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Conservatives release "cultural index'

 
Published March 16, 1993|Updated Oct. 9, 2005

Conservatives released an "Index of Leading Cultural Indicators" on Monday that they said shows how much society has regressed since 1960.

The index, which compares 19 cultural categories ranging from television watching to violent crime, shows that "over the last three decades, we have experienced substantial social regression," said William Bennett, who served in the Bush and Reagan cabinets.

The index was devised by three conservative think tanks: Empower America, the Heritage Foundation and the Free Congress Foundation. The data comes from government and private sources, including the Census Bureau, FBI, the College Board and National Center for Health Statistics.

The statistics "will serve as a snapshot of where we've been and, more importantly, as a guide to where we need to go," said Jack Kemp, a former Republican congressman and housing secretary.

Political handicappers have listed Bennett and Kemp among the early contenders for the Republican presidential nomination in 1996.

Hewing to the conservative philosophy, the report says many of the problems "are remarkably resistant to government cures." However, there has been progress on several fronts. High school dropout rates have declined, for instance, and poverty rates for children fell between 1960 and 1970 _ the era of Lyndon Johnson's "Great Society" _ before heading up again. The child poverty levels are still lower now than 30 years ago.

Among the 30-year compilations of the cultural index:

Television viewing: The average American watches about two hours more TV per day now than three decades ago. In 1960, average daily viewing was 5 hours, 6 minutes; in 1992 it was 7 hours, 4 minutes.

Single-parent families: The percentage of children living in single-parent homes has more than tripled in the past three decades _ from 9.1 percent in 1960 to 28.1 percent in 1991. The father is the missing parent in about 9 of every 10 of these homes.

Births to unmarried women: Since 1960, out-of-wedlock births have increased more than 400 percent. This is a major reason more children are living in single-parent families. In 1960, only 5.3 percent of all births were to unmarried women. In 1990, it was 28 percent.

Child poverty: In 1960, the federal government classified about 27 percent of American children as poor. By 1970, this number had dropped to 10.4 percent, but the trend reversed and, in 1991, 21.8 percent of the nation's children were poor by federal standards.

Children on welfare: The percentage of children being raised on Aid to Families with Dependent Children has risen from 3.5 in 1960 to 12.9 percent in 1991.

SAT scores: In three decades, the average SAT score has dropped nearly 80 points _ from 975 in 1960 to 899 in 1992.

High school dropout rates: Young people are much more likely to graduate from high school now than they were 30 years ago. In 1960, 39 percent dropped out; now only 12 percent do.

Crime: While the population has increased only 41 percent since 1960, the violent crime rate has increased more than 500 percent, and total crimes more than 300 percent.