How The Recession Changed Us

Great Piece/Chart Series from The Atlantic.

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What a Difference 2 Years Makes.

Officially, the Great Recession lasted from December 2007 to June 2009. A mere 18 months- about average, as recessions go. Yet if the trauma this time feels deep and lasting, that may be because, as the figures on these pages show, so many disruptions have upened national life at once. 

Millions of Americans have lost their jobs, nearly every state faces a budget shortfall, and hundreds of banks have shut their doors. The young are unemployed, living at home, and playing video games. The ranks of thrid party candidates have swolen, militias have proliferated, and national leaders of both parties have seen their support decline. Of course, times of flux are often times of anxiety and unrest. But as the economy begins its slow and stuttering recovery, the vast changes wrought by this recession will continue to reverberate for many years- in ways predictable and otherwise.

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