Author Description

William J. Bennett's "report card" on America is a comprehensive statistical portrait of our moral, social, and cultural condition. For years Americans have turned to the Commerce Department's Index of Leading Economic Indicators to spot trends in our economy. Now The Index of Leading Cultural Indicators provides an accessible guide to sweeping - and alarming - trends in American society. The Index of Leading Cultural Indicators vividly demonstrates that since 1960 - while population, wealth, and welfare benefits climbed - America's values have deteriorated. Drawing on data from the Census Bureau, the FBI, and other government sources, Bennett provides eye-opening statistical and numerical breakdowns, charts and graphs, and a brief analysis of the data. Here are some of the startling findings: since 1960 violent crime has increased by 560 percent; the number of unmarried pregnant teenagers has nearly doubled; teen suicide has increased by more than 200 percent and the number of divorces has increased nearly 200 percent, while the marriage rate is at an all-time low. Parents, educators, and everyone across the political spectrum will find The Index of Leading Cultural Indicators an invaluable sourcebook as well as a dramatic call to arms.