SUSA represents a true step forward in helping people and communities help themselves, and achieve positive, measurable social impact.
Sharon King, President of the F.B. Heron Foundation
Introduction to the State of the USA
As a nation, we face serious issues and problems. In many arenas, the current situation is unsustainable and demands solutions.
To agree on solutions, though, we must agree on the problems. We cannot change what we cannot measure.
The State of the USA is a new non-profit institution that will provide easy access to credible, reliable information as well as a forum that allows Americans to engage on the issues that matter – from the economy and education, health and the environment, to families, children and public safety. Toward helping people to assess where our nation is moving forward and where it has stalled, the State of the USA will be a unique and valuable public service:
- First comprehensive set of national measures for the country;
- Substantial breadth and depth of data;
- Relevant to assessing and measuring the nation’s most urgent national problems;
- Flexible and social, with state-of-the-art web technology that allows users to analyze and share data to serve their own objectives;
- Free access for all;
- Trusted content driven by the country’s most important and neutral scientific and statistical entities (e.g., the National Academies, major national foundations).
Knowing the state of the USA today and acting on that knowledge is our best opportunity to improve America for all generations.