Jacob Hacker on Blue State Prosperity

August 2, 2016

Jacob Hacker and co-author Paul Pierson write an op-ed in the Sunday New York Times.  In “The Path to Prosperity Is Blue,” the authors look at the differences between red and blue states, measuring the social and economic indicators such as median household income, life expentancy, taxation, patent rate and education. Comparing averages, the authors find that “blue states are substantially richer (even adjusting for cost of living) and their residents are better educated.” 

“This red-blue divergence is all the more striking because red states still receive much more in federal spending relative to the federal taxes their residents pay.”

Read op-ed here.

Supplemental data for 8/9/16 New York Times op-ed, “The Path to Prosperity is Blue” is available.

Related media appearances:

August 8, 2016: WBUR

August 9, 2016: CSPAN Washington Journal

August 10, 2016: WCPT Wayne Besen Show

Updated August 12, 2016