Voice For Liberty

31/08/2024

Vehicle Fatalities in States

31/08/2024

Smoking in Congressional Districts

Percentage of adults who report current smoking. 2021. Shown as difference from mean district value 15.75.

31/08/2024

Teen Births in Congressional Districts
Births to females 15-19 years per 1 ,000 females in that age group. 2021. Shown as difference from mean district value 13.96.

31/08/2024

Firearm Mortality by State
Number of deaths per 100,000 total population. Average annual rate for 2014 through 2022. Adjusted for age. Size proportional to state population.

Regression analysis indicates that political leanings, as reflected by the percentage of votes for Donald J. Trump, play a significant role in determining firearm mortality rates across states. The population size does not show a significant direct effect in this model.

30/08/2024

Does Donald Trump really believe the 2020 election was stolen?

Based on what he did with money he raised, the answer is not really.

After the 2020 election, President Trump and his allies raised over $250 million through claims of election fraud. Much of this money was redirected to a leadership PAC called Save America, established by Trump, allowing him to use the funds with few restrictions for purposes beyond the legal efforts to contest the election. Despite the funds' intended purpose for "election defense," they were largely spent on other expenses, including personal costs for Trump, donations to associates, and payments to affiliated companies, with a significant portion remaining unspent.

30/08/2024

GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT IN COUNTIES

In summary, the chart suggests a negative correlation between the percentage of votes for Trump and per capita GDP in counties, indicating that counties with higher Trump support generally have lower per capita GDP.

30/08/2024

GDP GROWTH DURING THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION

After Donald J. Trump took office, the rate of Gross Domestic Product growth increased slightly from the prior administration, until the pandemic.

30/08/2024

JOB GROWTH DURING THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION

After Donald J. Trump took office, the rate of job growth in the nonfarm and private sectors slowed from the prior administration. Government job growth increased.

30/08/2024

REAL DISPOSABLE PERSONAL INCOME IS RISING

Real disposable personal income is the income available to persons for spending or saving. It is equal to personal income less personal current taxes, after adjusting for changes in prices due to inflation.

Comparing real disposable personal income before and after the Covid pandemic, attempting to remove the effect of the pandemic.

27/08/2024

Midwestern cities like St. Louis are actively seeking new immigrants to counter decades of population decline and labor shortages. While immigration is a contentious national issue, local governments in conservative regions view it as a solution to their economic challenges. St. Louis, through the International Institute, plans to attract 2,000 immigrants this year and hopes to increase that number to 15,000 by 2030.

The strategy is driven by the need to replenish an aging workforce, prompting even Republican-led states like Kansas and North Dakota to recruit foreign labor. Businesses in these areas are partnering with nonprofits to hire refugees, such as those from Ukraine. However, national immigration reform has been stalled since 1990, forcing local governments to manage immigration issues with limited federal support.

In Missouri, the political climate remains divided, with local leaders like those in St. Louis working to welcome immigrants, while state politicians often adopt hardline stances on immigration. Despite these challenges, St. Louis and other cities continue their efforts, recognizing immigrants as vital to their economic revitalization.

The success of these initiatives is uncertain due to political opposition, funding shortages, and logistical challenges. Yet, as the U.S. population ages, the need for immigration reform becomes increasingly clear, with experts suggesting that demographic realities will eventually force policy changes.

MLA citation: "The Midwest Cities in Search of New Migrants." *The Guardian*, 2024.

Although immigration remains hugely controversial, a number of places in Republican-dominated areas are eager for an influx of workers

27/08/2024

A group of alumni from the administrations of President George W. Bush, the late Senator John McCain, and former Governor Mitt Romney, who previously warned against re-electing Donald Trump in 2020, have reunited to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz for the upcoming election. They are joined by new alumni from George H.W. Bush's administration. The group acknowledges their ideological differences with Harris and Walz but believes that the alternative of another Trump presidency is unacceptable. They express concerns that Trump's leadership would harm both domestic institutions and international democratic movements. They call on moderate Republicans and conservative independents to once again prioritize the country's well-being over party loyalty, just as they did in 2020, to ensure that the nation is led by those who seek unity and consensus rather than division and chaos.

Link to full document:

26/08/2024

25/08/2024

Voter Turnout by State
Percent of voting-age population ineligible to vote because of felon status. 2022 general election.

25/08/2024

Voter Turnout by State

24/08/2024

While Donald Trump says he built the greatest economy ever, growth in Gross Domestic Product during his administration was bested many times. From 1930 to 2023 there were 48 years when GDP grew faster than in Trump's best year.

24/08/2024

VOTING AND REGISTRATION IN STATES AND COUNTIES

Charts of voting and registration in states and counties.

Charts of voting and registration in states and counties.

22/08/2024

KANSAS EMPLOYMENT SITUATION, JULY 2024

In Kansas in July 2024, the labor force rose, the number of jobs fell, and the unemployment rate rose compared to the previous month. Over the year, Kansas is near the midpoint of states in job growth.

In Kansas in July 2024, the labor force rose, the number of jobs fell, and the unemployment rate rose compared to the previous month. Over the year, Kansas is near the midpoint of states in job growth.

22/08/2024

Someone told me it was "sad" that no journalists did fact-checking on Joe Biden's speech at the convention. But ...

Fact-checking Joe Biden on Day 1 of 2024 Democratic National Convention
https://www.politifact.com/article/2024/aug/20/fact-check-biden-hillary-2024-dnc-day-1-chicago/

CNN: Fact-checking night 1 of the Democratic National Convention
https://www.cnn.com/2024/08/19/politics/fact-check-night-one-democratic-national-convention/index.html

New York Times: Fact-Checking Biden’s Speech and More: Day 1 of the Democratic National Convention
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/us/dnc-fact-check

Newsweek Opinion: Biden Took to the Stage, and Lied, and Lied, and Lies
https://www.newsweek.com/bidens-lies-outshine-dnc-highs-opinion-1942037

Factcheck.org: Opening Night of the Democratic National Convention
We fact-checked Biden's speech -- which included many claims we've heard before -- as well as the remarks of other speakers.
https://www.factcheck.org/2024/08/opening-night-of-the-democratic-national-convention/

Washington Post: Fact-checking Day 1 of the 2024 Democratic National Convention
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/08/20/fact-check-democratic-national-convention-day-1/

20/08/2024

DONALD TRUMP ON AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE ROAD TRIP

At some point we have to wonder why Donald Trump lies blatantly about things that are easily shown to be wrong. Example:

On August 19, 2024, while speaking on York, Penn., Donald Trump said: "Well, it doesn’t work because the cars don’t go far. If you’d like to go from here to, let’s say Washington to look after we fix the capital up and make it safe again, which will take approximately like quickly, but after we fix it up, and if you want to drive there, you don’t want to stop five times, ..."

Google maps tells us that driving distance from York to Washington is 92 miles. As shows in the table below, an electric vehicle could make that trip several times on a single charge.

20/08/2024

KANSAS TAX REVENUE, JULY 2024

For July 2024, Kansas tax revenue was 3.0 percent lower than July 2023, and 1.0 percent less than estimated.

For July 2024, Kansas tax revenue was 3.0 percent lower than July 2023, and 1.0 percent less than estimated.

18/08/2024

OIL RESERVES IN THE WORLD
Where does the United States rank in oil reserves, according to Donald Trump?
https://www.wichitaliberty.org/economics/oil-reserves-in-the-world/

18/08/2024

TRUMP'S INFLATION DATA
Donald Trump presents price data that is accurate, as far as it goes.

Donald Trump presents price data that is accurate, as far as it goes.

18/08/2024

Federal Share of State Budgets
Share of state total revenue that comes from federal funds. Blue line is state value, gray is national average of states.

18/08/2024

Voting in Counties
Percent of votes cast by mail. Size proportional to county population. 2020 general election.

18/08/2024

Voting in Counties
Percent of votes cast by mail. Color indicates county vote degree of partisanship. Horizontal axis is logarithmic. 2020 general election.

18/08/2024

Rural in Counties
Percentage of population living in a rural area. Shown as difference from unweighted mean county value 58.0%.

18/08/2024

State Sales Tax Rate on Groceries
As of January 1, 2024.

17/08/2024

TRUMP'S INFLATION DATA

Donald Trump presents price data that is accurate.

Donald Trump presents price data that is accurate.