Indicators of Shifting Performance

Abstract

Abstract Much can be learned about the nation’s social health from indicators whose performance has shifted significantly over time. For some indicators this has occurred at one critical point; for others there have been periodic shifts. These course changes have been brought about by a number of factors, including social policy interventions, attitudinal changes in the society, and the cyclical nature of the economy. The indicators showing shifting performance are: Teenage drug use Teenage births Alcohol-related traffic fatalities Affordable housing Unemployment Both teenage drug use and teenage births have experienced several shifts caused by social policy and changes in attitude. Teenage drug use, at its peak during the late 1970s, was addressed by a variety of interventions, and improved during the 1980s. With fewer interventions during the 1990s, it has begun to worsen once again. In contrast, the rate of teenage births rose during the 1980s but has fallen during each of the past six years.