Gallup: D.C. 'Boomtown' Only Place in America with Positive Economic Outlook

Gallup: D.C. 'Boomtown' Only Place in America with Positive Economic Outlook

Though Gallup’s economic confidence index is negative in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., also known as the nation’s preeminent “Boomtown,” is the clear outlier, with the only positive index. In fact, it’s not even close. 

Gallup conducted daily tracking interviews with 178,071 adults nationally from January through December 2013, and the polling organization said it interviewed “at least 500 residents in every state and interviewed 1,000 or more in 41 states. In the District of Columbia, 462 interviews were conducted.”

The Gallup Economic Confidence Index “is a composite of Americans’ ratings of current U.S. economic conditions and their perceptions of the economy’s direction.” According to Gallup, “the index has a theoretical maximum of +100 (if all respondents rate the economy “excellent” or “good” and say it is getting better) and a theoretical minimum of -100 (if all rate the economy “poor” and say it is getting worse).”

Eight of the 13 wealthiest counties are in the D.C. region, as the bipartisan permanent political class has accelerated the expansion of the federal government for the last decade to enrich those whose financial interests are directly tied to the growth of government. 

Gallup noted that D.C.’s +19 index (Massachusetts was second on the list with a -1 index.) “is the clear outlier in economic confidence” but also noted that even D.C.’s index has taken a hit since 2012, when it was +29. Gallup determined that the index actually took a dip due to cuts in government that occurred with the government shutdown and sequestration. 

West Virginia was the “least economically confident state (-44), having owned the title for the past four years.”

Top 10 States, Gallup Economic Confidence Index, 2013

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