It's abundantly clear: The past eight years have been a mixed bag for America. The economy is in serious trouble, and many Americans are pessimistic about the current state of affairs. And for good reason: Unemployment is at a 16-year high, the stock market has slumped, and debt -- both public and private -- continues to mount. But we've seen achievements, too, such as a drop in violent crime. What follows is a gauge of sorts for the nation and how we've changed over the past eight years.

Sources

Economy: Unemployment rate, Dow Jones industrial average, consumer confidence index, national debt, budget surplus/deficit (PDF), foreign trade deficit (current account)

Transportation: Vehicle miles driven, public transportation ridership, gasoline prices, new vehicle sales

Home and School: Home ownership (Excel document), consumer debt, average SAT scores (PDF), median household income (PDF; table A-1), children living with one parent (Excel document), average salary for public school teachers

Terrorism: U.S. military deaths in the global war on terrorism (PDF, PDF)

Global Warming: Arctic sea ice extent

Health and Safety: Obesity and adult smoking rates, percent in poverty (Table B-1) and without health insurance (Table C-1) (PDF), violent crime rate, people incarcerated in jails or prison, Federal spending on HIV/AIDS (Table 5)

Public opinion: Satisfied with the U.S., Bush approval rating, most important problem facing U.S.

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