Scott Rasmussen's Number of the Day for November 28, 2018
The Number of the Day columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.
November 28, 2018: With the constant barrage of bad news, it may strike some as odd that 92% of Americans believe they have a lot to be thankful for this holiday season.[1]
But a Motley Fool article listed 50 reasons we are living through the greatest period in world history.[2] Basically, we’re living happier, healthier, longer lives with more time to enjoy leisure and more conveniences than earlier generations could have ever imagined.
Reason number one on the list is that “U.S. life expectancy at birth was 39 years in 1800, 49 years in 1900, 68 years in 1950, and 79 years today.” That’s the result of countless healthcare breakthroughs over the past century. “In 1900, 1% of American women giving birth died in labor. Today, the five-year mortality rate for localized breast cancer is 1.2%.” In other words, “Being pregnant 100 years ago was almost as dangerous as having breast cancer is today.”
As I wrote in The Sun Is Still Rising: Politics Has Failed But America Will Not, “Societal changes take place so slowly that we rarely see them unfold on a day-to-day basis. Our culture and lifestyles adapt so quickly to new technology that we soon can’t remember life without the latest innovation. But when we look back over any significant period of time, the scale of change is truly breathtaking.”
The Motley Fool article was written in 2014, but the data and trends are just as relevant today. The big takeaway is that the 92% who say they have a lot to be thankful for are right.
Each weekday, Scott Rasmussen’s Number of the Day explores interesting and newsworthy topics at the intersection of culture, politics, and technology.
- November 27, 2018 – 9.5 billion dollars spent by federal government to help low-income and displaced workers find jobs
- November 26, 2018 – 1,007 dollars spent by average American during holiday season
- November 23, 2018 – 116 million Americans expected to shop today
- November 22, 2018 – 365 million pounds of turkey bought for Thanksgiving
- November 21, 2018 – 54 million Americans traveling this holiday weekend
- To see other recent numbers, check out the archive.
Scott Rasmussen’s Number of the Day is published by Ballotpedia weekdays at 8:00 a.m. Eastern. Click here to check out the latest update.
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Columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.
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