empowering parents, and spending wisely and governing well. New York is ranked 26th in terms of elevating the teaching profession. The state has a form of an evaluation system in place for principals and teachers that rates them on a four-tier rating system, including student growth. However, the state still rewards teachers with pay increases based on seniority and degree attainment instead of solely on performance. New York ranks 37th when it comes to empowering the parents. If the parents ask for a final quality rating of a teacher, then they can receive the report. However, there is no quality report for each school. The schools also do not notify the parents if their student is under the instruction of an ineffective teacher. Lastly, New York ranks 5th when it comes to spending wisely and governing well. The state has the ability to intervene in low-performing schools and districts in order to help them recover. However, the state does not do much in order to make sustainable and attractive retirement and pension plans available for the teachers.

Poverty in New York 2014

The overall poverty rate of New York is 15.9% and the overall extreme poverty rate is 7.1%. The child poverty rate is 23%, while the senior poverty rate is 17%. Also, 15.6% of New York women claim to live in poverty. 36% of single-parents families with children live in poverty. The minimum wage in New York is $8.00 per hour. 15.7% of jobs in New York are considered to be low-wage and 30.2% of low-income families work. Lastly, over 1.1 million children in New York receive food stamps.

Other Resources

New York State Population 2013

Population of Texas 2014

Based on the total number of births, total number of deaths, net migration rate in the state, and the population of 2013, the current population of Texas is estimated to be about 26,623,655, which makes up about 8.28% of the country’s total population. As a result, Texas is the second-most populous state in the country, behind California, but ahead of New York. At the end of 2013, the population of Texas was estimated to be about 26,448,193. Thus, since the start of 2014, the population has grown by 175,462 or by a growth rate of 0.66%. The 2010 Census indicated that the population was 25,145,561. So, since the census, the population has grown by 1,478,094 or 5.88% of the 2010 population count. On average, over the course of the last four years, the population has grown by 369,524 people every year. Based on the total population and the total land area, the population density of Texas is estimated to be about 38.24 people per square kilometer or 99.13 people per square mile.

Government of Texas 2014

The Constitution of Texas was implemented and adopted in 1876 and is considered to be a unitary democratic government. The Constitution establishes the separation of powers between the executive, legislative, and judicial branches. The executive branch is a plural executive system, which means that, other than the Secretary of State, the officers are elected by the public and thus answer to the public, not the Governor. The main positions in the executive branch are the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Comptroller of Public Accounts, Land Commissioner, Attorney General, Agriculture Commissioner, the Texas Railroad Commission, the State Board of Education, and the Secretary of State. The current Governor is Rick Perry and he has the power to veto bills and call the legislature into special sessions.

The Texas legislature is bicameral, made up of the 150-member House of Representatives and the 31-member Senate. The Speaker of the House presides over the House of Representatives, while the Lieutenant Governor presides over the Senate. The legislature has the ability to create and pass laws, subject to veto power of the Governor. The Texas Supreme Court and the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals head the judicial branch, which is considered to be one of the most complex systems in the country. The voters of Texas elect the justices of the Supreme Court and Court of Criminal Appeals. Lastly, the voters have consistently voted for the Republican presidential candidate over the course of the last thirty years.

Language in Texas 2014

The most commonly used or spoken dialect in Texas is Texan English, which is a dialect in Southern American English. In 2010, 65.8% of Texans, of ages five years or older, speak only English. 29.2% of Texans speak Spanish and 0.75% of Texans speak Vietnamese. Some of the languages spoken other than English are Chinese, German, and Tagalog. Also, about 34.2% of the population speaks a language other than English.

Education in Texas 2014

The Texas Education Agency is the supervising body over the public school system and the charter school system. There are over 1,000 public school districts throughout the state, and all but one are independent of their respective municipal governments. StudentsFirst is an organization that evaluates the performance and productivity of education systems throughout the country. On a 4.0 scale, Texas received a 1.23 Grade Point Average and is ranked 31st out of the 50 states. They note that, while there have been attempts to create a much more student-centered environment in the schools, there is still much more room to improve. One major criticism of the education system is the lack of annual evaluations of the teachers to ensure that he or she is doing their jobs correctly and efficiently. However, this is one of the parts of the system that the state has been improving. They also indicate that the schools should expand the high-performing charter schools and empower the students much more. They gave a failing grade to the ability of the school system to empower the parents. They also stated that there should be a greater effort to restore and recover low-performing schools and districts. Lastly, about 69% of the population has a basic or below basic reading level and 62% of the population has basic or below basic mathematical abilities.

Health Care in Texas 2014

According to the Commonwealth Fund, Texas has the third worst health care system in the country. As of 2012, 28.8% of the population did not have health insurance, and out of the total 28.8% uninsured, 17% are uninsured children. One of the main reasons for the high level of uninsured people is due to the high level of immigration that exists in the state due to its proximity to the Mexican border. The major reason that people do not purchase health insurance is due to the rising high costs to obtain health insurance. In 2007, the average family premium for health care was just over $12,000 per year. The vicious cycle continues because the cost of health care plans increase due to the high level of uninsured residents that use the emergency rooms for any medical reasoning, which in turn causes the prices of premiums to rise. Another issue with the health care system is that there is a high shortage of nurses in the state. It is predicted that by 2020, the state will be short by about 71,000 nurses what it would efficiently need to run its medical system. There seem to be a shortage of nursing programs to properly educate nursing students in the state. Lastly, out of the total supply of hospitals, about 44.8% are for-profit institutions, 29.6% are non-profit institutions, and 25.6% are public institutions.

Texas Population Growth Compared to California

Economy of Texas 2014

In 2010, the Gross State Product of Texas was recorded to be about $1.207 trillion, which made it the second-highest GSP in the nation. However, it is also proves to be of the same size as India and Canada, which rank 12th and 11th in national economic rankings. Due to the discovery of oil in the state at Spindletop, the petroleum industry has been one of the largest industries in the state. It is recorded to have about 5 billion barrels in its deposits throughout the state, which totals about 25% of the total deposits in the country. Texas prefers to abide by a system with low taxes and low services. It is one of the few states in the country without a state income tax. However, they do charge property and sales taxes of 6.25%. Texas has consistently been ranked the most business-friendly state in the nation according to Site Selection Magazine. In 2010, the state had the second-largest population of millionaires in the state. Lastly, as of 2013, the unemployment rate of Texas was 6.4% of the total workforce.

Other Resources

Texas Population 2013